Sergei Novikov in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta told about the challenges posed by the program of strategic academic leadership "Priority-2030" for Russian universities, how the transformation of USATU will take place, about the achievements of university scientists, our strategic projects and ambitious plans.

Origin

Ufa State Aviation Technical University, one of the leading universities in Bashkortostan, has always demonstrated excellent performance. At the end of 2021, USATU again entered the rating of the best higher educational institutions of developing countries in Europe and Central Asia (EECA) by the global analytical agency QS Quacquarelli Symonds and for the first time was included in the prestigious ranking of the "greenest" universities of our planet UI GreenMetric World University Rankings 2021. In the ranking of universities in the Volga Federal District, published by the RAEX agency in 2021, USATU took the sixth place. This is just the beginning, the rector of the university Sergei Novikov is sure. In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, he spoke about the advanced developments of USATU scientists and the prospects for the development of the university within the framework of the program of strategic academic leadership "Priority-2030".

Sergey Vladimirovich, what challenges does the Priority-2030 strategic academic leadership program pose for Russian universities?

Sergei Novikov: In my opinion, the implementation of the large-scale Priority 2030 program in 2021 is an indicator of the level of expectations and government confidence in the higher education system as a whole. The program is designed for a long-term period, secured with funding and, importantly, enables universities to deploy global research and plan for achieving ambitious results.

USATU took part in the "Priority-2030" competition jointly with the Bashkir State University. As part of a jointly developed development program, we plan to implement a number of projects in the main areas of scientific and educational activities of the university.

It must be said that USATU approached the participation in this large-scale competition, comprehensively assessing the possibilities and existing potential. During the academic year preceding the announcement of the competition, our university hosted three strategic sessions "University transformation-2030", during which the most active and caring employees analyzed all the pain points in the university's activities, correlated them with the available potential opportunities and proposed their options further development. Their conclusion is unambiguous: if we want to be successful, competitive, to fight for applicants with the capital's universities, we need to transform the entire university.

Therefore, participation in the "Priority-2030" competition and preparation of a tender application together with Bashkir State University became an important step for us on the way to achieving our ambitious goals.

How will the transformation of USATU take place?

Sergey Novikov: The development program approved by the Council for Supporting Development Programs for Educational Institutions of Higher Education as part of the implementation of the Priority-2030 strategic academic leadership program chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry N. Chernyshenko includes several strategic projects that are designed to ensure Transformation University. For example, today our scientists are developing scientific projects "Design of functional materials", "Higher Engineering School of Aerospace Technologies", "Healthy Longevity."

The "Design of Functional Materials" project is based on the achievements of the Ufa Scientific School of Materials Science, which combines research by scientists from the USATU, Bashkir State University, the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences (UFRC RAS) and the Institute for Problems of Superplasticity of Metals of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Our developments are traditionally in demand by large enterprises of machine-building, aircraft engine-building, and defense complexes of the country. The main industrial partner of USATU is PJSC "UEC - Ufa Engine-Building Production Association", which works with complex metals and alloys, as well as technologies for modifying the surface of critical parts. Now our interaction is expanding – Jointly open with SCB and Power Machines JSC.

This "fusion" of science and production really works - we are raising scientific personnel, there are schools of materials science in the field of metals and alloys, as well as complex coatings. Our main customer is the aviation industry. The coatings of aircraft engine blades developed by USATU scientists increase their wear resistance. When an airplane flies in a dusty atmosphere, dust particles quickly wear out the blades, and special coatings just increase their resource. This improves flight safety in different climatic conditions.

A very active group of USATU scientists is working on hard vacuum-plasma coatings, nanostructured multilayer coatings, intended for use not only on the blades of a gas turbine engine, but also for tools. Let me explain: today drills, cutters and other tools are consumables for CNC machines, where a very high precision of work is required (no more than ten micrometers of error is allowed). If the cutter wears out, then, naturally, the error increases. To prevent this, a very hard and wear-resistant coating is applied to the cutter. Our specialists apply coatings on tools to order for UEBPA and other factories of the Republic of Bashkortostan, that is, we can say that an engineering center for coating tools functions at USATU. This area of ​​activity of university scientists is supported not only by scientific grants from the Russian Science Foundation, but also by our partners - factories from the real sector of the economy.

The second component of the project is related to research on organic materials, where the Bashkir State University and UFRC RAS ​​have stronger compentencies. After all, as you know, a large number of organic materials are now produced from petrochemical products, from simple polyethylene to complex electronic sensors. In general, the directions of the "Design of functional materials" project have many areas of application, including mechanical engineering, aircraft construction, biomedicine and organic electronics, where scientists from USATU, Bashkir State University and UFRC RAS ​​best at.

As far as I know, USATU scientists have made significant progress in creating "living" implants?

Sergey Novikov: Indeed, we have advanced developments in this area. For example, during the implementation of the Design of Functional Materials project, USATU created dental implants made of nanotitanium with a composite coating having inorganic and organic components. This combination of materials makes it possible to reduce the size of the implants, increase the rate of bone fusion, provide contact with living cells, which reduces trauma and accelerates implantation.

This is a very promising area of ​​research, because today every fifth person in the world walks with implants, it can be dental implants, and joint implants: hip, knee. There are developments, but it is required to go through a rather long and financially costly cycle of preclinical trials. However, if we do not do this now, we will remain catching up, our initial developments will become the basis of research in other countries, and then we will purchase a finished product, or pay for technology. Therefore, the implementation of the project within the framework of "Priority-2030" gives a chance to make a serious leap forward and strengthen the position of our researchers in this direction.

Another realizable area of ​​biocompatible devices is biodegradable implants. When used in the treatment of fractures, a second operation to remove them is not required. Moreover, in a child's body, such an implant will not interfere with bone growth. Within a year, the material dissolves in the human body, and the speed of this process is regulated by the developments of our scientists. Therefore, the creation of biodegradable implants is a global research trend in which two directions are developing: metals and organic materials. The first uses alloys of magnesium, zinc and iron. Secondly, organic materials based on polylactate and other polymers, of which, among other things, are printed on 3D printers. That is, a biodegradable implant can simply be 3D printed under sterile conditions!

I would like to note that on implants we are now interacting with the Moscow-based FGUP CITO and with two small enterprises - residents of Skolkovo. We have already applied for a marketing authorization for dental implants with our coating. I hope that we will get it soon. That is, activities to translate the results of science into a product are underway. The implementation of the project within the framework of the Priority-2030 program provides serious image support, as well as financial support. We will be able to move in this direction, because biological research is expensive, because it is a phased long-term testing of materials and devices.

In general, the implementation of the Design of Functional Materials project should bring us to the Top-10 world centers that form the scientific agenda in the field of functional materials and coatings for aircraft and mechanical engineering, biomedicine, organic nanoelectronics, and also contribute to the growth of the share of domestic products in the Russian market implantable devices from 15 to 30 percent.

Please tell us more about the strategic project Higher Engineering School of Aerospace Technologies.

Sergei Novikov: This project is almost entirely developed by USATU scientists. It is based on the concept of a hybrid aircraft that has an electric propeller drive, a battery and a stationary propulsion system. Civil aircraft must be both environmentally friendly and cost effective. These are conflicting requirements. Therefore, the trend of moving away from classic jet aircraft to hybrid aircraft is relevant today.

The cruising speed of the aircraft is at 800 km / h at an altitude of 12,000 meters provides the greatest economy during the flight. But at the moments of take-off and landing, the aircraft engine operates at maximum speed, consumes the maximum amount of fuel, and the emissions from spent fuel are also significant. It is no coincidence that there is a serious problem with pollution and noise in the territories adjacent to airports, which translates into fines, in fact, paid by passengers.

Therefore, a hybrid aircraft has a propulsion system, which stands, for example, in the tail of the aircraft. This, in principle, can already be seen: the Yak-40-LL - flying laboratory aircraft was demonstrated at the annual International Aviation and Space fair (MAKS) in August 2021, where, by the way, USATU received a prize in the Import Substitution nomination. In the tail of the Yak-40-LL there is a gas turbine engine that operates in an economical stationary mode with minimal exhaust emissions. It has a high-speed generator developed and manufactured by USATU on its shaft, which provides power transmission to batteries and electric motors. That is, the transient process, which consumes a lot of fuel in a traditional aircraft and gives maximum exhaust and noise, is realized in a hybrid aircraft by taking the stored energy from the battery. As a result, emissions, noise and flight costs are reduced.

Our calculations show that commercial hybrid aircraft will, in the long run, reduce aircraft fuel consumption by 12-13 percent, as well as reduce noise levels by 61 percent.

A further prospect for the development of this direction is an all-electric aircraft. It is still unrealistic to create such an aircraft for 300 passengers, because there are simply no batteries of suitable capacity and weight and dimensions, and we are developing a hybrid aircraft. Five seater electric planes will be in the service soon. It will have a large wing area, not a very high speed, and energy will be gained when charging on the ground, and additionally, from solar panels on the wing plane.

The tasks of the project "Higher School of Engineering for Aerospace Technologies" are very ambitious. We plan to develop commercial products: hybrid (for 50 seats) and all-electric (for two to five seats) aircraft, technologies for the production of power plants for aerospace technology, steam turbines, gas pumping devices to be brought to the Russian market and to the countries of the Eurasian space.

Let me emphasize that we carefully preserve the traditions of the Russian engineering school, which is considered one of the strongest in the world. One of our tasks is to train a new generation of engineers for Industry 4.0, who have modern competencies not only in their field of technology, but also much more broadly, at an interdisciplinary level. Within the framework of the Higher Engineering School of Aerospace Technologies project, we plan to develop new educational programs for all levels of education, as well as additional educational programs based on the implementation of the project approach in the field of aerospace technologies. Including, with the formation of digital competencies for modeling units, assemblies and systems of aviation and space technology. We are planning international accreditation of the developed programs and a significant increase in the share of foreign students.

Impressive. At the same time, USATU scientists are also involved in projects implemented jointly with other universities and institutes?

Sergei Novikov: Yes. For example, USATU participates in the Healthy Longevity project, which is being implemented on the basis of many years of experience at the Institute of Biochemistry and Genetics of the Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This institute is the holder of a unique bank of genetic material of the peoples of Eurasia, which allows working with different genotypes and identifying genetic predispositions. Now to develop targeted drugs, targeted treatment based on an individual genetic passport. Let me explain: there are certain genes that are in an active state, and they largely influence our response to certain drugs. This feature is used in targeted treatment. In fact, we are talking about a new generation of drugs, genetic preparations, which will be selected individually for everyone.

Already today, genetic passports are being made, but it is not yet possible to apply the information obtained in mass medicine, an analysis based on big data technology is needed. In the future, based on such data, the patient will be able to receive informed doctor's recommendations.

This project is large-scale. Small teams without the involvement of IT technologies and modern software cannot carry out such work. In addition, as a rule, everything is done in consortia with global holders of information banks.

Your projects under the Priority 2030 program are quite ambitious ...

Sergey Novikov: Yes, but the large-scale tasks that we have to solve in the coming years, implementing the development program and strategic projects, are based on the coordinated work of teams of scientists of different generations, on the already existing worthy results of research activities and the desire to reach a new level. The most important thing is that we have the support of the republican authorities, a general focus on results and decent financial support for the implementation of projects.

Now I will not talk in detail about the educational component of the development program, although in each implemented project there are tasks of updating the content of educational programs, widespread use of modern technologies. For us, these are obvious components of the development of any university. Science and education are two interrelated components that are developing in the higher education system in parallel. Advances in scientific research will rise to new areas of education, contribute to the formation of relevant competencies in new generations of specialists.

Meanwhile

On the eve of the publication of the interview, it became known that, according to the Research Center for International Achievements, the rector of USATU Sergei Novikov was recognized as "Rector of the Year-2021" for his contribution to the development of the university, which became the best at the International Competition "University of 2021" in the nomination "International Partnership".

Aigul Kamaeva

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