Russia pushes Facebook to open research center
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Oct. 1, 2012 in Moscow. / Facebook/Mark Zuckerberg
Moscow Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg was in Moscow on Monday, where top officials were pressing him to expand the company's operations in Russia.
Russia's communications minister tweeted that Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev urged the social media giant's founder to abandon plans to lure away Russian programmers and instead open a research center in Moscow.
A Facebook spokeswoman, who refused to be named because she wasn't authorized to discuss the matter with the media, said the company has no immediate expansion plans for Russia.
Zuckerberg, who ditched his trademark hoodie and jeans for a suit and tie for his meeting with Medvedev, was visiting Russia on a world tour of programming contests to identify new talent.
The two men looked pleased with the meeting, posing for photographers. Zuckerberg posted one of the photos on his Facebook page with the caption: "Good conversation with Prime Minister Medvedev."
Russian Web companies often command larger shares of the domestic market than their U.S. counterparts. Facebook has roughly 9 million users in Russia, while domestic clone VK has around 34 million.
Medvedev has cultivated a tech-friendly image since launching his modernization program while president of Russia from 2008 until this May, when Vladimir Putin returned for his third term as president.
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There is probably a great deal to research about facebook users, and a little bit to learn about how to manage facebook.
The world's research problems are in science, engineering, medicine, and exploration of various frontiers. The computer software world is simply too ordered, highly refined, and well-defined.