President of Russian Academy of Sciences included in Russian Security Council, decree signed - Putin

MOSCOW. Feb 8 (Interfax) - The Russian Academy of Sciences must participate in key national decision-making, including by evaluating national projects and school and university textbooks, and its vice president must chair the supreme certifying commission, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

The appointment of the academy's president as a member of the National Security Council (the decree has already been signed) is part of this trend, he said.

"It is important to fully integrate our Academy of Sciences into the process of taking key national strategic decisions," Putin said at an event marking the Academy's 300th anniversary on Thursday.

"All significant initiatives, including our national projects and plans to develop infrastructure, sectors and regions, as well as scientific and technological programs mainly in such key areas as space, mobile electronics, quantum and bio technologies, and genetics must undergo a thorough objective scientific evaluation by the Academy [and] be implemented with the Russian Academy of Sciences taking a leading role," he said.

Also, "such academic evaluation should be mandatory for higher educational institutions and schools," Putin said.