PetrSU Opened a Cutting-Edge Educational Program in Physics of Functional Nanomaterials
Petrozavodsk State University opened a new Master's Degree program in Physics of Functional Nanomaterials.
The program has been developed and will be implemented within the network cooperation with Saint Petersburg State University, one of the leading universities in the country listed in the top-200 QS and Times Higher Education rankings by subject. The program employs cutting-edge practices for training a physicist in Russia.
By uniting human and technical resources of the two universities, we created an open relevant innovative educational program that follows the global scientific and technological trends, priority areas for training specialists in the area of nanosystems, as well as critical technologies of producing and processing functional nanomaterials. The future masters will study theoretical and applied materials science, methods of production and experimental research methods of functional nanomaterials, such as semiconductor nanostructure, photonic materials, and magnetoplasma crystals, polymer and composite materials, liquid crystals, colloids, and biological macromolecules.
The program stands out for its multidisciplinary approach as on the one hand students will receive comprehensive theoretical knowledge in principal fields of physics, both general and specialized courses in material engineering, and on the other hand, they will have an opportunity to gain practical experience while working on unique equipment of the Resource Centers of the Research Park of SPBU, namely the Interdisciplinary Resource Center for Nanotechnologies. Creative projects, individual assignments, which imply the use of the unique research and educational resources of SPBU, will be directly integrated into the study process.
According to the Rector of PetrSU Anatoly Voronin, the program serves as a model for other educational programs of the university:
“Development of a new world-class educational program in the area of physics of functional nanomaterials within the federal project Young Professional of the national project Education in close cooperation with our partner Saint Petersburg State University is a milestone on the way to the reformation of all educational programs of PetrSU, the introduction of the network, export-oriented programs, and improvement of the overall competitiveness of the Flagship University.
It is essential that the program was developed with the involvement of representatives of the economic industry, our industrial partners, and accommodates their requirements for specialists demanded by new modern enterprises. Future students will undergo internships, carry out research both at partner enterprises and the Research Park of SPBU. Besides, they can learn skills in the areas of the digital economy, entrepreneurship, team and project work, health protection.”
Professor of the Laboratory of Physics of Smart Nanomaterials of PetrSU Aleksander Grishin highlights the scientific background of the program:
“We aspired to develop an educational program with the utmost involvement of research results obtained by PetrSU within fundamental and applied research. Besides, we pay great attention to the involvement of international teams from the Republic of Korea, Sweden, and Germany and the integration of the results obtained in the cooperation with the teams from these countries.”
Participation in the development and implementation of the new Master’s Degree program of Saint Petersburg State University, a leading university listed in the top 200 global rankings by subject, increases the quality of the program. The head of the development team of SPBU, the Associate Professor Vladimir Mikushev, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Solid-State Physics of SPBU evaluates the contribution of the partner university in the development of the program:
“SPBU scientists represented departments of the Physical Faculty: Solid-State Physics, Solid-State Electronics, and Molecular Biophysics and Polymer Physics. Participation in the joint educational project with Petrozavodsk University required from SPBU team detailed research into the scientific results of PetrSU in the area of studying nanomaterials and technologies of their production, learn about the organizational and teaching experience of the regional university, specifics of planning and development of online courses for the project. This defined the areas for development of professional competencies and skills in PetrSU employees required for the creation of maximally efficient information and educational environment, methods of its application in online and distance education. In 2019 ten employees of PetrSU engaged in the development of the program took skill upgrading course Interactive Teaching Methods in Modern Educational System.
The educational program features courses that include individual assignments to be completed with the use of the unique research and educational resources of the Interdisciplinary Resource Center for Nanotechnologies of SPBU, a center for the common use of specialized research equipment for research and educational activities.”
The program is aimed to meet the demands of the partners of the real sector of the economy, such as GS-Nanotech, and regional: branch of AEM-tekhnogii Petrozavodskmash, OOO Liteyny Zavod Petrozavodskmash.
The industrial partners took part in the development of the cutting-edge Master's Degree program. The universities have signed agreements on cooperation and joint implementation of the educational project, provision of internships for students of this program. GS-Nanotech is one of the most rapidly developing research and production center in Russia that has extensive experience in the design of digital, analog, and hybrid microcircuits, as well as polycrystal modules.
The chief technical officer of the enterprise Aleksey Yartsev appraises the importance of the program:
“GS Nanotech recognizes the benefits of the Master’s Degree program Physics of Functional Nanomaterials developed by PetrSU and SPBU. New specialists in this area will boost the development of enterprises that specialize in the production of materials for microelectronics in Russia.”
