Yves Rene Rossier: "It is important to support research in the field of aerospace technology"

On Friday, February 22, the delegation of Switzerland led by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Switzerland to Russia Yves Rene Rossier visited Samara National Research University. 

Embassy staff and representatives of Swiss enterprises met with Acting Rector of Samara University Vladimir Bogatyrev.

They discussed the development of cooperation both in terms of academic mobility, and enhancing the participation of university scientists in joint grant competitions of the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.

Welcoming the guests Vladimir Bogatyrev told about the activities of Samara University, about international projects and about cooperation with universities of Switzerland, in particular.

"Samara University signed memorandums of understanding with three universities of Switzerland –  the University of Neuchâtel, the Polytechnic University of Lausanne, the University of Applied Sciences of Western Switzerland, – said the Acting Rector. – Students are studying here, doctoral students come here to summer schools, the professor of St. Gallen University lectures here".

Vladimir Bogatyrev noted that he sees several directions for the development of cooperation. There is an opportunity to develop academic mobility. The Acting Rector invited young Swiss scientists to take part in summer schools of Samara University.

Professor of Samara University Ilya Kudryavtsev recalled that in April 2014 the representatives of the University and the Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnologies CSEM signed an agreement to create an engineering centre for the development of electronic and optoelectronic components for the space industry on the basis of Samara University. In addition, Samara scientists have established contacts with the physicists of the CREMA collaboration (Charge Radius Experiments with Muonic Atoms, PSI, Switzerland). It is in Switzerland that the Large Hadron Collider is located, which is the centre of attraction for specialists in the field of elementary particle physics, including Samara scientists.

"During this visit to the Samara Region, we opened the first honorary consulate in Russia. It is located in the co-working centre of the Startup Centre, – said Yves Rene Rossier. – Our goal at the university is to promote and support academic exchanges and scientific research in the field of aerospace technology, engineering, as in Switzerland there is a very strong aerospace sector. We are also interested in chemistry and petrochemistry, biology, humanities. Our universities and companies are ready to support scientific events –  conferences, seminars, competitions for students,  which take place in Russia".

Industry Development Manager at Clariant Corporation Svetlana Smayls told about the experience of supporting the student competition by the company: "We are interested in developments in chemistry, oil production, the creation of polymers and new materials. We invited a team of students, who offered the most interesting solution to our case study, to the company’s engineering centre  and held a course for them to create a technology startup. I believe that such courses show students that it is important to gain knowledge not only in their industry, but also in economics, law".

After meeting with the leadership, Yves René Rossier gave the students a lecture in English on cooperation between Russia and Switzerland and the foreign policy of his country. Students were interested in student exchange programmes, participation in joint research. 

Photo: Daniil Babonin