According to Skolkovo Fund, the Association’s main objective is to facilitate the establishment of state policy, the promotion of advanced Russian experience, active integration to the processes of technology transfer and commercialization of intellectual activity results and also to assist in development of fruitful partnership between business and governmental bodies within the model of “Triple helix”.

Oleg Alexeev, Vice-President of Skolkovo Fund, considers that signing the declaration represents “the initiative from below”. “It was born during ITMO University and Skolkovo Fund discussions, and was further negotiated by the experts in May within the innovation forum INNOVUS in Tomsk. With the establishment of this Association we declare that a new university – engineering university of entrepreneurial type – will appear in Russia. It sees its future as close cooperation with industry, innovation business, governmental bodies and municipalities,” states Oleg Alexeev. According to his words, today we should use and unite all the sources of modern knowledge in order to develop the skills and expertise, necessary for industry, innovation business, universities.

“For 15 years Russia has been coming to understanding of an entrepreneurial university model necessity. TUSUR has been setting itself up as an entrepreneurial university since 1999. Having officially admitted the huge responsibility of entrepreneurial university building, today we should launch an implementation stage and become leaders of innovation process. With the establishment of this Association we deny the stereotypes about Russian universities and innovation development and claim the entrepreneurial mission of the university. In TUSUR some kind of foundation has been laid – Institute of Innovation, a leading research center in the field of analysis of university, business and authority relationships for the innovation development, is established,” says Alexander Uvarov, TUSUR Vice-Rector for innovation development.

Skolkovo Fund Vice-President declared about the plans to carry on the conference, devoted to the problems of entrepreneurial university management, in Moscow and in America (on the basis of MIT in Massachusetts) in the nearest future. “Such conferences will allow Russian universities to become full-fledged participants of the global innovation process in education, engineering, economy,” highlights Oleg Alexeev.

Memorable symbols, which represent the emblem of the university and Skolkovo innovation center, were bestowed to the participants, who signed the Declaration.

The Declaration of the Association establishment was signed by Oleg Alexeev, Vice-President of Skolkovo Fund; Vladimir Vasiliev, Rector of National Research University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics; Alexander Muravyov, Vice-Rector of Moscow institute of physics and technology; Alexander Uvarov, Vice-Rector of Tomsk state university of control systems and radio electronics (TUSUR); and by Timothy Edwards O’Connor, Vice-Rector of National research university of science and technology “MISIS”.

Information source: INNOVUS