"Sputnik" finalists get acquainted with the university strategic competencies

On Monday, March 2, the third stage of the All-Russian contest “Sputnik” started. Finalists of the young engineers-researchers competition - authors of the best creative design works in the areas of aviation technology, rocket engineering, robotics, engine manufacturing and information technology - arrived in Samara to get acquainted with the leading university in the field of aviation and rocket science in Russia.

For the fourth time, Samara University is conducting a competition aimed at finding gifted young people who are keen on the topic of space and technical creativity. Today, the competition brings together talented youths from all over Russia. This year, more than 6,000 participants from all over the world took part in Sputnik, and 150 people from 64 regions of Russia became finalists of the competition. In 2019, 150 winners represented 43 Russian regions. Also 20 people became finalists for the second time.

Every year Samara University acquaintance program is supplemented by new opportunities and activities. In 2020, a practically-oriented bonus to the program will be a master class at the RocketLAV Student Design Bureau (SKB) of Samara University, whose participants are engaged in the creation of light experimental rockets. SKB achieved world recognition and in 2019 the RocketLAV team was recognized as the best student design bureau in Russia. They will share their experience and knowledge with the Sputnik participants and discuss what helps to achieve success in technical creativity.

Also for the first time Science Slam for kids will be organized for Sputnik members. Science Slam is an international format of presentations by young scientists, which is a mix of stand-up and scientific report. The speakers will have 10 minutes to captivate the audience with their topic, then, based on the results of real-time voting, the winners will be determined by the menti.com online service.

By tradition, the winners of the Sputnik contest will get acquainted with the strategic scientific areas of the leading university in the region and the country: they will see how satellites of the most popular nano-format are made in the space research department laboratories and the line for the small AIST spacecrafts production. They will also observe in real time how university scientists receive information from AISTs that are now working in orbit. In addition, for the first time during the competition, this year the finalists will be able to visit two leading Samara region enterprises - RCC "Progress" and the Arconic plant.

The participants will also visit research laboratories, the Samara Space Museum and listen to popular science lectures from university professors, including a lecture by the Russian Academy of Sciences member, Samara University president, and the Technical Cybernetics Department head Viktor Soifer.

Projects presentations, lectures and excursions, scientific events and master classes are needed not only for teambuilding and getting acquainted with the university - this is the warm-up stage before the “space” shift at the Artek MDC in the Crimea.

Immersion in the scientific environment will help students prepare for a unique educational intensiveness in the laboratories of the Samara University in Artek, which will be held from April 2 to 23 under the guidance of young scientists and teachers of Samara University. And the shift "504 hours - the flight is fine!" in Artek will be the main award for the work and achievements.

For reference:

RocketLAV, Samara University SKB, is the permanent and the only Russian participant at the international student rocket launches forum C`Space in France since 2011. In 2018, young Samara engineers were awarded the first CNES prize for the successful launch of a two-stage experimental rocket of their own design.

In December 2019, the team of RocketLAV student design bureau won the competition of youth technical clubs applying for an award in the field of space and industry (Prix de Espace en Industrie-2019), and became a laureate of the French National Space Agency award - CNES.