The number of opportunities is vast. In fact, young people are the ones who offer the most competitiveness in the world today. That’s because on the one hand, we have nothing to lose – we are much more able to travel light, so to speak. We are yet to have amassed the kind of capital that our older colleagues have. And on the other hand, we are much faster and more adaptable. In this sense, any crisis is a time of opportunity. Today, limitless opportunities are opening up for young people — Ksenia Razuvaeva, Head, Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh).

We are talking today about generation Z, and what makes it different. According to a study by RBC, this generation has four unique defining features: the prioritization of video content, interactivity, group learning, and a critical approach to information. And these are what our projects – among others – are currently geared towards. The idea of education being the best investment is one which strikes a powerful chord with generation Z. <...> Today, young people want to learn, they are ready to learn, and are ready to invest in learning. This is most gratifying to see – it’s very encouraging. <...> Young people are largely showing an interest in finance, games, and a healthy lifestyle. And I would like to highlight environmental matters as a further topic. Around two thirds of young people are focusing on the environment. My generation, in contrast, did not adopt such a responsible attitude, and we did not always understand the importance of eco-friendly approaches — Alexey Komissarov, Director General, Russia – the Country of Opportunities.

I dare say that this is a feature of this generation, which we are working with as the nucleus of youth – a desire to make the world a better place, to participate in the life of their country. This is what differentiates these people — Dmitry Zemtsov, Vice Rector, National Research University Higher School of Economics.

The young generation is amazing, and pretty fascinating. What we’ve noticed is that in the past we chose a profession, and then a university. Now it’s the other way round. And even if they want to become an atomic scientist at first, that does not mean that they will necessarily graduate and become one. In this regard, it’s really important to help people maintain interest in a profession, and to help them choose one during their studies. The second thing is that they have very different desires. <...> We’ve observed that the people who build careers are the ones who did not set that goal for themselves. They merely get involved in whatever they are doing, and develop themselves constantly. They always have enough time for something extra, and their career is invariably what comes out of this — Julia Uzhakina, Director General, Rosatom Corporate Academy.

In the weeks following the beginning of the special operation, many experts stated that a disaster awaited us, that IT specialists would leave Russia en masse. They cited figures ranging from 8,000 to 70,000, looking at those who had already left, and those who were planning to do so. However, the situation has turned out very differently. Many of those who left on their emotions and in a panic are already returning. <...> The outflow is in the range of 1–1.5% of specialists. Around 80% of those who left have already come back — Vadim Glushchenko, Director, Center for Global IT-Cooperation.

IT specialists are as essential to the state as oxygen. That is why the government is focusing on them so much, and why the whole country is essentially placing its hopes on them. <...> IT specialists not only need to feel as though their skills are required domestically, but also that they are involved in the processes which are happening worldwide. This could be in the field of internet governance, for example, or the development of IT technologies at a global level — Vadim Glushchenko, Director, Center for Global IT-Cooperation.

We have seen for ourselves how effective these national competitions are. Already we can even give examples of school pupils undergoing training and then coming to us for work experience. Incidentally, around 7,000 youngsters come to Rosatom every year on a placement. These placements are paid, and interns get the chance to fully immerse themselves in the world of Rosatom — Julia Uzhakina, Director General, Rosatom Corporate Academy.