Programme

The sociological surveys indicate that healthcare issues are a primary cause of concern among residents of the Russian Far East. Many indicators in this area are worse than the Russian average. The healthcare gap between the region and neighbouring countries is greater still. In order to respond to this challenge, the healthcare system of the Russian Far East must make primary healthcare equally accessible to the urban and rural population, attract a qualified medical workforce, implement innovative methods for organizing primary care and the prevention and treatment of diseases, and create a new healthcare infrastructure. This will require a special government approach to planning healthcare development in the Russian Far East. What are the priorities for healthcare development in the Russian Far East in order to achieve the goals of increasing the population and life expectancy of the region? In what areas could the Russian Far East become a driver of innovative development in Russian healthcare? In what ways is healthcare cooperation with neighbouring countries currently developing? What is the Russian Ministry of Healthcare doing to ensure advanced healthcare development in the Russian Far East?

People residing in the Russian Far East place housing-related problems as one of their top concerns. The cost of housing and utility services in the Russian Far East is significantly higher than the national average, although the quality is lower. A large proportion of available housing is dilapidated or even hazardous. The unsatisfactory housing situation is one of the major factors driving people to leave the region for more comfortable conditions in other parts of the country. By modernizing urban infrastructure, demographic and socioeconomic development in the Russian Far East could get a significant new boost. The appearance and comfort levels of towns and cities in this region have become an important factor in the competition for human capital, especially when it comes to the most active sector of the population – young specialists. It is for this reason that in 2017, ensuring high-quality housing and utility services for the population and creating a comfortable urban environment were added to the list of priority areas for strategic national development. What will be done in the Russian Far East to implement this priority project for developing housing, utilities, and the urban environment? What conditions must be created in order to attract investment into housing in the Russian Far East, including from countries in the Asia-Pacific region? What conditions are needed to enable integrated development and management of the housing and utilities infrastructure in the macroregion? How will the mortgage sector develop in the Russian Far East? What is being done by Russia’s Ministry of Construction, Housing and Utilities to develop the residential sector?

A discernible feature of the Russian Far East is its remoteness from traditional spiritual and cultural centres – a remoteness which is keenly felt by its inhabitants. New facilities must be built, and existing ones modernized. Full use is not being made of the potential for international cultural cooperation, and the potential of Vladivostok as an outpost of Russian culture in Asia has not been sufficiently explored. It is vital to increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of regional cultural projects, on both the Russian and the international stage. What needs to be done to improve residents’ satisfaction with the quality of cultural services? What are the priorities in terms of cultural growth and what projects will be implemented in the near future? What is the Russian Ministry of Culture doing to develop the cultural sector in the Russian Far East?

Achieving stable population growth in the country’s Far East is a strategic challenge for Russia. The concept for demographic policy in the Russian Far East adopted by the Russian Government sets the objective of increasing the population of the macroregion to 6.5 million people by 2025, and increasing life expectancy to 76 years. To achieve this, a new quality of life will need to be established across every aspect of society. This means not just exceeding the national standard for Russia, but raising it to a level that is competitive with the quality of life in neighbouring countries. This needs to be done as quickly as possible, making use of all available resources. What measures need to be taken to stop the exodus of people from the region and secure population growth? What would make the Russian Far East a comfortable and attractive place to live? What most concerns residents of the Russian Far East? Which problems need to be resolved first?

The development of aviation in the Far Eastern Federal District is an important part of improving quality of life in the region. A special government approach is required to boost programmes aimed at expanding air transport in the Russian Far East. Both federal and regional subsidy programmes are used to ensure that flights are affordable. A prominent example of such support is the Primorsky Territory programme which includes upgrading of the aircraft fleet. This session will discuss how to achieve balanced growth of local and regional transport and upgrade aircraft and airport infrastructure. How will passengers benefit from the measures proposed? The major priority concerning transport is the issue of affordability. What measures are programmes proposing to ensure affordability? Would it be better to create a new programme for developing aviation in the Far Eastern Federal District, or to make improvements to the existing ones? What stages and deadlines are there for implementing programmes? What is needed to achieve them?

Quality of education is a major issue causing concern for residents of the Russian Far East. The number of government-funded places at Far Eastern universities is shrinking, whilst universities in China, Japan, and South Korea are attracting Russian school-leavers with a higher quality of education for similar fees. The local labour market is experiencing intensive growth in demand for labour resources and a shortage of engineers and workers. At the same time, the requisite level of professional training continues to increase, while competition for highly skilled staff is escalating. How can these challenges be addressed? What should the priorities for developing education infrastructure be, given the scale of the challenge involved in accelerating development in the Russian Far East? What solutions must be adopted at the federal level in order to ensure the advanced development of the region’s education system? What is the Russian Ministry of Education and Science doing to achieve these aims?

The development of aviation in the Far Eastern Federal District is an important part of improving quality of life in the region. A special government approach is required to boost programmes aimed at expanding air transport in the Russian Far East. Both federal and regional subsidy programmes are used to ensure that flights are affordable. A prominent example of such support is the Primorsky Territory programme which includes upgrading of the aircraft fleet. This session will discuss how to achieve balanced growth of local and regional transport and upgrade aircraft and airport infrastructure. How will passengers benefit from the measures proposed? The major priority concerning transport is the issue of affordability. What measures are programmes proposing to ensure affordability? Would it be better to create a new programme for developing aviation in the Far Eastern Federal District, or to make improvements to the existing ones? What stages and deadlines are there for implementing programmes? What is needed to achieve them?

A discernible feature of the Russian Far East is its remoteness from traditional spiritual and cultural centres – a remoteness which is keenly felt by its inhabitants. The lack of regional and municipal cultural institutions in the Russian Far East is keenly felt. New facilities must be built, and existing ones modernized. Full use is not being made of the potential for international cultural cooperation, and the potential of Vladivostok as an outpost of Russian culture in Asia has not been sufficiently explored. It is vital to increase the competitiveness and attractiveness of regional cultural projects, on both the Russian and the international stage. What needs to be done to improve the satisfaction of residents of the Russian Far East with the quality of cultural services? Which regional points of cultural growth have been identified as priorities? What projects are set to be implemented in the near future? What is the Russian Ministry of Culture doing to develop the cultural sector in the Russian Far East?