NST-NETI — SKIF: the university involved schoolchildren in big science at the Educational Siberia Forum

NSTU-NETI is actively involved in the implementation of the Siberian Ring Photon Source project in a number of areas. As part of one of the strategic projects of the Priority 2030 program, the University, together with a number of leading universities and scientific organizations, is developing two SKIF materials science user stations. A design bureau has been established at the university, whose specialists are developing unique high-tech equipment for the SKIF CCU. The university has integrated into the educational process programs aimed at training specialists and scientific personnel for the CCU "SKIF". In addition, at the initiative of NSTU-NETI, within the framework of the development program "Priority 2030", an interuniversity consortium for cooperation with the CCU "SKIF" was created, which united 23 participants at the first stage, including 17 leading universities in Russia.

Anatoly Bataev, Rector of NSTU-NETI, introduced Andrey Travnikov, Governor of the Novosibirsk Region, to the university's thematic platform and activities to promote SKIF. For three days, the site of NSTU-NETI, thanks to the variety of popular science formats, became a point of attraction for schoolchildren, parents and teachers. The university scientists gave popular scientific lectures on synchrotron radiation, optical and vacuum topics. Students could consolidate their first-hand knowledge during thematic master classes. The artists of the NSTU-NETI Physical Experiment Theater helped to immerse themselves in the world of scientific experiments, demonstrating fascinating experiments.

According to Svetlana Chasskikh, a teacher at secondary school No. 202, it is precisely such formats aimed at demonstrating where students can put their knowledge in the field of physics into practice that effectively work to popularize natural sciences.

The exhibition stand of the interuniversity consortium for cooperation with the CCU "SKIF" became an important part of the site of NSTU-NETI. An interactive mock-up of the future installation "Siberian Ring Photon Source" was presented at the site. The students were told about the uniqueness of the installation of the megasience class, the opportunities that it opens up for domestic science by the technical staff of the NSTU-NETI.

Roman Kamenev, Deputy Minister of Education of the Novosibirsk Region, stressed the importance of the consortium's representation at the Educational Siberia exhibition and Forum: "The exhibition is being held for the 31st time and is becoming more technologically advanced every year. The events are designed for different target audiences — children, parents, and employers. If we talk about the Siberian Ring Photon Source CCU, then the previous major event — the Technoprom International Forum for Technological Development — was remembered for signing cooperation on the interuniversity consortium for cooperation with the SKIF CCU. And the consortium's presence at the exhibition today is very important, because a line of so-called seamless education for a mega—science project is being built - starting from school, including secondary vocational education, and ending with a university, and then a scientific institute. Thus, we are developing specialists to interact with such projects. The consortium includes not only universities from all over Russia, but also educational institutions, lyceums, and even the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Bashkortostan. It is the combination of different levels that gives the very synergistic effect necessary for the megascience project to be launched in full and give results that meet modern requirements".

Elena Sartakova, Director of Novosibirsk Chemical Technology College named after D.I. Mendeleeva, who is also a member of the established consortium, noted: "Our college decided to join the interuniversity consortium because, in my opinion, colleges have become a link between schoolchildren and science today. It is practice-oriented education that allows young people to experience all the technologies that the world is proud of today. What is important, biotechnologies occupy a huge place in the CCU "SKIF". This installation is a unique tool for biologists, biotechnologists, and pharmacists. And no one except us is engaged in biotechnology in the region at the level of technological processes, training workers for the qualified implementation of these processes. Today we have the highest competition for specialties related to biochemical production and biotechnological processes. The guys have a very great need to master such skills. Moreover, most of them then go to universities. In fact, we create such an effect when young people come to universities and then to science quite consciously, professionally oriented, that they will immediately work on the result associated with new knowledge. Now our college has received an offer to open a branch in the Koltsovo science city, just next to the SKIF CCU. This is probably the best possible strategic decision. A lot of our employers and partners are located there or in Akademgorodok. By opening a branch there, we will become closer to them".

In addition to the NSTU-NETI — SKIF site, the university was presented with an exhibition stand for applicants who could find out all the details about admission. Experts from the Faculty of Energy of NSTU-NETI at the joint exhibition site "City of the Future" with RC Altair and PJSC RusHydro taught schoolchildren to develop energy supply systems for the regions of the Far North. The participants implemented their solutions on the functional layout of the "City of the Future", created by the interfaculty team of NSTU-NETI.