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Samara University has been associated with the aerospace industry for decades. How is this partnership developing today? What new areas of scientific and technical cooperation is the university developing? The answers to these questions were given by Samara National Research University Acting Rector Vladimir Bogatyrev to the correspondent of Social Navigator project of Russia Today International News Agency.
— Vladimir Dmitrievich, what role do space and aviation play in Samara University today?
— Of course, our traditional partners (and these are almost all leading Russian production and engineering centers in the rocket-space, aviation and engine-building spheres) play a special role in shaping research and educational policy.
Nevertheless, it is impossible to say that Samara University scientific areas are within a rigid industry framework. Now it is a multidisciplinary university, which combines engineering and economics, photonics and biology, law and IT. And this format opens up new opportunities for students and industrial partners of the university.
— What are these opportunities?
— For example, in cooperation with one of the world's leading manufacturers of middle-class launch vehicles and Earth remote sensing systems, JSC SRC Progress, a line of small spacecrafts of the Aist family was developed. These satellites weighing from 50 to 500 kilograms were launched into space in 2013 - 2016. The first spacecrafts became space laboratories for scientists and students.
But Aist-2 is a universal space platform, designed for wide practical application in various sectors of economy. Now this device provides materials, for example, for updating topographic maps of Russia. In fact, cooperation with the university gave our partner the opportunity to apply its experience in developing ultra-precise heavy Earth remote sensing satellites in a new, very promising market segment.
By the way, not so long ago there was held a competition on the creation of two more Aists, which will be able to conduct stereo recording.
— What new areas of scientific and technical cooperation have recently appeared?
— One of these areas is directly connected with the "stuffing" of the satellites being created – with on-board and scientific equipment. For example, on their basis we are developing flat diffraction lenses and compact hyperspectrometers.
In comparison with a simple photograph, which captures only three colours – blue, red and green in their various combinations, a hyperspectrometer analyzes the wavelength of light, which makes it possible, for example, to determine the chemical composition of soils in the fields and decide where and what fertilizers are required. Such technology can be used both for satellite imagery and for creation of medical devices for the early diagnosis of dangerous diseases, including oncological ones.
Another area is the creation of digital counterparts for aircraft gas turbine engines, gas pumping units and liquid-propellant engines. We carry out digitization, calculations, optimization of digital models, manufacture parts using the 3D printing method and conduct tests.
The University is actively developing artificial intelligence technologies in geoinformatics and urban studies. We are creating digital twins of megacities that integrate arrays of various geodata and allow us to predict the comprehensive development of the city in general and its individual systems (transport, real estate, ecology, and health care) in particular.
— Apparently, this is what today is called as professions of the future. What other new professions is it possible to acquire at Samara University?
— Basically, now students acquire such professions when studying in the magistracy. At the university, for example, there are programs in medical instrument engineering that combine biology, physics and medicine. There are programs for processing big data, for creating new materials with specified properties, for conducting experiments in space, and so on.
— Do your educational programs take into account the requests of particular employers?
— Of course, we take them into consideration. But at the same time, we see how rapidly our world is changing. If earlier within five years it was possible to prepare a specialist who could work in his position almost all his life, now within the same five years the industry and requirements for a specialist can change radically.
It is necessary to prepare a person not for a specific profession, but for life in the modern world. Therefore, we must provide our students with the basic knowledge in various fields (humanitarian, technical, etc.) and reveal their abilities through participation in research projects and interdisciplinary work. We are striving to make their thinking systemic so that they can better understand the structure of knowledge in general and can choose the best direction for themselves.
We pay special attention to the formation of an entrepreneurial spirit in our students, the ability not to look for work, but to create it. And, I think, we succeed in it. In any case, in the ranking of the leading entrepreneurial universities of Russia, where universities are evaluated according to the projects of those graduates who were able to attract maximum investment, Samara University is consistently included into the list of top 20 universities.
— How to adapt the training of a specialist to the specific needs of the labour market in this situation?
— Narrow specialization in the course of training is also necessary. But it should not take place within the framework of basic higher education, but in the magistracy or short-term complementary education programs.
For example, students of engineering specialties who have received fundamental knowledge in the field of aircraft, rockets, and robotics designing can choose our AVTOVAZ training program at our university and start a career in the enterprise engineering — a part of a global Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Allliance.
— What five key words would you choose to describe a modern university?
— Research, digital, open, innovative and multidisciplinary.
— How do the changes of the university affect the admission of applicants?
— Firstly, every year Samara University increasingly attracts applicants from other regions. The geography of our students includes the whole territory of Russia, from Kaliningrad to the Far East.
Secondly, in this admission campaign, we made a serious breakthrough in attracting foreign applicants – approximately 30% in comparison to the previous year.
We have formed a partnership network abroad. It covers different countries, from the closest neighbours in the CIS to Latin America.
Those who want to study the Russian language are coming to us from Eastern Europe, and those who are interested in high-tech areas of study, for example, engine building, are coming from Western Europe. People from China are primarily interested in space-rocket issues. People from Africa are coming here to study the technical operation of vehicles, aircraft maintenance at airports. Residents of every region of the world find something suitable for them in Samara.
Source: ria.ru
