On August 19 the Summer Educational Center for Children (SECfC) “Dubki” hosted the 30th Regional Summer “Constellation” School for Endowed Children. The unique project is implemented by the Ministry of Education of the Saratov Region together with Saratov University.
The opening ceremony was visited by Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education of the Saratov Region V.V. Ushakova, SSU Vice-Rector for Educational Work E.G. Yelina, Head of the Education Office S.V. Udalov, Director of the Institute of Philology and Journalism L.S. Borisova, Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics A.M. Zakharov, Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technologies A.G. Fyodorova, Director of the Institute of History and International Relations T.V. Cherevichko, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages and Language Teaching Methods M.V. Zolotaryov, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Physics A.V. Slepnyov, and Deputy Director of the Institute of Chemistry I.V. Kosyreva.
During 10 days school students, who showed great results in olympiads on different disciplines, will study natural sciences, physics, mathematics, and liberal arts. The key peculiarity of the “Constellation” Camp is that SSU professors teach school students. Thus, the latter have an opportunity to learn more about research and think about their future university student life.
‘Our school was founded is 1989, and this year we are gathering for the 30th time. The project was initiated by Svetlana Ivanovna Sinegubova, Associate Professor of the SSU Faculty of Chemistry. Then other university faculties and institutes joined in, and there appeared groups who studied IT, mathematics, physics, and history lining up with groups of philologists and linguists this summer. Our camp is unique as endowed children can find like-minded people not only among other school students and professors as well who have always seemed so superior to them. It is the place you can ask professors any questions. Here school children understand they get closer to adults due to their mutual love to science,’ said Head of “Constellation” School E.V. Zlobina.
Ella Vyacheslavovna also added that camp graduates return there as camp counsellors and scientific supervisors. Lots of people long to go back so they have to form queues. Both children and professors miss the summer school as one of the camp traditions has become giving lectures.
This year the Young Mathematicians group is headed by Chair of the Department of Computer Algebra and Number Theory A.M. Vodolazov, Associate Professor of the Department of Computer Algebra and Number Theory V.V. Krivobok, and Senior Lecturer of the Department of Differential Equations and Applied Mathematics O.Yu. Dmitriyev; the Young Programmers – by Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technologies A.G. Fyodorova and Senior Lecturer of the Department of Informatics and Programming and Head of the Life-Long Education Center for IT-Specialists E.Ye. Lapsheva; Young Physicists – by Associate Professor of the Department of Nonlinear Physics A.V. Savin and Associate Professor of the Department of Computer Physics S.V. Churochkina; Young Chemists – by Associate Professor of the Department of Analytical Chemistry and Chemical Ecology I.V. Kosyreva and Associate Professor of the Department of Physical Chemistry A.V. Ushakov; Young Historians – by Associate Professors of the Department of National History and Historiography V.V. Khasin and A.V. Luchnikov; Young philologists – by Associate Professor of the Department of Literary Studies and Journalism A.V. Rayeva and Associate Professor of the Department of Language Theory and History and Applied Linguistics T.N. Medvedeva; and Young linguists – by Associate Professor of the Department of English Language and Intercultural Communication N.I. Igolkina.
Campers will participate in on- and off-site Olympiads and contests, workshops, business games, and sports and entertaining events. They have already got acquainted with each other as well as their counsellors and scientific supervisors and attended a few lectures.
Thus, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Mathematic Economics S.N. Kuptsov spoke about the development of modern mathematics; Leading Research Fellow of the Medical Decision Support System Laboratory and Professor A.S. Falkovich – role of numbers in mathematics, computers, and life; Professor of the Department of Computer Security and Cryptography Theory V.N. Salii – recent discoveries in mathematics.
School children have met with Dean of the Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics A.M. Zakharov, Director of the Institute of Philology and Journalism L.S. Borisova, Director of the Institute of History and International Relations T.V. Cherevichko and Dean of the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technologies A.G. Fyodorova. They shared their views on the latest tendencies in different sciences and assured children they are ready to help them study.
The results of the Summer “Constellation” School will be announced on August 28 in “Dubki”.
It should be noted work with endowed children is one of the important parts of the SSU policy. Regularly, its professors present their reports at the SSU Pedagogic Education Week, regional and All-Russian conferences. On September 1, the Center for Endowed Children Support will be opened in Saratov University. Due to experience and new educational methods the university pedagogical staff will work effectively with students of abuilding Pre-university School, the project of which was initiated by Chairman of the State Duma V.V. Volodin.
