Since the end of spring 2012, the name of this person is well known to Russian students, schoolchildren, as well as their parents. And there is nothing surprising here - after all, Dmitry Livanov occupies the chair of the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, which means that he directly affects the lives of the above categories of the population. His track record includes more than one high-profile reform in the field of education, his steps are often criticized, but the state continues to trust him with a high post … What inspires the official to continue his active work?
"I will work as long as the employer has confidence in my work," the minister once said, and this quote by Dmitry Livanov flew around many domestic media at one time.
Where did Livanov come to the very top of the Russian state pyramid? Who is he? What makes it different from othersstatesmen? How did you rise to your current position and what is it like as a manager?
Origins
Livanov Dmitry Viktorovich first saw the light on February 15, 1967. He was born in the family of the Moscow intelligentsia. His grandfather was a KGB colonel, and his father Viktor Livanov was a well-known aircraft designer who created the Il-96-300 aircraft and at some point headed the Ilyushin Aviation Design Bureau.
Dmitry's parents divorced when the boy was very young, and almost nothing is known about his mother. But it is known about the stepmother - Rogozina Tatyana Olegovna, who is only 14 years older than her stepson. The second wife of the father was a match for her husband. She has a doctorate in economics and has held high leadership positions all her life.
Future Minister Dmitry Livanov began his education at Moscow School No. 91, from which he graduated with almost straight honors - young Livanov had a B only in basic military training. With such a certificate and such an origin, the path for a young and capable Muscovite opened up quite wide and with great prospects…
High School
Of course, after school, Dmitry Livanov goes to study further. And he stops his choice at the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys (speci alty "physics of metals"). He graduated from MISiS in 1990 with a red diploma, after which he spent two more years studying here in graduate school. Then he defended his dissertation and already in 1992 received a Ph. D. in physical and mathematical sciences.
And after only 5 years, Livanov already flaunted the degree of "Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences" (specialization - solid state physics). Later (in 2003) he received another higher education, graduating in absentia from the Moscow State Law Academy, which was very useful to him later in his future managerial work.
Career start
It is quite natural that Dmitry Livanov began his career in the scientific field, his education contributed to this. He did not have to go far - a talented graduate student was left to work at his native university immediately after defending his Ph. D. At first, he was just a researcher at the MISiS synthesis laboratory. Then he became a senior researcher, then held the position of associate professor of the Department of Theoretical Physics. And even later he worked as vice-rector for international cooperation, combined with a professorship at the same department.
From scientists to managers
In the spring of 2004, Dmitry Livanov, whose biography had previously been associated exclusively with science, decided to take a sharp turn in his career. He was invited to head the Department of State Science, Technology and Innovation Policy at the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. And he agreed.
True, at the same time, he did not completely part with MISiS, continuing to teach there until 2012, only at the Department of Metal Science and Non-Ferrous Metals. From the end of autumn 2005 until the beginning of spring 2007, Livanov served as Secretary of State, replacing the then Minister of Education and Science AndreiFursenko.
In this position, Dmitry Viktorovich first announced himself to the whole country and caused a flurry of criticism. He called for cutting the rights of the country's state academies, depriving them of the ability to independently manage funds, land plots, etc. According to the concept developed by the official, the scientific and managerial functions of such institutions should be clearly separated.
Livanov was accused of trying to ruin the domestic fundamental science - and the RAS (Russian Academy of Sciences) was especially loudly indignant.
In the end, the government approved the charter, which was developed by the academicians themselves. But thanks to the efforts of Livanov and some amendments to the law, the rights of the academies were largely curtailed. So, for example, they could no longer freely dispose of the land and approve their presidents.
Rector of MISiS
In the meantime, Dmitry Viktorovich's connection with his native institute was not interrupted. He remained a professor at MISiS, and in 2007 he was elected rector of this university.
Under Livanov, an educational institution is undergoing drastic changes. The new leader puts into practice the theoretical developments that he developed during his stay at the ministry. For example, MISiS was the first Russian university to switch to a foreign undergraduate and graduate system.
In 2008, Dmitry Medvedev, who at that time held the post of President of Russia, assigned a higher status to the institute - it became the Nationalresearch technological university. And Dmitry Livanov, as a promising employee, entered the top hundred of the Russian reserve of managerial personnel.
Minister
Vladimir Putin, who again headed the Russian Federation in the spring of 2012, considered that such valuable personnel should not remain in the shadows. And already in May of the same year, a member of the United Russia party and the rector of one of the most prestigious universities in the country Dmitry Livanov became the Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, replacing his former boss Fursenko in this post. And literally from the very first days, vigorous activity began, which made the entire sphere of domestic education shake and caused more than one scandal in Russian society. And continues to periodically call them to this day.
Livanov's initiatives
The Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation D. Livanov, not yet being the head of the department, believed that there were too many students in Russia. He did not change his beliefs even after 2012. Already as a minister, he openly declared the need to reduce state-funded places in universities by almost half, followed by the elimination of free students as such and the introduction of a system of educational loans.
Livanov also advocated the introduction of rigorous testing for admission to universities - modeled on foreign systems, and proposed, in addition to the Unified State Examination, to introduce additional entrance exams for applicants.
In his opinion, the state absolutely does not need an abundance of people with diplomas from academies, universities and institutes, when there is no one to study at vocational schools and, accordingly, to work in factories andfactories too.
The conflict between Dmitry Viktorovich and the Russian Academy of Sciences continued, the level of which he publicly called lower than that of ordinary universities, and demanded reform. In addition, in the fall of 2012, the Russian Ministry of Education and Science published a list of higher educational institutions in the country, which, according to officials of the department, worked inefficiently.
Scandals and criticism
Due to the twists and turns associated with the RAS and other scandalous projects, Livanov, a member of the United Russia party, almost flew out of this organization. In the scientific community, he was subjected to sharp criticism, and State Duma deputies seriously sought to deprive the minister of membership in the most influential Russian party structure. Livanov's reaction to such attempts was the statement that he was not the author of the academy reform project.
The actions of the Minister of Education and Science were also seriously criticized by Vladimir Putin, who reprimanded him and accused him of failing to fulfill his obligations. It was in the fall of 2012, and a year later the President actually took back his words.
Among the smaller scandals is the situation with the law prohibiting foreigners to adopt Russian children. Livanov spoke categorically against him, which caused a wave of negativity in certain circles.
Also, everyone heard a story about embezzlement of budgetary funds, in which the prosecutor's office tried to prove Dmitry Viktorovich's involvement. According to prosecutors, the state budget has lost an amount equivalent toone million dollars, due to the fact that Livanov allegedly illegally contracted the company Teplokon LLC for the reconstruction of the MISiS building.
Another "fire" broke out in society after the publication of Dmitry Livanov in his microblog, where the Minister of Education and Science spoke angrily about the work of one of the cellular companies, using obscene expressions and making a bunch of grammatical errors. Many were outraged by such human behavior, which should be the standard of culture and literacy. Users on social networks and journalists in the media sarcastically asked if Dmitry Livanov himself would be able to pass the Unified State Examination, with which all Russian school graduates are “tortured”?.. The minister, in turn, justified himself and said that he did not write the text for the microblog.
There were other scandals associated with the name of Dmitry Livanov. But he stubbornly continues to bend his line, despite criticism. One of the latest initiatives of the official was the decision to reduce the number of universities in the country. In his opinion, many institutions (especially non-state ones) are frankly weak and should not take a place under the sun, crippling the minds of their students.
Awards and outstanding achievements of Dmitry Livanov
In addition to his Ph. D. and doctoral dissertations, Livanov Dmitry Viktorovich can boast of other achievements. So, for example, his track record includes more than 60 scientific publications (of which about 50 are in foreign media) and the authorship of the textbook for higher educational institutions "Physics of Metals", which was published in 2006.
Forone of the cycles of Livanov's scientific works, as a young scientist, was awarded a gold medal by the Russian Academy of Sciences. And in 2011, he won a government award as a representative of the educational sector.
What is the minister's hobby
From time to time, Russians ask how many languages Dmitry Livanov knows, who is largely oriented to the West and advocates tougher entrance tests, in particular in English.
Of course, you can't classify him as a polyglot, but in addition to Russian, the minister is fluent in Italian and, of course, English. At the latter, he writes his scientific papers for foreign media, and also loves to read detective stories in the original. In general, this genre of literature is Dmitry Viktorovich's passion.
He also loves the theater and has a passion for extreme travel. For example, many people remember Livanov's high-profile vacation at the North Pole. Just then, the whole country was discussing a terrible story, during which a 55-year-old teacher ordered the murder of her 13-year-old student, who did not reciprocate her sinful passion … People believed that the Minister of Education at such a shameful moment for the country should have been at the workplace. At least until the end of the investigation. And condemned him for leaving.
Livanov's personal life
Almost from the school bench, the charming and attractive Dmitry Livanov was considered an enviable groom. During his student days, he led a stormy personal life, and it is rumored that one of the novels ended in the birth of a child. There is information that the boythey called him Konstantin, and that Livanov, although not immediately, recognized his son. True, this information is not confirmed in official sources. And the minister himself prefers not to talk about this topic.
But it is reliably known that Dmitry Viktorovich has been married since his student days. But here again there is confusion. According to some sources, he is not married to anyone, but to the daughter of the then rector of MISiS, Yuri Karabasov, who, in addition, allegedly was Livanov's scientific adviser. This fact is indicated in many biographical notes and causes idle gossip.
People ironically say that Dmitry Livanov, whose wife is the daughter of such an influential person, simply could not fail to successfully graduate from the institute and defend his dissertations. In addition, while others needed long years to protect themselves, here everything happened with amazing speed. Naturally, no one wants to associate such efficiency with the talent and diligence of the future minister. But they are willingly associated with his personal life.
According to other sources, the wife of Livanov Mordkovich Olga Anatolyevna has nothing to do with the rector of MISiS, and all this is an invention of journalists. Among such sources, an important role is played by an interview with Olga herself, in which she is surprised at the innocence of people who believed gossip. After all, neither her surname nor patronymic is in any way connected with Mr. Karabasov.
Well, Olga Anatolyevna was born in 1967, June 15, and is almost the same age as her husband. She is a mathematician by profession. It hasDiploma of the Russian State University of Oil and Gas. Gubkin. She works in the IT field and was even nominated for a national award in this field.
The couple has three children. Of these, two relatives - a son and a daughter, and one boy Livanov and Mordkovich adopted at the age of one. The Minister of Education and Science has repeatedly joked that he has someone to practice in terms of education and training technologies, because he is a father of many children. Whether the children criticize Dmitry Livanov for his experiments is unknown…
But even so, he continues to be an active and enterprising person who always strives only forward and is ready to break through the thorns of the most dense scandals to the stars.
Whether the minister's political activity is successful and whether his work is for the good of the country is up to the Russians to decide. We will not draw any conclusions. But in the end, we will give one popular joke that walks among the masses and is very popular with many citizens of our country.
Folk joke
Since Livanov became Minister of Education, the quality of the latter has increased several times. Moreover, our education successfully competes with European and American ones, and sometimes it is even more prestigious. This has been proven by an authoritative scientific study conducted in the Moscow Metro. It turned out that Russian diplomas are sold there at a higher price than their counterparts from Cambridge and Oxford lying on neighboring shelves.
