The staff and students of Saratov University will remember the previous year as it was full of bright events in all spheres. The researchers, professors, activists, and volunteers participated in forums, won contests, and showed their abilities and skills in region, All-Russia, and federal events.
Our university celebrated its 110th anniversary in 2019. Throughout the year we organised hundreds of events, and we wrote about each of them.
Last year the College of Radioelectronics celebrated its 120th anniversary, Regional Scientific Library named after V.A. Artisevich – the 110th anniversary, Geology College and the Institute of Chemistry – the 90th anniversary, Balashov Institute – the 85th anniversary, the Faculty of Geography – the 80th anniversary, the Chardym Sports and Recreation Camp – the 65th anniversary, and the Institute of Arts – the 60th anniversary. Besides, there was organised an important meeting devoted to the 100th anniversary of pedagogical higher education in Saratov University and the Saratov Region.
The university has kept up with the Russian leading universities and it has brought in new methodology in education.
Last year Saratov University organised meetings with the heads of the region districts within the Development Strategy of Saratov Region Distanced Areas project initiated by Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav V. Volodin. As the result, they developed the road map of events aimed to solve the issues. Also there were conducted the meetings and panel discussions dedicated to obstacles young teachers dealt with. Moreover, in the university SSU students and professors met with the administration of distanced districts, and a few agreements were signed as well as mutual plans were evolved there.
The university moderated the course in financial literacy for the teachers of the Perelyubskii District. It was implemented as SSU had won the contest within the Educating Rural Teachers Financial Literacy, Its Teaching and Awareness Methodology project. The programme was moderated by the consortium of Southern Federal University and the International Financial Centre (the Institute of Continuing Professional Education).
What is more, SSU became the best university from Saratov chosen by the ASI for the Island 10-22 Project. The university team participated in its events, which took place in July 2019 in the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology.
Saratov University became one of the winners of the contest for educational institutions. As its result, the Centre for Chief Data Officer (CDO Centre) would be established. The Data Management – Chief Data Officer Management course was supported by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) and Moscow University 20.35. The project goal is to train personnel for the Digital Economy national project. From 15 November to 15 December 240 school teachers and managers in education attended the course. All the projects were successfully defended.
In addition, SSU signed the cooperation agreements with Nornickel and Nornickel – SSC. It should result in HR development in the Saratov Region, make young specialists interested to work in prospective business spheres, create new working places, and provide youth with an opportunity to improve their region. The programme attendees will learn about SAP modules, SAP ERP accounting and tax accounting, and SAP HCM.
Initiated by Governor of the Saratov Region Valerii V. Radayev the Young Manager School project resumed its work in 2019. Traditionally, Saratov University was one of the course platforms. The main project goal is to prepare young managers with all the professional competences, personal skills, and creative potential necessary for managing posts. More than 200 people applied for the school, and only 100 of them graduated from it.
Another traditional event was the All-Russia Summer Student Programming School organised by the Programmers Olympiad Training Centre named after N.L. Andreyeva in one of the recreation camps on the Volga.
Besides, the Boiling Point was opened in the university. It is a new collective work environment.
Also we made a lot of achievements in science last year. The unique ideas of the university researchers implemented in their projects and developments were marked at contests, conferences, and workshops. Thus, they gained the victories in the grant contests of the President of the Russian Federation, RFBR, Russian Science Foundation, Vladimir Potanin Fellowship Program, the UMNIK Programme, etc.
SSU won the VII Megagrant Contest, the most significant and prestigious grant programme of the Minister of Science and Higher Education. Saratov University gained the victory due to the project titled the Discovery of Fundamental Sleep Mechanisms to Be Used in Breakthrough Technologies of Neuro Rehabilitation Medicine. Its goals are to establish a world-class laboratory to study the phenomenon of toxin clearing of brain tissue when we sleep and to develop special portable smartdevices to control that process to make breakthrough discoveries in neuro rehabilitation medicine.
18 postgraduates became the winners of the contest of the best fundamental research projects. The innovation developments were presented to Minister of Health of the Russian Federation Victoria I. Skvortsova and Minister of Science and Higher Education Mikhail M. Kotyukov. The honoured guests highly evaluated the results of Saratov researchers.
SSU researchers presented their developments at the MedIn-2019 Forum in Saint-Petersburg, and they were highly-estimated by the jury. The gold medals were given to the university for the unique clinical decision support system in reconstructive vertebral and pelvic complex surgery (it is based on the Planning-Modelling-Prognosis method) and for the AO/ASIF и AOSpine manual of fracture classification. The SSU scientists received the silver medal for the SpinoMeter app to measure and calculate sagittal balance parameters of vertebral and pelvic complex.
Many research conferences and forums as well as teaching workshops were held in 2019 in Saratov University, too. The All-Russia Research Seminar School titled the CADe Methods in Biology and Medicine-2019 commemorated Professor Dmitrii A. Usanov, who had inspired the forum for many years.
Traditionally, the VIII International Week of Science and Peace took place in the International Office.
Saratov University hosted the meeting of the Volga Federal District Union of Rectors. Its topic was the Digitalisation of Universities as a Part of Development Objectives of the Russian Digital Economy.
The Plenary Session of the XI International Constitution Forum took place in the meeting hall of the Saratov Region Duma. A few panel discussions were held in SSU, and undergraduates, master degree students, and postgraduates participated in it.
The university organised the Interuniversity Research Conference titled the German Language in the Saratov Region: Theoretical and Practical Aspects. The conference was attended by Head of the Office of Culture of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany Jan Kantorczyk and Director of the DAAD Regional Office Moscow Andreas Hoeschen.
Also there was held the International Research-to-Practice Conference titled the Innovations in Endowment Development: From Books to IT-Methods. Saratov University became the platform for the meeting of the regional group of the RAS hub school project. In addition, Saratov University hosted the meeting of deans and chairs of departments of faculties of economics, members of the FEMA (Federal Educational and Methodological Association) Sections in Economics and Management and the Federal Network Methodological Centre aimed to improve student financial literacy.
Знаковым событием стал фестиваль науки «NAUKA 0+». На это масштабное научное событие были приглашены школьники Саратова и области, их родители и преподаватели. Участниками стали более 2500 человек.
Another landmark event was the NAUKA 0+ Research Festival. School students, their parents and teachers from the city and regional schools had been invited there. In total, more than 2,500 people participated in it.
Celebrating the anniversary the university improved its positions in international ratings. Thus, SSU was inserted into the Three University Missions International Ranking for the first time. Saratov University took the 701st-800th position in the world rating and the 25th-32nd position among Russian universities. The experts evaluated the three key university missions – education, research, and public relations. There were included in the 2019 ranking 1200 universities from 79 countries, including 74 Russian universities. The last rating had been improved because the 2018 ranking had included top-333 universities in the world.
The students did not attend the classes but took part in various bright events, too, and the XV World Championship in Fire and Rescue Sport was one of the key events. The students danced, volunteered, and interpreted there. Their goals were to help the moderators, work with the journalists, and coordinate the viewers at the stadium.
Our students took an active part in the III Regional Abilympics Championship. The SSU United Student Council won the All-Russia Best Student Council Contest. Saratov University became one of its winners for Best Organisational Work of United Student Council.
A student of the SSU Faculty of Sociology Marina Shevyakhova gained the grant at the iVolga 2.0 Youth Volga Federal District Forum. One of the objectives of her project titled the Memories about the Future is to stage a play based on the memories of veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Members of the Victory Volunteers movement and actors of the Affect Theatre will participate in it. It is appointed to show the performance premier at the end of April next year.
The students had a traditional training at the PRO100 Forum in the Chardym Sports and Recreation Camp, where they attended education and team-building workshops and had fun.
Success Youth Award of Head of the Saratov City Municipal Structure were given to the students who had achieved a lot in profession, arts, sports, research, and public activity.
The students showed good results not only in research and public activity but arts as well.
Traditionally, we did a lot in terms of patriotic upbringing of young generations: we organised different events, forums, and movements involving the university students and volunteers. Thus, the SSU delegation took part in the All-Russia Victory Dictation and participated in the events dedicated to Russia Day and Victory Day.
The SGUshchyonka Magazine won in the Creative campaign of the year nomination, Youth category. The contest was conducted by Eventiada IPRA GWA 2019, the biggest media contest in Eastern Europe and Middle East. Besides, the magazine authors became the winners of the All-Russia Youth Journalism Festival titled the TIME CODE-2019.
Another bright event for the students-pedagogues was the Volga Federal District Student Pedagogy Brigade Forum, which lasted for three days in Saratov.
The main sport event in our university became the opening of the multifunctional open sport ground in the dormitory campus. The project was initiated by Chairman of the State Duma Vyacheslav V. Volodin. The students are supposed to achieve more in sport, develop amateur sport, and keep a healthy lifestyle.
The SSU athletes gained many victories as well. Thus, a 1st-year student of the Institute of Sports and Physical Training Ekaterina Karpova won 1 silver medal (individual race) and 1 bronze medal (team race) in the Winter Triathlon National Championship.
The university students-rowers became prize winners of the International Student Rowing League Summer Championship. A 1st-year student of the Institute of Sports and Physical Training Anastasia Protopopova gained the silver medal among women at the European Chess Championship.
A 1st-year student of the Institute of Sports and Physical Training, Candidate for Master of Sport in road bicycle racing Mikhail Tulaikin won the gold medal in team race in the Russian-Chinese Youth Summer Games.
It should be noted that the university team gained the victory in the Saratov Region Universiade and the SSU football team won a few matches in the National Student Football League.
Undoubtedly, the university community will organise new meetings and events and gain victories in the coming year. Next year will be important for us because it will be dedicated to the 75th Anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. You can get the information about all the SSU significant and interesting events on our website and in the Saratov University Newspaper and the SGushchyonka Magazine.
