Vladimir Potanin Foundation

The Vladimir Potanin Foundation was registered by the Moscow Registration Chamber on 10 January 1999, registration certificate No.076100.

The Vladimir Potanin Foundation was established for implementation of socially significant long-term projects in the sphere of domestic education and culture. It is a private Foundation with budget financed by personal assets of Vladimir Potanin. (At present, V.Potanin is Director General, Chairman of the Board of the Interros Company.)

The Mission of the Foundation is to promote the development of strategic philanthropy and recognition of active and creative professionals. The Foundation cooperates with those who are capable of changing themselves and are ready to make their contribution to the development of Russian society. The Foundation shapes a social environment, which values creativity, professionalism and active volunteer work.

The Foundation operates in line with the following principles:

- making the rules transparent and providing all participants of the Foundation’s projects and programs with equal conditions by means of contest mechanisms;

- holding leadership in the industry means not to be afraid of experiments and using new technologies, while being creative in applying Russian and foreign charitable experience;

- cooperating with professional partners.

The Foundation primarily focuses on the implementation of long-term scholarship and grant programs. They are aimed at talented young students of the country’s major state educational institutions, as well as at talented teachers.

Culture supporting projects are also of importance for the Foundation, which aims to encourage vocational and creative growth of the Russian museum society. The Foundation strives to support innovations of active and creative museum professionals with potential for cultural breakthrough.

The Foundation annually awards over 400 grants and 2,300 scholarships.

The Vladimir Potanin Foundation is a member of the European Foundation Centre and a founding member of the Russian Forum of Donors.

 

Exercise 14. Say if these statements are true or false. Correct the wrong variants.

1. The Vladimir Potanin Foundation is a charitable organization whose goal is to help the poor, the sick, and the disabled.

2. The foundation collects donations to contribute to the development of Russia.

3. The foundation donates money to support promising, energetic professionals and talented students.

4. The Vladimir Potanin Foundation cooperates with Russia's best educational and cultural establishments.

5. The foundation pays a large amount of money on grants and scholarships every year.

 

Exercise 15. Read the text again and write out the key words which can help you to describe the aim, principles and work of the Vladimir Potanin Foundation. Speak about the organization.

 

Exercise 16. Work in pairs. Discuss how rich Russian businessmen can help their country / city / town / village and people living there. Use the list of word combinations below.

To build schools, hospitals, libraries, churches; to help the poor, the sick, the disabled; to donate money to charities, hospitals, educational establishments; to start charitable organizations; to start a factory; to create new jobs; to support campaigns for peace and environmental protection; to produce quality goods.

 

Exercise 17. Write about socially responsible activities of a businessman or a company.

 

9.2. Prominent Leaders and Businessmen

Exercise 1. Focus on the topical vocabulary.

genius ['GJnIqs] n гений

generation ["Genq'reISqn] n поколение

second to none ['sekqnd tq 'nAn] непревзойденный

software ['sPftwFq] n программное обеспечение

word processing ["wE:d 'prqVsesIN] электронная обработка текста

explorer [Iks'plLrq] n исследователь; E. Проводник

Web surfing ["web 'sE:fIN] навигация по сети

cutting-edge technology ['kAtIN 'eG tek'nPlqGI] новейшая технология

to violate ['vaIqleIt] v нарушать

anti-trust law ["xntI'trAst 'lL] антитрестовский, антимонопольный закон

application ["xplI'keISqn] n применение; приложение, прикладная программа

numerous ['njHmqrqs] a многочисленный

unique [jH'nJk] a уникальный

to remain [rI'meIn] v оставаться

attorney [q'tE:nI] n поверенный

remarkable [rI'mRkqbl] a замечательный, выдающийся

fortunate ['fLCnIt] = lucky ['lAkI] a счастливый, удачный, удачливый

personality ["pE:sq'nxlItI] n личность, индивидуальность

workaholic ["wE:kq'hPlIk] n трудоголик

devoted to [dI'vqVtId] a преданный (чему-л.); посвященный (чему-л.)

gift [gIft] n дар

to foresee (foresaw, foreseen) [fL'sJ, fL'sL, fL'sJn] v предвидеть

to predict [prI'dIkt] v предсказывать, прогнозировать

prediction [prI'dIkSqn] n предсказание, прогноз

 

Exercise 2. Try to understand the meaning of the derivatives.

Doubt, doubtful; operate, operating, operation; cut, cutting; violate, violation; skillful, skillfully; remark, remarkable; child, childhood; enter, entrance; intelligent, intelligence; devote, devoted, devotion; fortunate, fortunately; lucky, luckily; foresee, foreseeing; predict, prediction; invent, inventor, invention, inventive; work, workaholic; ware, hardware, software; explore, explorer; exploration; apply, application; finger, fingertip.

 

Exercise 3. Guess what these international words mean.

A genius of business and management; a company leader; the idol of Americans; to start a computer company; a banker; computer industry; producers of computers; computer technology; computer operating system; experts in programming; anti-trust; sectors of economy; a unique company; leadership; business traditions; intelligent, talented and creative programmers; innovation; personal computers; to monopolize; versions.

 

Exercise 4. Read the following word combinations and give their Russian equivalents.

A successful businessman, the older generation, the younger generation, to be second to none, to start a software company, to be famous for, a word processing program, a program for Web surfing, to violate laws, to develop unique technology, numerous companies, to be an attorney, to write software, to be engaged in, to enter university, to drop out of university, to stem from, to be devoted to, to be born, to predict inventions, to encourage workers, to pay attention to research and development, to foresee future, to be a strong leader, cutting-edge technology.

 

Exercise 5. Paraphrase the sentences with the words early (в начале) and late (в конце).

Model. The shop was opened late / early in 2000 – The shop was opened at the end of / at the beginning of 2000.

1. The company was founded in the early 20th century. 2. The organization was established in the late fifties. 3. The conference will be held early this year. 4. Mr.Brown will go on business early next month. 5. The talks were conducted in early January. 6. The businessman went to London early last week. 7. The delegation arrived in late October. 8. The manager phoned me in the late afternoon. 9. The shop was opened late in 2000. 10. The contract will be signed late next week.

 

Exercise 6. Choose the correct form of the verb in brackets.

1. I can't buy this computer. It ___ (would be / would have been) too expensive. 2. But for my colleagues' help, I ___ (would never finish / would have never finished) the project in time. 3. Without his friend, the man ___ (would never start / would have never started) a software company. 4. You are late again. The manager is busy, or the meeting ___ (would begin / would have begun). 5. I know this man very well, otherwise I ___ (wouldn't recommend / wouldn't have recommended) him. Now you see I was right. 6. The work is too difficult, or the workers ___ (would finish / would have finished) it. 7. Can I help you? – Yes. I ___ (would like / would have liked) to have a job interview. 8. The boss is angry. He ___ (would stop / would have stopped) at nothing now. 9. The chief engineer is away. He ___ (would know / would have known) what to do.

 

Exercise 7. Work in pairs. Speak about famous people. Use the model and information below.

Model. A: Who was Henry Ford?

B: He was a great American engineer and businessman.

A: What is he famous for?

B: Henry Ford introduced the assembly line and began mass production of cheap cars.

Alexander Graham Bell, to be a famous Scottish inventor, to invent the telephone.

Thomas Edison; to be a great American inventor; to invent the electric bulb (лампочка) and phonograph; to improve the telegraph, telephone, film camera and projector.

Henry Ford; to be a great American engineer and businessman; to introduce the assembly line; to begin mass production of cheap cars.

The Wright brothers; to be well-known American inventors; to invent, build and fly the first airplane.

 

Exercise 8. Do you agree that only a few people are destined to be outstanding businessmen? What leads them to success? Read the text and find out if you are right.