Articles prepared by Michael Novikov for EuropeMedia in 2003
The Central Bank published a list of the Russian banks which agreed to make public their financial reports over the Central Bank web site. Over five years the Central Bank has been offering to credit organizations to publish their profit and loss statements as well as financial results at the CB site. On April 16, 2003, a Central Bank high rank official Andrey Kozlov proclaimed that the bank is starting to publish that data. The same day a list of 198 credit organizations (15 percent of the Russian banks) appeared at the site. The action aimed to increase transparency of the Russian financial system. Since now the Central Bank will update that list every month. Earlier in April the Central Bank opened an online service aimed to collect public opinions on how to improve the financial market and services of the Central Bank.
Source: Vedomosti newspaper (http://www.vedomosti.ru)
An Italian version of the daily St. Petersburg online publication www.300online.RU was officially launched yesterday. The project is aimed at Italians with an interest in St. Petersburg and the city's upcoming 300th anniversary celebrations. It is oriented towards tourists, particularly from abroad, and business representatives interested in working in or with St. Petersburg. The project is supported by the Italian Consulate General in St. Petersburg. The website features city news, information on the anniversary celebrations, and a programme of celebratory events for May 2003. The site also contains articles on famous Italians in St. Petersburg, and a list of the best hotels, cafes, restaurants and clubs for tourists. A catalogue of Italian companies working in St. Petersburg will shortly appear on the site. The www.300online.ru site is an official information partner of the 300 Years of St. Petersburg International Press Center, which was established with the support of Sergei Yastrzhembsky, the Russian President's assistant for publicizing preparations for St. Petersburg's 300th anniversary celebrations. The 300online.RU project is being carried out with support from the Presidential information department.
Now it is possible to Russian speaks to get professional education in computer science free without leaving home or office. A Moscow based Internet-University of Computer Science announces its opening which is timed to publication of the first manual "The Basics of Web-technology" from multivolume series "The Basics of Computer Science". The main task of the Internet-University is to satisfy the demand for education programs and training courses of up-to-date information branches of computer science. Such knowledge is needed both by individuals and by society as a whole. Steady interest to IT-education may be explained not only by the popularity of computers in today's world but a real benefits one can get using them. Increased demand for high qualified IT-professionals from both state organizations and private companies in our country and abroad is one more reason for the future development of computer education and at the same time unification of requirements and standards. University will provide educational services through WWW on the site www.intuit.ru according its own curriculum. Everyone who wants to broaden his or her knowledge in computer science has now a possibility to get world-class extra (postgraduate) professional IT-education. Educational-methodological center of Internet-University develops and implements its own training courses in sciences related to computer science. In the scope of the project it is planned to develop more than 100 different courses and to publish manuals. University has got leading specialists in computer sciences and professors of Russian colleges to take part in the work. The main difference between educational courses of Internet-University and other educational projects including net projects is that they are focused on fundamental basic education in computer science and not on mastering in some selected commercial systems. Principles of development of educational courses and education principles as well are based on the CC2001 (Computing Curricula 2001 Computer Science) developed by leading worldwide organizations IEEE and ACM. It allows to significantly reduce the cycle of introduction of the new education system and training times and also to unify the methods used to evaluate qualification levels of IT-professionals trained in Russia and abroad. All the courses are subjected to mandatory certification with educational bodies and appraisal of the leading universities and colleges. Internet-University opens its manuals and curriculum for educational institutions. "Our aim is to promote knowledge and educational principles among the widest audience. We want our courses to lay the foundation of education system in different branches of computer science and we are happy if educational and methodological bodies use them", said a founder of the project Anatoly Shkred, an owner of the Open Systems Publishing.
Internet-University, http://www.intuit.ru
An American company Metromedia International Group has announced a deal with an offshore company Adamant Advisory Services that belongs to one of the leading Moscow financial groups AFK Sistema. Metromedia owned and operated communications and media businesses in Eastern Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Those included providers of local, long distance and international services over fiber-optic and satellite-based networks, international toll calling, fixed wireless local loop, wireless and wired cable television networks and broadband networks and FM radio stations. Since 2001 Metromedia is under a threat of bankruptcy. The company is actively selling out its assets. In 2002 Metromedia has sold its business in Kazakhstan and few assets in Russia. In March 2003 the company stocks were delisted from the American Stock Exchange. There are four major players in the Russian telecom market: Svyazinvest, AFK Sistema, Alfa Group and Telecominvest. Certainly, the holdings and their subsidiaries were interested in acquiring some of Metromedia assets. However, keeping in mind Metromedia's weak financial position, they were bidding for substantial discounts. On the other side, Metromedia was struggling for cash. That led to long endless and unsuccessful negotiations. Over 2002 AFK Sistema's Adamant purchased Metromedia's corporate bonds with book value of USD 210.6 millions. Recently a part of the bonds with book value of USD 58.6 millions were converted in Metromedia's shares in Moscow alternative telecom operator Comstar (50% of the company shares with a market value of about USD 50 millions), a satellite TV provider Cosmos-TV and two FM radio stations. According to the deal, Metromedia will also receive USD five millions in cash and get rid of USD three millions in bond out-payments. However, Metromedia still poses some assets in Russia, including St. Petersburg based alternative telecom operators PeterStar, BSL and cable TV provider Teleplus. The most valuable asset of Metromedia in Russia is PeterStar (Metromedia - 71%, Telecominvest - 29%), the largest commercial telecom operator in St. Petersburg, providing telephony, data channels, Internet and other related services. Over two years Metromedia is trying to sell that pearl. For AFK Sistema it could be a good chance to enter the St. Petersburg market. However, AFK Sistema and St. Petersburg based Telecominvest are direct competitors, and it seems that the Metromedia's stake in PeterStar will be sold to a Telecominvest related company. According to Vyacheslav Safronov, a general manager of Teleplus, the recently sold assets (Comstar and Cosmos-TV) were those where Metromedia did not have a control stake. Therefore, they were not risk free to manage. The other Metromedia assets have much better value than market is offering now. And it's clear to all parties (the seller and the bond holders) that rushing is loosing. However, Metromedia needs cash to avoid bankruptcy...
Metromedia, http://www.metromedia-group.com
On April 01 within the UK@SPb programme devoted to the 300 year anniversary of St. Petersburg the British Council and the British Embassy presented Science week. On May 27 2003 St. Petersburg is celebrating 300 year anniversary. A number of countries devote their special programmes to the city. In contrast to many others with cultural programmes the UK is focusing on science. The science week consists of a series of events. Some of them are aimed at general public, including students, school children and their parents. The others have been designed for specialists and journalists. 1 April - Press-Conference, Opening of the Science week. 2 April - Environmental Lectures and Round Table organized by the Open Environmental University and the British Embassy. 3 April - Innovation Conference "Britain and Russia: Developing Science Based Economy" - brief on science innovation agenda and journalists visit to science institutions and high-tech companies of St. Petersburg. 4-5 April - Science Writing Workshop for journalists. 6 April - DNA public lecture. The history of the DNA discovery and the latest achievements of British science in DNA research will be delivered by Professor Lord Robert Winston, a prominent British scientist.
The UK@SPb programme consits of many other events,
including:
UK@SPb, http://www.ukatspb.com
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