International Polytechnic Summer School on Energy: ready to meet the challenge
The energy cluster has been and remains a powerful component of the International Polytechnic Summer School: Over the years, twice a year program coordinators have been hosting students from all over the world. Students from more than 80 countries came to St. Petersburg to get acquainted with the advanced achievements in the energy production.
In 2020, the organizers of the International Polytechnic Summer School made an unprecedented decision: all courses will be converted to online format. The complex of energy programs was no exception. New realities dictate their conditions, and despite the fact that it is extremely hard to perceive Polytechnic University seasonal schools without lively communication with guests of St. Petersburg, the coordinators and organizers of educational programs are ready for new achievements. SPbPU teachers and partner universities accepted the difficult transformation into an online format, prepared to transfer their unique materials and interact with foreign students online. The “power engineers” were not embarrassed even with the fact that the summer of 2020 was to be marked by the opening of a new module, i.e., “Digitalization in the energy industry”. Despite all obstacles, the trial run of the program will take place in the online mode, which will make it flexible and will not rule out the possibility of associated changes, starting from students’ live comments.
The digitalization module will be the fifth in the energy cluster of the International Polytechnic Summer School. The modules on electric power, nuclear power, turbo-machinery, oil and gas technology, which have been repeatedly praised by experts and students, will also be held in the new format. For each section of lectures, materials in English with practical assignments on topics have been prepared.
The changes do not end here. The already traditional day of speakers and company tours will also take place online. The organizers are negotiating with energy companies to organize remote collaboration.
Even the volunteers, who have always helped in organizing the educational process and attended lectures, are now ready to switch to the Internet. The volunteer corps will test the pattern of complete immersion: live broadcasts for communication, broadcasting events in St. Petersburg, live walks, tours of the city and the university campus. The energy cluster team will try to create an entirely virtual reality for students in both educational and recreational aspects.
Prepared by SPbPU International Office