Minsk, 17 October - Belarus is one of those countries that possesses innovative technologies and also creates them, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said during a ceremony to open Minsk City Technical Creativity Center for Children and Youth in the Belarusian capital on 17 October.

"Belarus is one of the few countries that not only possesses innovative technologies. Our scientists create innovative technologies themselves,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. "Today, for example, Belarusian enterprises use artificial intelligence, significantly reducing the time required to turn a scientific idea into a concrete prototype. Robots and other smart devices are being actively integrated into production processes.”

Addressing the youngsters, the president noted that due to their young age, they might find it difficult to grasp how rapidly science and technology are changing human life. “Believe me, it's extremely rapid. Some 20 years ago not all Belarusian families had a computer and the internet. Nowadays these along with mobile phones, have become commonplace,” the head of state noted.

He emphasized that technologies which recently seemed like absolute science fiction are entering production and everyday life. “Smart cities, robots, drones, and artificial intelligence are no longer just debates among scientists about the near future, but a reality. It is precisely those states that can create new technologies and effectively use them in production and other areas of life that will prosper,” Aleksandr Lukashenko is convinced.

The president noted that digitalization is rapidly changing entire industries, making some professions obsolete and others highly sought after. “But these new professions are linked to high intelligence (because all of this is created by humans) and advanced education. This is why we are now paying such close attention to the training of engineers, designers, and programmers,” the head of state said.

The president stated that Belarus will continue to invest heavily in the development of promising technical fields: robotics, nanoelectronics, complex self-learning systems, and other areas of science. The training of personnel is constantly being improved, and the interaction between education and high-tech enterprises is being strengthened.

“The training of educated, competent, and responsible specialists is a strategic direction for our economy and the foundation of our state's progress and security. We are investing and will continue to invest funds in the development of promising technical fields such as robotics, nanoelectronics, complex self-learning systems, and other areas of science,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

Belarus is continuously improving its personnel training and strengthening the collaboration between the education system and high-tech enterprises, the president said. “This is of utmost importance. As I have just been briefed, much has already been accomplished on this path,” he added.

Aleksandr Lukashenko expressed confidence that science must be closely linked to production. “We invent something, our scientists do the work, but production doesn't use it. That's a problem. Then we go looking for opportunities abroad, and foreign entities start to dictate to us, trying to convince us that Belarus is incapable of anything. Therefore, science, inventions, and production. Linking production with science and the creativity of our people will foster the creation of these kinds of industry-specific teams,” the head of state believes.

“The new Minsk City Technical Creativity Center for Children and Youth should become one of the stages of such training, where everyone fascinated by scientific mysteries and discoveries can find their path into big science or manufacturing. And frankly, what we are lacking is engineers.” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.

He noted that there are many capable children and it is important to spot them and nurture them: "We spot young talents and nurture them in centers like this one. I expect that such techno-incubators will be established not only in the capital city but across the entire country. We are essentially demonstrating what they should look like."

The president emphasized that there is sufficient space for this; there is no need to build anything new. For example, the Minsk City Technical Creativity Center for Children and Youth is based on the site of the former Vostochny bus terminal. The building has been reconstructed and outfitted with the necessary equipment. The center spans the area of over 7,200 square meters.

“What we need to do it to put what we already have to good use. Today, we need to seek out young talents from a very young age and create conditions for their education and professional growth. We must not spare money for this, because it is the future,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said. “We must take children off the streets, encourage them to engage in screen-free activities, teach them to think and to apply the knowledge they have gained in practice. This is not only important for the country, but it also gives them a solid foundation for their own future.”

The head of state expressed confidence that the center's top-notch laboratories, training grounds and spacious classrooms will contribute to achieving this goal and also become a genuine gift for the youth of Minsk. “If someone from the regions decides to visit, they will be welcome,” he added.

"Now everything is up to you, my young friends. However lofty it may sound, it is you, the new generation of scientists, designers, engineers, and specialists, who will be building our country's tomorrow in a few years,” Aleksandr Lukashenko addressed the youngsters. “I often hear: we are lacking this or that... Well, realize your dreams and ideas. Make them benefit yourself, your parents, your family. And also the country.”

The president noted that children and young people, working in laboratories, design bureaus, or production workshops, will make the decisions that will determine the future of Belarus for years and decades to come.

"Dear friends, studying at the center gives you a unique chance to express yourself in innovative technical creativity in the fields of radio electronics, robotics, and programming. Believe in yourselves. I know you already have. We will help you in every way, because without science, there is no future," he said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko described his current meeting with children and youth engaged in scientific and technical creativity as merely a “small conversation” that will precede a larger one with the country's scientists and academicians. The head of state noted that another congress of scientists will be held soon. It will explore the areas for the development of science in the country and ways to forge its closer ties with the manufacturing sector.

As he addressed young people during the opening ceremony, the president wished them strong health as well as new accomplishments and inventions for the benefit of Belarus. “Don’t be eager to flee somewhere. Some have fled and today they don’t know how to come back. This is why as you make your decisive steps, you should heed counsel of older people, who are patriots of our Belarus,” Aleksandr Lukashenko advised.

The president stressed that literally in ten years today’s young people will have to not only build new Belarus but bear the responsibility for the country. “Today we see by your models, by your initial inventions that you are moving in the right direction,” he added.

Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out that life is getting more complicated and very high competition is one of the factors at play. In these conditions the state has to offer opportunities for development and self-realization from the earliest age. “The key thing for the state is to offer an opportunity. This is why we give you opportunities from a young age so that you could take a look at what you are capable of and could try to realize this potential,” the head of state said.

The president remarked that young people, who go to various creativity centers, do it eagerly but in the future the feeling may be replaced with certain tension and they will have to overcome it. “Not everything will be interesting in life. But you clench your teeth, advance to your objective, and simply move along this life. People like that never ask for handouts. For wages or something else… They create their own life. This is why I wish you good health, success, and to develop your skills. And move ever forward. Only you can make your life and make your parents and the state feel joy,” he concluded.

We need to develop incentives to keep talented young people in the country, Lukashenko demanded.

“I'm hinting that you must not lose capable people. There is a colossal demand for our youth, for our students,” the president remarked.

Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized that efforts must be made to retain promising personnel in Belarus by creating the necessary conditions for them. “You cannot hold them by force nowadays. We must create corresponding incentives for them,” he said.

At the Minsk City Technical Creativity Center for Children and Youth, the head of state was briefed on the children and youth extracurricular education system in Minsk and on the prospects for developing technical creativity. According to Minsk Mayor Vladimir Kukharev, nearly 70,000 children attend extracurricular education centers in the Belarusian capital. At the same time, students show a clear preference for the humanities and arts, while demonstrating less interest in technical subjects.

In his words, there are 141 engineering classes operating in Minsk, involving about 2,500 students. A number of enterprises and educational institutions are interested in collaborating with these engineering classes and training personnel for high-tech industries.

“We needed a center that would provide essential knowledge from the age of six and help children find their path,” Vladimir Kukharev said. The Technical Creativity Center for Children and Youth in Minsk houses 18 study labs, fully equipped to teach cutting-edge technologies. “In total, the center will have a monthly enrollment of 7,500 students and will host 281 interest-based clubs,” the Minsk mayor said.

Education Minister Andrei Ivanets noted that there are a total of 180 engineering and technology centers for school students operating across the country. According to him, such centers exist in every district. Large centers for technical creativity have been established at the level of regional centers and Minsk, with the National Children's Technopark serving as the pinnacle of this pyramid. “Today, 80% of the projects at the National Children's Technopark are carried out on the orders of enterprises. Each of the 15 laboratories there is affiliated with relevant government ministries,” Andrei Ivanets reported.

According to the minister, the support provided by the state to gifted youth is already yielding results. In the latest university admissions campaign, 90% of the winners of national and international Olympiads and nearly 100% of academic high-achievers enrolled in Belarusian universities.

The opening ceremony featured a special device – a mechatronic system. This symbolic mechanism opened the doors for everyone eager to learn about the world of technologies and innovations. The head of state was joined by two students of the center in activating the device. After the lever was pressed, all the gears were set in motion. A “robot arm” with another gear emerged from the mechanism. It was presented to the head of state as a memento of the symbolic moment.