Director of St Petersburg University’s Advanced Engineering School: student conferences help young researchers gain skills useful in building a professional career

Kirill Chistyakov, Director of the Institute of Earth Sciences at St Petersburg University and Vice-President of the Russian Geographical Society, opened the 10th annual Great Geographical Festival and the Geological International Student Summit (GISS-2024). 

"I am very pleased to welcome you all on this spring day in the Institute of Earth Sciences at St Petersburg University. The Great Geographical Festival and the Geological International Student Summit are excellent occasions to kick-start new field studies, internships, travels and scientific discoveries," Kirill Chistyakov stressed. "This year, the Institute of Earth Sciences at St Petersburg University is celebrating its 10th anniversary. This statement, however, is a bit misleading, because the Institute of Earth Sciences at St Petersburg University came into being as a result of the merger of the Faculty of Geography and Geoecology, the Faculty of Geology and the Department of Soil Science at St Petersburg University. Each of these units has a rich history and traditions, woven into the fabric of the history of St Petersburg University; whose 300th anniversary we have been celebrating since February this year".

St Petersburg University, the oldest university in Russia, was founded on 28 January (8 February) 1724. This is the day when Peter the Great issued a decree establishing the University and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Today, St Petersburg University is a world-class scientific, educational and cultural centre. In 2024, St Petersburg University is celebrating its 300th anniversary.

"The Earth Sciences as a modern type of science began to form in Russia after the reforms of Peter the Great. It was then that the best geographers and geologists of the time began to come to St Petersburg for work. Indeed, we can be proud of the fact that the first professionals in our field, who were not called geologists or geographers then but natural history researchers, appeared at St Petersburg University and the Academy of Sciences," Kirill Chistyakov added. "The Institute of Earth Sciences at St Petersburg University was established in 2014. That was in line with global and Russian trends in the development of Earth sciences, reflecting the demand for integrated, interdisciplinary approaches to fundamental and applied science challenges against the backdrop of revolutionary technological and methodological changes in the ways of obtaining primary data, data processing and further interpretation of research findings. The 10th anniversary of the Institute of Earth Sciences at St Petersburg University is a modest date in comparison to the 300th anniversary of the University (especially, by the standards of geological time), but for each of us personally it has been a very significant and challenging period." 

In 2024, over 300 visitors have attended the Great Geographical Festival. The event also featured 203 in-person presentations. The geography of participants included 50 cities in Russia, Belarus and Uzbekistan. 

The GGF programme featured: a scientific and practical conference; roundtable discussions on: "Geographic education and the workforce shortage issues in the economy"; "Water and the city: antagonism or symbiosis?"; "Application of end-to-end technologies in spatial data management"; a geographical brain-ring; a football tournament, an excursion to the town of Gatchina, near St Petersburg; and a quest around the city "Geocaching". This year, for the first time, the festival featured a game "Geographic field of wonders" that received a very positive response from the participants.

The Great Geographical Festival was initiated in 2004 by students and postgraduate students of the Faculty of Geography and Geoecology at St Petersburg University and the Faculty of Geography at Moscow State University. Its main objectives are: to create conditions for the dialogue of creative intelligence among young people and to establish contacts between students, postgraduates and early-career researchers from different cities of Russia, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and other overseas countries.

This year, a team from the Institute of Earth Sciences at St Petersburg University submitted the Great Geographical Festival project to the Russian Geographical Society’s national award in the field of geography, ecology, conservation and popularisation of natural and historical-cultural heritage This year, a team from the Institute of Earth Sciences at St Petersburg University submitted the Great Geographical Festival project to the Russian Geographical Society’s national award in the field of geography, ecology, conservation and popularisation of natural and historical-cultural heritage "Crystal Compass". 

The Geological International Student Summit 2024 brought together 62 students from across Russia and overseas. Additionally, there were 14 invited plenary speakers and 2 experts who conducted workshops. 

The participants’ geography included many cities of the Russian Federation: St Petersburg; Moscow; Novosibirsk; Tyumen; Kazan; Krasnodar; and Voronezh. Also, there were keynote speakers from overseas, who are currently students of St Petersburg University and Kazan Federal University and researchers of the Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy at the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 

The geography of the invited speakers covered: St Petersburg (St Petersburg University; the Institute of Precambrian Geology and Geochronology of the Russian Academy of Sciences; "VNIIOkeangeologia"; and the Sergeev Institute of Environmental Geoscience of the Russian Academy of Sciences); Moscow (the Mineralogical Museum of the Russian Academy of Sciences); Kazan (Kazan Federal University); and Geneva (University of Geneva, Switzerland, a remote participant). 

GISS-24 for the first time offered attendees some non-scientific activities, including: a musical evening; an intellectual game "Diamond. World. Devon" (analogous to "What? Where? When?"); and a photo exhibition. The events were organised in collaboration with the Cultural Committee of the Student Council of the Institute of Earth Sciences for the summit participants and students of the Institute of Earth Sciences at St Petersburg University. 

Also in 2024, the summit has become more "environmentally friendly". Thus, the number of printed programmes was reduced. Instead, QR codes containing the programme and the conference proceedings were printed on badges. All conference participants received reusable cups, and separate waste collection was organised during coffee breaks. 

The organisation of Geological International Student Summit 2024 was supported by the Advanced Engineering School at St Petersburg University "Interdisciplinary Research, Technologies and Business Processes for the Mineral Resources and Raw Materials Sector of Russia".

Geological International Student Summit is a student research conference organised by students for students. We can highlight several reasons why attending such events is beneficial for students in terms of enhancing the quality of their education and their autonomy as future professionals.

Vyacheslav Polovkov, Associate Professor in the Department of Geophysics at St Petersburg University, Director of the Advanced Engineering School "Interdisciplinary Research, Technologies and Business Processes for the Mineral Resources and Raw Materials Sector of Russia"

"Firstly, such events offer an opportunity for students to take the first steps on their research path. The conference is held at their home University, participation is free, the target audience is students and early career researchers. The second reason is the timing of the conference. The timing is chosen in such a way so that it can be used by students as a rehearsal before the defence of term papers and graduation projects, while students will receive relevant feedback. Thirdly, the event provides an opportunity for students to learn how to plan and organise academic events. Preparation for GISS starts in September when students register the participants, check the abstracts submitted for the conference; plan and schedule the event, compile the abstracts and much more. Such skills come handy in building a professional career," said Vyacheslav Polovkov, Associate Professor in the Department of Geophysics at St Petersburg University, Director of the Advanced Engineering School "Interdisciplinary Research, Technologies and Business Processes for the Mineral Resources and Raw Materials Sector of Russia". 

The Advanced Engineering School ‘Interdisciplinary Research, Technologies and Business Processes for the Mineral Resources and Raw Materials Sector of Russia’ was established at St Petersburg University in 2024. Its main goal is to produce well-educated and highly-skilled engineers whose achievements will help develop Russia’s technological sovereignty and, in partnership with high-tech companies, create new products and technological solutions for the raw materials sector. 

Currently, the Laboratory of geochemical analysis of petroleum is operating within the Advanced Engineering School at St Petersburg University. The laboratory is equipped with modern analytical equipment for conducting studies on composition of petroleum products and formation water. These studies allow for solving a number of practical tasks: analysis and forecast assessment of hydrocarbon accumulations and their physical and chemical properties; identification of causes and forecasting of zones of reservoir bituminisation; obtaining quantitative targeted oil inflow from each reservoir during joint exploitation of reservoirs; and others. The control technologies under development are based on domestic analytical equipment and advancements in geochemical analysis of oil and produced water, analysis and modernisation of existing research methods. 

Also, the Advanced Engineering School conducts research in the field of applied sedimentology of carbonate reservoirs, and on new types of sorption materials. 

Additionally, a professional retraining programme "Engineering Economics in the Oil and Gas Industry" has been launched at St Petersburg University (with the participation of Gazprom Neft Science and Technology Centre). Classes begin in a week’s time. 

In 2025, it is planned to open new degree programmes within the Petroleum Engineering area of study on the basis of the Advanced Engineering School at St Petersburg University. These are the following: the bachelor’s programme "Petroleum Geology"; and two master’s programmes "Petroleum Engineering and Digital Technology" and "Geology and Geochemistry of Oil and Gas". All programmes are opened jointly with Gazprom Neft Science and Technology Centre and combine the advantages of fundamental education offered at a classical university, the best practices of engineering schools and the research and production potential of high-tech companies — the programme partners.