Albert Gilmutdinov to attract young brains from all over Russia through student residenсe halls

''We a little delayed with expansion of the admission because there were no residence halls for children''

The idea of selection and support of gifted children in the Republic of Tatarstan received support with the creation of the first lyceums within the structure of the federal universities and not formally subordinated to the local departments of education of the Republic of Tatarstan. Since 2012, the system of elite schools with a high level of training at universities has grown significantly, they are 16 today, said at a briefing for journalists Deputy Minister of Education and Science Timirkhan Alishev. Despite the fact that all of them are located in Kazan, each of them is focused on attracting talented children from all regions of the country and the CIS, and that is why they have boarding schools for permanent residence. The exception was the engineering lyceum of KNRTU–KAI, which opened in September 2015. Until today, it admitted only children from Kazan. With the possibility to admit 220 children, only 75 students are studying today in the lyceum, and the first graduation class of this year was quite modest — only seven seniors.

''We a little delayed expansion of the admission since the lyceum did not have residence hall for children,'' explained the rector of KNRTU-KAI Albert Gilmutdinov. ''But now we're starting to build it. It will be able to accommodate 100 children, and therefore, we will increase admission''. According to the rector, the ''Kazan quota'' was set for 120 places, from other cities — 100 places.

Until today, it admitted only children from Kazan. Photo: kai.ru

''However, if 105 children from other cities and 98 from Kazan are selected, then we will admit them. These figures cannot be considered fixed,'' he corrected himself. Turning to the financial side of the training of gifted children, Albert Gilmutdinov reported that 93 million rubles will be allocated from the regional budget for the construction of the residence hall. In addition, the regional budget assumes education, accommodation and meals of students of lyceums for several years of their studies. For students, everything will be free. Moreover, as noted by Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Tatarstan Timirkhan Alishev, the student maintenance standard in lyceums is higher than in ordinary schools.

For admission to the lyceum, children undergo a three stage selection. ''''For us, the most important thing is to select children of equal intellectual development,'' said Gilmutdinov. ''Imagine, in a class there are 15 children, 14 of them are very strong in Mathematics and Physics, and the 15th — not so much. It will be psychologically difficult to study with them. Therefore, the only criterion for selection is the ability to assimilate the educational program in the technical areas (Mathematics, Physics, Computer science and Technical creativity),'' he concluded. Now the average result in test tasks, close to the state exams, is 70 points.

Why do we need brains from other regions?

''What is the point for the republic to train personnel from other regions? Maybe, Tatarstan will receive compensation from their treasury?'' reporters asked the speakers. ''No, we will ask no compensation,'' replied Timirkhan Alishev. Thus, Tatarstan universities have joined the race for the best minds.

Timirkhan Alishev: ''Since 2012, lyceums for gifted children began to be opened, they are fully provided from the budget of Tatarstan. The logic is obvious: by attracting the best students, we solve the problem on their consolidation on the territory of Tatarstan.'' Photo: kpfu.ru

According to the speaker, Tatarstan by the order of Tatarstan President was one of the first to launch the system of training talented children in lyceums. ''Since 2012, lyceums for gifted children began to be opened, they are fully provided from the budget of Tatarstan. The logic is obvious: by attracting the best students, we solve the problem on their consolidation on the territory of Tatarstan. In the future, they will have a strong motivation to enter universities of Kazan, which supported them, and not to go to Moscow and St. Petersburg. Very often our universities are better than federal ones. We ask no refund,'' explained Deputy Minister. However, he did not specify how much money is spent annually on training gifted children.

They are absolutely free

However, the rector of KNRTU-KAI Albert Gilmutdinov disavowed the remarks of his colleague. According to him, the lyceum does not limit the graduate in the choice of university for further education.

''Of course, we hope that they will come to our university, but we are not going to induce them. It is absolutely impossible. They are completely free: they can return home, they can go to enter in Moscow, Saint-Petersburg. We do not consider their choices as a loss due to a very simple reason: people studied in Kazan for five years, they will have good memories about lyceum, Kazan. And if he after entering in a university in Moscow becomes a powerful man, he is still our capital! This policy is absolutely win-win,'' said the rector. Answering the question of Realnoe Vremya, whether non-residents of Tatarstan are forced to study the Tatar language, he noted that children will not have difficulties in its study, and it will not be an obstacle for admission to the lyceum.

Albert Gilmutdinov: ''We have girls, we have no gender restrictions. Of course, boys are more, it is natural.'' Photo: rbc.ru

We have super girls as well

Albert Gilmutdinov already feels the pride from the achievements of talented children of the lyceum. According to him, recently it has become known that four teams of engineering lyceum took winning places in the international championship JuniorSkills in Krasnodar.

Whether are girls studying in the lyceum? ''We have girls, we have no gender restrictions. Of course, boys are more, it is natural. Although there are super gifted girls. The champion of Russia of engineering graphics at WorldSkills Championship was our girl student. In our lyceum, we have another girl – the champion for work on CNC machines. So there are unique children.'' We would like to add that Albert Gilmutdinov himself at first taught in the lyceum — he gave leadership lessons. But because of high work load he had to leave teaching here.

In conclusion, the rector of KNRTU-KAI said that the residence hall will be built not by September 1 of this year as many expected but only by the end of the year. Therefore, the first months of study the children will have to live in a student residence house. In the university they hope that this fact will not stop the thrust for knowledge of children.