Moscow State University (MSU) opened the doors of the University gymnasium (boarding school) for highly gifted children.
The government issued a decree on the establishing of the school in 2011, its concept was developed in 2013, construction began in 2014, and today, September 01, 2016, the school took the first 100 talented children of Russia. In 2016, gymnasium enrollment was performed only from some cities and only for the 10-th year.
It is the first project of development MSU Technology cluster. Free of charge school for talented boys and girls aged 14-17 years from across Russia. A unique educational program, under the supervision of University professors. The new complex includes 5 buildings of the school for 350 schoolkids. MSU rector, Academician V. A. Sadovnichy calls it “the Palace” and “College that will prepare elite”.
Entrance test are held in 2 stages, then the winners are invited to the Project school for the final stage, where applicants should demonstrate team working and creativity. The winners of federal skills contests have benefits. Students will be studied by an individual plan; they will have access to infrastructure of MSU and accommodation.
Study areas (profiles) are the following mathematical, scientific, socio-economic, humanitarian and engineering.
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During the first lecture of new academic year, V.A. Sadovnichy told about the pedagogical thought in the world and in Russia, focusing on the fact that the leading professors and scientists have realized the necessity of managing of selection and training of national talents. Even famous ancient philosophers (Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle) established their school.
Victor A. Sadovnichy especially drew attention to the fact that Russian educational tradition had developed not later than X century, when Prince Vladimir ordered to “collect the best people and teach them the book knowledge.” Under Yaroslav the Wise (978-1054), our ancestors “studied the books” in many cities of Russia. Excavations of the birch-bark manuscripts of the XI-XV centuries raise a whole layer of Russian literacy and in 1551 the Stoglav Cathedral decrees “About book schools in all cities”.
Prototypes of universities (Rtishchev school, the Slavonic-Greek-Latin Academy, School of mathematics and navigation) were developing in Russia since the XVII century. The Moscow State University, which became at the head of Education in Russia, was established on Day of St. Tatiana in 1755. The University gymnasium to prepare nobles and commoners for MSU was founded in the same year.
Before the revolution, and after it the best professors of the University (for example, S. A. Rachinsky, A. A. Kolmogorov, A. A. Lyapunov, L. S. Vygotsky, M. A. Lavrentev, etc.) grew a galaxy of students. A new project of the boarding school of MSU continues the tradition and brings innovation element.
