Inna Shevchenko, Rector of the Southern Federal University, was among the listeners of the President's keynote speech.

In his speech, Vladimir Putin paid special attention to the issues of personnel training and the development of education as the basis of the country's technological sovereignty. The President noted that the most mobile part of the labor market are young people who have just completed their studies or are studying at the last courses of universities. For their professional start, it was decided to legislate an internship tool with clear responsibilities of the employer, employee rights and legal guarantees. The student agreement will also be upgraded to meet modern conditions.

The Head of State said that over the past five years, real wages in Russia have increased by more than 30%. At the same time, he stressed that further steady wage growth should be associated with increased labor productivity and efficient production management using new technological solutions. Vladimir Putin called technological progress the most important factor in global transformation. He stressed that global leadership today depends on the country's ability to ensure its own sovereignty, which means "being stronger and smarter."

The President highlighted three key technological areas: artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and digital platforms.

"Countries with a full range of their own technologies in these areas will become powerful centers of sovereignty in a multipolar world," Vladimir Putin said.

Speaking about the development of artificial intelligence, Vladimir Vladimirovich noted the successes of China, a strategic partner with the most patents in this field, and added, "Russia has very good prospects."

Vladimir Putin also drew attention to the high pace of digitalization in Russia, which covers trade, transport, finance, logistics, tourism, healthcare, education and the media sphere. He recalled that the country has adopted a national strategy for the development of artificial intelligence. Special attention was paid to human capital in the President's speech:

"The sovereignty of a country is determined by people. Their knowledge, qualifications and ability to manage modern technologies. Professional skills should be adequately paid for. Only in the case of a high quality of life and high salaries will our country be competitive and successful demographically," Vladimir Putin stressed.

The initiatives announced by the President, from the consolidation of the institute of internships to the development of artificial intelligence and digital platforms, are directly related to the strategic objectives of the Southern Federal University as one of the leading scientific and educational centers in the country. SFedU will continue to train highly qualified personnel, develop students' digital competencies, and integrate university science into solving the challenges of Russia's technological sovereignty.