Knowledge Integration Polytech at International Scientific Conference in Armenia

A delegation from Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU) took part in the 19th International Annual Scientific Conference of the Russian-Armenian University (RAU). The event, which gathered over 550 scientists and more than 350 presentations, demonstrated the depth and diversity of the strategic partnership between the two leading universities.

RAU Vice-Rector for Science, Professor Pargev Avetisyan, read out a welcome address from the Rector of SPbPU, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrei Rudskoi.Mikhail Vozhdaev, Advisor at the Russian Embassy in Armenia and representative of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, stated that cooperation with RAU remains one of the key aspects of bilateral relations, traditionally maintained at a high level.

The SPbPU Institute of Humanities was represented by its Director Natalia Chicherina, Associate Professors Tatiana Nam and Andrey Shakarov, Assistant Professor Maxim Smirnov, and the Director of the Higher School of International Relations and Area Studies Marina Arkannikova (online participation). Their presentations covered key trends in modern education and communications from Microlearning as a Tool for Personalized Education of Generation Z (N.V. Chicherina) and motivation for youth volunteering (T.A. Nam) to modern branding strategies (A.A. Shakarov) and cultural sovereignty (M.S. Arkannikova).

Engineering and digital solutions cannot be truly effective without proper humanitarian understanding, emphasized RAU Vice-Rector for Science Pargev Avetisyan during a meeting with the delegation, noting the growing importance of such cooperation.

Representing the SPbPU Graduate School of Biomedical Systems and Technologies at the conference were Senior Lecturer Andrey Makashov and student Savva Ivanov. The main focus of negotiations with colleagues from the RAU Institute of Biomedicine and Pharmacy was on implementing joint projects in genomics, transcriptomics, and chemoinformatics using artificial intelligence and machine learning. The goal is to develop new approaches in personalized medicine and drug discovery. The parties reached preliminary agreements on joint grant applications, staff exchange, and the development of educational programs.

SPbPU Graduate School of Engineering and Physics PhD students Danila Karaulov and Ratmir Ustimenko presented cutting-edge research in photonics and nanotechnology at the conference. Their report, Study of Photoinduced Light Absorption Spectra in GeSi/Si Quantum Dots in the Mid-Infrared Spectral Range, showcased the results of joint work with RAU dedicated to studying the optical properties of quantum dots based on germanium-silicon solid solutions, which hold promise for applications in infrared photonics, telecommunications, machine vision, and energy-efficient solar cells.

The participation of such a multidisciplinary SPbPU delegation, from humanities scholars and biomedical specialists to engineering physicists, clearly confirms that the strategic partnership with RAU has evolved into a systemic alliance aimed at training a new type of specialist and conducting interdisciplinary research capable of responding to the complex challenges of our time.