The government pays serious attention to the promotion of business and management education. In 1998, under the auspice of the President of Russia, there was launched a large-scale program that targeted managers of small and medium-size companies. This program combines intensive theoretical classes (up to 500 contact hours) with a prolonged period (up to six months) of work in another company, including the foreign one. Every year since 1998 more than 2600 managers have passed through this program, so the total pool of alumni now is more than 20,000.