Winners of Young Professionals for Sustainable Future of Russia Contest Awarded

It is the fourth time that the all-Russian contest Young Professionals for Sustainable Future of Russia has been held. In 2014, over 1,000 graduate and postgraduate students from 53 regions of Russia participated in the contest. It is organized by ACIG Group of Companies and RANEPA. Unilever and the Association of Innovative Regions of Russia are the partners of the contest.

Veniamin Kaganov, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation; Elena Abramova, Deputy Minister of the Russian Federation for Crimean Affairs; Aleksey Komissarov, Aide to Mayor of Moscow; Viktor Tolmachev, Chair of the Supervisory Board of ACIG; Aleksandr Plakida, Deputy Chair of the Board at ACIG; Aleksey Shipov, Managing Director of the Sustainable Future of Russia platform for young professional; Irina Bakhtina, Vice President Sustainable Business & Comms NAMET RUB & Africa, Global SB & Comms Capability & Training at Unilever; Stanislav Naumov, President of the Russian Public Relations Association; Dmitry Khalin, Deputy Director General for Technology Policy at Microsoft Russia, were among its guests.

Mr. Tolmachev opened the ceremony and said that it is the young people who are the key capital of our country. “Keeping and shaping of the team of professionals, single-minded persons, able to overcome all obstacles rather than keeping assets is the key priority. We are putting our hopes on you, and we want you to become our ‘companions-in-arms’ and ‘fellow-fighters’,” he said.

“Now that we are not just one of very many projects. We are saying that a new qualitative platform for young people has been established; it has combined the forces of business, authorities and science to develop young people, the key asset of the country,” Mr. Shipov emphasized the pace of development of the project in the previous year.

Members of the contest board summed up the contest and noted the usefulness of the projects: Not only theoretical research has been performed, but certain recommendations have been given.

Irina Miroyedova and her project, entitled Start Your Own School Company, took the first place in the nomination Talent Management: How to Discover, Attract and Keep the Best initiated by ACIG.

Danila Kozlov became the winner in the nomination Implementation of Principles of Sustainable Development in Agriculture: Economic Models and Contribution to Food Safety of the Russian Federation.

Research project (Yuliya Aksenova and Mariya Sytykh) with the comparative analysis of wellbeing of the seniors based on the information accumulated in the cities of Tomsk and Bremen with the application of the econometric regression model took the first place in the nomination Measurable Macroeconomy: Indicators and Indices of Social and Economic Development of Russia initiated by RANEPA.

Anna Kovalenko and Yelena Kulyakina with their project Reforming the System of Accounting for Material Costs and Controlling of Health Resorts as the Foreground for Development of Balneological Tourism in Crimea became the winners in the nomination Development of Tourism in the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol proposed by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives.

In conclusion, Mr. Shipov announced the start of the fifth annual contest Young Professionals for Sustainable Development of Russia and its topics. He said that some other topics will be added.

PR of territories: creation and development of images and brands of regions and cities of the Russian Federation (proposed by ACIG)

Contribution of civil society to independent assessment of efficiency of social services (by RANEPA)

Transition to new models of consumption culture in Russia based on sustainable development concept (by Unilever)

Discussion of current issues and prospects of professional training and the role of the young generation in building the sustainable future of our country continued at the panel, entitled Young Professionals and Who They Are, moderated by Dmitry Butashin, Pro-Rector at RANEPA.

“Apart from objective factors of the potential for development and the actual efforts by both the federal and regional authorities, it is necessary to create conditions for informing potential employers about the condition and advantages of the succession pool of the country and to achieve the potential and to use the talent of professionals for sustainable development of the state,” Mr. Tolmachev talked about the importance of transparency of the labor market and succession pool of the country.

“Young people are more agile and less attached. This is why they need to be parted ways with in a way that those leaving the company would still be their ambassadors and promote its ideas and values. Conditions for launching business within the company need to be created for them and an opportunity to come back needs to be given to them,” Mr. Komissarov expressed his opinion from the perspective of business.

Business does not need to retain young people, and labor reserves have to move, says Ms. Abramova. “Young professionals can use knowledge for development of the company obtained in a different organization, which is perfectly normal,” she said.