The Empress Catherine the Great's University of Mining under the International Triple Diploma Program hosted the defence of graduate qualification works by master's degree students of domestic higher education institutions, members of the Nedra Consortium. This is a joint project of St. Petersburg University, Freiberg Mining Academy (Germany) and the University of Leoben (Austria).
In addition to Russian professors, the certification committee included their German and Austrian colleagues - the latter joined the event via video link. In conclusion, they noted that all thirteen students performed well, clearly presented the content of their dissertations, answered all the additional questions posed to them, and deserved "excellent" or "good" grades
Both European diplomas will be mailed to Russia after all the necessary bureaucratic procedures have been completed. It is expected that representatives of German and Austrian higher education institutions will also be present at the ceremony to present them to the holders.
The program started back in 2021. All its participants passed a rigorous competitive selection process, after which they went for one semester to Leoben, and then for the same exact period - to the ancient Saxon city of Freiberg, where one of the world's oldest centers of engineering studies is located. In 2022, the boys returned to Russia to complete their studies at their alma maters. Now it's time for the defense of their final qualification works, which all of them successfully completed.
The master's thesis of Alexandra Semyonova, a student of St. Petersburg Mining University, was devoted to the integrated utilization of iron ore tailings. As the girl explained, this problem is relevant for the whole world, although the largest deposits and, consequently, dumps are located not in Europe, but in Australia, Brazil, China and Russia.
"Germany and Austria really do not have such large deposits of iron ore as, for example, in our country. Nevertheless, the problem of waste processing is relevant for these countries as well. In order to put the work on the liquidation of tailing dumps "on a stream", it is necessary to introduce more economically effective methods. I hope that my thesis will allow me to make a small step in this direction," said Alexandra Semenova, who received an "excellent" grade.
She specified that in the future she plans to enter the postgraduate program of St. Petersburg Mining University. As for her studies in Europe, this, according to the young scientist, is a great opportunity to gain new experience, expand her horizons, and hear an original opinion on the level of her research and its prospects.
The topic of the work of Daria Vorobyova, a graduate of Tyumen Industrial University, a member of the Nedra Consortium, was a comparative analysis of radon in residential buildings in Austria, Germany and Russia. Exceeding the permissible content in the premises of this radioactive gas, which has neither color nor odor, can pose a danger to human health. Therefore, in Europe, this area of scientific research is also treated very carefully.
"In most of the locations where samples were collected, no exceedances were recorded. The exception was one of the areas in Germany where uranium ores were being mined. It goes without saying that similar studies are being conducted in the FRG, and my thesis is not a sensation. However, scientists and politicians of many countries are interested in data optimization, and therefore I felt genuine interest in my work from foreign professors", - said Daria Vorobyova.
According to the Tyumen Industrial University graduate, a European-style education document will be an additional advantage on her way up the career ladder. She already works in one of the international companies, and participation in the triple diploma program became one of her competitive advantages in employment.
You can join our Telegram channel by clicking here: https://t.me/+xuoRBkSBx7hiMWUy
