On August 4, the administration of Saratov State University met the CEOs of Zavod AIT LLC, and they discussed mutual partnership.
The event was attended by Rector Aleksei Chumachenko, Vice-Rector for Research and Digital Development Aleksei Koronovskii, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Igor Malinskii, Head of the Gazpromneft - SSU Centre Maria Zimina, Head of the Education Office Sergei Udalov, Director of the Institute of Chemistry Irina Goryacheva, Chair of the Department of Physical Chemistry Ivan Kazarinov, Chair of the Department of Analytical Chemistry and Chemical Ecology Tatyana Rusanova, Associate Professor of the Department of Physical Chemistry, Deputy Director of the Institute of Chemistry for Research Arsenii Ushakov, and Associate Professor of the Department of Physical Chemistry, Deputy Director of the Institute of Chemistry for Academic Affairs Irina Gamayunova.
Zavod AIT LLC was represented by CEO Stanislav Yegorov, CTO Vyacheslav Volynskii, and HR Director Natalia Shegurova.
The goal of the meeting was to establish business relations between SSU and a leading Russian enterprise that produces autonomous power supply systems and batteries. The partners made proposals how to organise production internships at the enterprise, support graduation and research papers with the participation of plant employees as consultants, and conduct excursions for students.
The guests were welcomed by SSU Rector Aleksei Chumachenko, after which CEO of Zavod AIT LLC Stanislav Yegorov spoke to the audience and told it about the peculiarities of the enterprise.
‘Now, the company is actively developing, striving for a promising future, and it is, of course, impossible without young people. The record shows that our plant is a very interesting experimental resource for the younger generation. Today, we are focused on the development of innovative equipment, as well as on the study of various materials and their combinations. And we would like to set up contacts with Saratov State University, create a unified cooperation system, because both our and your potential goes in the same direction. Together, we will be able to achieve great results,’ Stanislav Yegorov said.
Chair of the Department of Physical Chemistry Ivan Kazarinov joined the discussion. He commented on the general history of the department and Saratov battery plants.
‘The Department of Physical Chemistry appeared in the 1930s. And at the same time, two factories were opened in the city – Elektroistochnik Saratov battery plant and Saratov Alkaline Battery Plant, now Zavod AIT LLC. Since the beginning of the 1950s, the department has been mainly studying chemical sources of electric current. This research is important as chemical current sources have high power. To clarify, the power of all chemical current sources exceeds the power of all power plants,’ Ivan Kazarinov explained. The scientist stressed that modern life needed the creation of chemical batteries, since a large number of equipment operating autonomously had now been put into operation. For example, computers, storage systems, unmanned aerial vehicles, and even public transport.
In conclusion of his speech, Ivan Kazarinov noted that the staff of the department specialising in the development of chemical current sources had always been in demand.
The plant HR director Natalia Shegurova pointed out that the company was interested in young specialists. She focused the audience's attention on a large number of vacancies – from a simple worker to the management staff.
‘We are glad to see SSU students and graduates at any stage of production. We are also focused on attracting and supporting young professionals, for this, we have created a youth movement based on Transmashholding, training platforms, a personnel pool, and even a volleyball team that takes part in the sports league of the holding,’ Natalia Shegurova said.
SSU Rector Aleksei Chumachenko invited the guests to start close cooperation by organising excursions for students of the Institute of Chemistry and other faculties and institutes to Zavod AIT LLC. The first such excursion should take place in September. According to the rector, the next steps to strengthen the partnership may be to include representatives of the enterprise in the state graduation commission and organise production internships. ‘Qualified, settled graduates are important both for us and for you, so I propose to develop a system for attracting young personnel to your production. For example, to introduce scholarships for students aiming to work at the enterprise, or to think over other conditions favourable for further employment of students,’ the rector noted.
SSU and Zavod AIT LLC also discussed the possibility of jointly developing a methodology for determining the concentration of sodium in an alkaline electrolyte, the development of high-energy cathode and anode materials, including solutions based on nanocarbon for lithium-ion batteries, as well as the development of a separator for lithium-ion and nickel-cadmium batteries.
