The Empress Catherine II St. Petersburg Mining University became a venue for the Grand Challenges scientific and technical works competition among talented schoolchildren of the Leningrad Region. As explained by the university management, this event is part of a global project to integrate the systems of higher and secondary education.
It is no secret that today the deficit of qualified personnel in production has reached a critical value and one of the most urgent tasks facing our society is to minimize it by raising a new generation of competent engineers. The solution of this problem, of course, depends on many factors. Among them, the level of applicants entering technical universities, their motivation, hard work and diligence.
In theory, all applicants for budgetary places should possess these qualities. But in practice, every year schoolchildren are less and less willing to pass the USE in physics and chemistry, giving preference to humanitarian disciplines. In other words, they initially deprive themselves of the opportunity to become engineers. And this, of course, reduces the level of competition, which is known to be the engine of progress.
"It is not by chance that St. Petersburg Mining University became a venue for this competition. It is no secret that today we are implementing a pilot project to improve the system of personnel training for the real sector of the national economy, which was initiated by President Vladimir Putin. Its integral part is strengthening the integration of higher and secondary educational institutions, because applicants do not come to us "out of thin air", they come to us from schools. And, of course, we must motivate the most gifted students, starting at the age of thirteen or fourteen, to enroll in technical universities, because Russia today is in dire need, first and foremost, of young, talented engineers. Those guys who will be ready to work in production, to build their career trajectory, based not only on personal, but also on the state interests", - emphasized the Rector of the Mining University Vladimir Litvinenko.
He expressed confidence that many of the finalists of the Grand Challenges research paper competition, including 60 pupils of grades 8-11, would enter the country's first technical university in the future and become direct participants in the process of modernization of higher education. The children themselves confirmed that the infrastructure of the Mining University made an "indelible impression" on them, so the prospect of getting higher education here looks "very tempting".
"In the future, I would like to continue doing science. So, of course, it would be great to enroll at the Mining University, given the level of equipment in its laboratories and classrooms. All the equipment, it can be seen with the naked eye, is very expensive and unique. I know that one can get here through the School Leader contest, which gives the right to guaranteed enrollment a month before the end of the admission campaign. I'm going to participate in it," shared his plans," shared 11th-grader Andrei Sharonov from the Kudrovo Education Center.
He has created his own production line for processing plastic into filament. According to the young man's idea, among the consumers of products created on a 3D printer from their own waste can be schools, universities, laboratories, other small businesses and organizations. The cost of printing, as the author assures, will be relatively cheap, which will make the installation available to institutions with a small budget. However, the schoolboy also pursued a higher goal - to reduce the volume of emissions into the environment of the material, which decomposes for about 700 years, that is, has an extremely negative impact on nature.
"The idea of such an installation is not new, but my model differs from others by its high filament production rate and its variability. For example, you can use any type of plastic and customize the thickness of the filament. The line pays for itself in 160 hours of operation," said Andrei.
In general, the contest participants' research covered a variety of areas: unmanned transportation, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and much more. But the expert jury was most impressed by the project of ninth-grader Taisiya Leshchinina from school No. 2 named after the hero of Russia Andrei Voskresensky in Sosnovy Bor, who won the contest. The girl has been working for the second year on researching the effect of oxalic acid on the varroa mite. The parasite is a causative agent of dangerous diseases of honey bees and a carrier of various infections. Scientists all over the world are searching for the most effective ways to combat it.
"I've been in the apiary since I was a kid, participating in honey pumping and hive inspections. My dad is an amateur beekeeper. And he often says how destructive the varroa mite is to bees. I wondered what could help keep them alive. That's why I took up a study called "Effects of acaricidal preparation on varroa mite after hive treatment". I am studying how oxalic acid affects this parasite. A varroa-affected bee has a 7% reduction in fat body mass, and this has a devastating effect on the life of the entire colony. The mite is also a carrier of the deformed wing virus. From this, the bee loses the ability to fly. And in general, infection can kill the whole colony," said Taisia, who plans to become a biotechnologist.
Artyom Smirnov, a third-year student of the Mining University, also participated as a schoolboy in the All-Russian competition of scientific and technical projects "Grand Challenges", which has been held at the St. Petersburg university before. His acquaintance with this institution of higher education helped the young man to form a clear vision of his career prospects.
"Schoolchildren in grades 8-11 actually have a great interest in independent study of the world around them. Such competitions help children discover their potential, sharpen their skills of observation of phenomena in nature and society, develop public speaking skills and the ability to think logically. Moreover, regardless of the results, even if you don't win a prize, participation in such events becomes a great help for future success," believes Artyom Smirnov.
It should be noted that the organizer of the Grand Challenges competition, together with St. Petersburg Mining University, was the Intellect Center for the Development of Gifted Children's Creativity. Its representatives said that the winners of this competition will go to the Sirius educational center in the summer, where they will be engaged in science.
