Students from Hanoi University in Vietnam and Taiyuan University of Technology (TUT) in China came to the Mining University to participate in the International Summer School programme, named "Underground Coal Mining”.
The program is developed in such a way, so that upon its ending students would significantly improve own skills in coal mining engineering. To achieve that purpose, both theoretical studies and practical training are provided. The participants have a chance to visit the leading engineering companies of St. Petersburg, as well as they are offered various master classes taking part in the labs of the Mining University.
As Nguyen Minh Phuong, a student of Hanoi University, explains, "In Vietnam, coal is the main energy source, which production is growing rapidly. The study of modern underground coal mining technologies, and further use of the most efficient solutions at Vietnamese coal mines is a pressing challenge for Vietnamese coal industry”.
The program is mainly devoted to various aspects of underground coal mining, such as modern technologies and equipment, current state of the industry and future prospects, work safety, ground and methane emission control, reduction of negative environmental impact. What is the unique proposal of the Summer school programme, though?
According to Dr. Andrey Sidorenko, Summer School Monitor, Docent of the Department of Mining of Mineral Deposits,”The world leader in coal mining is China. Every year, they extract over 3.7 billion tons of coal. For comparison, coal extraction in Russia in 2018 amounted to 440 million tons. However, variety of environmental conditions in relation to the depth of coal seams in various basins and deposits in our country predetermines the need in a wide range of technologies, such as long-face mining, chamber mining methods, hydraulic technologies. Moreover, a big part of coal reserves in Russia is developed under rough working conditions - large depths, upridging of beds, excessive methane content, high risks of spontaneous coal combustion. In this connection, we have managed to accumulate vast experience of dealing with complex issues. Studying this experience as well as advanced technologies is exactly what constitutes an area of interest for the leading coal-mining countries”.
To help students better understand the theory, field trips and workshops are organised. For example, during the visit to Tekhekspert, students were given case studies, where they had to justify the choice of technological solutions in complex mining-geological conditions.
Another trip was organised to"SPb-Giproshakht", which is a part of Severstal, mining and steel company. There students learnt more about solutions for opening mine fields. They also took part in choosing the appropriate opening schemes for drilling the series of gas-bearing coal formations within the conditions of the leading Russian mine fields. The company’s employees told the students about the most interesting, in terms of their execution, projects, as well as they mentioned the fact that Severstal was operating in Vietnam in the 1970s. The Summer School students were specifically interested in the details of this cooperation. They also asked about the specifics of offshore operations in general. For example, they were concerned of the differences in legislation in regards to safety issues.
As noted by Wang Kai, the Head of TUT’s delegation,”The summer school provides opportunities for studying the unique Russian experience and acquiring the skills necessary for successfully solving the problems emerging when working at hazardous facilities. Besides, students also have an opportunity to get acquainted with the history of St. Petersburg and strengthen partnerships between our universities and countries”.
Oleg Kazanin, the Dean of the Faculty of Mining, added, ”Taking into account positions of China and Vietnam in the global coal mining, it was nice to see a keen interest of students from these countries in this summer school programme, as well as their desire to keep the conversation with their schoolmates alive and participate in the Summer School again next year”.
For more information on summer school programmes, such as requirements, duration, fees etc., please follow the link.
