Nguyen Thang

In St. Petersburg, at the Empress Catherine II St. Petersburg Mining University, the third module of the All-Russian Program for the Development of the Personnel Management Reserve in Science, Technology, and Higher Education took place. Among its participants were leaders of universities, scientific organizations, regional authorities, and research divisions of domestic technological companies.

St. Petersburg mining experts presented their vision for the development of artificial intelligence in both countries in Iran. Only ten days after the signing of the Interstate Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran, a distinguished group of scientists from the university in Russia’s northern capital traveled to Tehran to participate in the international conference ”Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Civilization”.

The former head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Austria and director of the G.O.R.K.I. Center at St. Petersburg State University, Karin Kneissl, conducted oral exams for students and postgraduate students of Empress Catherine II St. Petersburg Mining University. These exams were organized following a series of panel discussions, lectures, and round tables that students had been attending since the beginning of the academic year.

In my view, it is insufficient to simply liken the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) to groundbreaking technologies of the past (from the printing press to nuclear energy), which significantly impacted global development and international relations. Due to the very nature of this technology, future qualitative progress in AI development will signify the potential for transformative breakthroughs across all fields of scientific knowledge and technology, unparalleled in human history and fraught with serious geopolitical consequences.

Throughout history, there have been instances where prominent scientists became widely known not for their primary scientific achievements but for minor, sometimes outright trivial, associations. For example, Nikolai Przhevalsky would likely be surprised to learn that more than a century later, his name is most commonly linked to the wild Asian horse he discovered, rather than to his numerous geographic and natural history discoveries, let alone his life’s work—exploring Central Asia. A similar situation befell the Soviet metallurgist Vyacheslav Lipin.

The Chilean Copper Commission (Cochilco) has announced that demand for raw materials used in metal production is projected to grow by 10.5% in 2025, while supply is expected to decline by 3.4%. Chile, a global leader in the copper market, could significantly benefit from this rising demand. However, Cochilco estimates that non-ferrous metallurgy enterprises will operate with minimal profits. The issue lies in the rapid decline in ore quality, which consequently increases production costs.

The old wintering complex at Vostok Station in Antarctica has completed its service after more than 40 years of operation. This historic site was the location where the first geophysical and meteorological observations near the Earth’s Southern Geomagnetic Pole began, the deepest ice core borehole was drilled, and the largest subglacial lake was discovered.

A meeting was held at Empress Catherine II St. Petersburg Mining University with the leadership of Brazil’s largest university, the Federal University of Minas Gerais. The agenda focused on developing cooperation between the two institutions in the fields of joint scientific research and academic exchange.

The achievements of Russian scientists in the second half of the 19th century, from Mendeleev’s periodic table to Popov’s radio receiver, were largely made possible due to their proficiency in foreign languages—a prerequisite for full immersion in the global scientific community.

In 1950, 31 new minerals were discovered in the USSR, including 14 previously unknown to science. In 1954 and 1955, the first primary diamond deposits were identified in the country—kimberlite pipes ”Zarnitsa,” ”Mir,” and ”Udachnaya” in Yakutia, later recognized as some of the largest in the world. Around the same time, the ”Finch” pipe was discovered in South Africa, and the Shinkolobwe mine in Congo revealed a series of new minerals, including yttionite, beckerite, scootite, curite, fourmarierite, and masuyite.

In the essay ”A Collector’s Item” by Joseph Brodsky, the author vividly describes the execution of Colonel Oleg Penkovsky, a GRU officer and Anglo-American spy exposed in 1962. Penkovsky’s name became a household term across the Soviet Union due to his high-profile trial. Official accounts state that he was executed by a firing squad, but Brodsky asserts that the spy was burned alive in a crematorium furnace.

In 1953, the section chief of the mine boldly named ”Stalin’s Face” within the Krasnolucheugol trust made a pivotal decision: to shift from three 8-hour production shifts to two, dedicating the remaining shift to daily maintenance of the incline and equipment, reinforcing the working face, and conducting ventilation and fill works. During an era when the coal industry faced constant shortages and operated non-stop—without weekends or holidays—such a proposal could be perceived as an act of defiance and deliberate underperformance.

A week ago, the Antarctic team from the Saint Petersburg Mining University of Empress Catherine II arrived at Progress Station. December is the warmest month for this part of the White Continent. The scientists settled at the station and immediately began their planned research, taking advantage of the favorable weather.

The 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton for their work related to informatics: ”fundamental discoveries and inventions in the field of machine learning and neural networks.” This reflects a current trend where humanity, having moved from ancient unified natural philosophy to highly specialized divisions within science, is now rapidly returning to interdisciplinary approaches.

Since the beginning of the second half of 2024, the global methanol market has shown a steady rise in prices. In the Asia-Pacific region, prices increased by 18% in the third quarter compared to the same period last year. This change in economic conditions has sparked renewed interest in a resource-saving reactor developed by scientists from St. Petersburg Mining University of Empress Catherine II. The reactor produces syngas, which can subsequently be processed into methanol.

The Federal Agency for Subsoil Use held an auction for licenses to conduct geological exploration, prospecting, and extraction of mineral resources at three sites—Vostochny-Vorgamusyursky, Adaksky, and Povarnitsky—located in the Timan-Pechora oil and gas province.