On December 20, the "Chemical Technologies" laboratory opened at Altai State University on the basis of the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical-Pharmaceutical Technologies. The initiative is part of the "Priority 2030" program; it was developed in collaboration with industrial partners.
The laboratory has modern equipment valued over 2 million rubles, enabling a practice-oriented training model tailored for a multi-level educational framework in chemical technology: general education – secondary vocational education – bachelor's degree – master's degree.
Evgeniya Zhdanova, First Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at ASU congratulated the faculty and students on the opening of the new laboratory:
"We are very happy to finally acquire additional facilities for the Institute of Chemistry – this is very important as we aim to increase our admissions targets and broaden our range of educational programs. I hope that this laboratory will alleviate some pressure on our existing classrooms of the Institute of Chemistry. This space is for practical training, solving cases of our industrial partners, achieving technological leadership in chemistry and chemical technology in the region. Another very important point is that we are establishing a multi-tiered training system: our college has a licensed specialty "Chemical Technologies". The college students will develop skills in this laboratory and upon completing their college education will have the opportunity to enter the Institute of Chemistry without needing to take the Unified State Exam."
Natalia Bazarnova, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Organic Chemistry, an honorary and honored worker of the higher school of the Russian Federation speech welcomed the everyone and thanked those involved in the creation of the laboratory.
"Indeed, the core of our project is continuous education, starting at the school level. We regularly welcome schoolchildren into our laboratories to engage in hands-on learning. Now, both the president of our country and the chairman of the government are placing significant emphasis on the training of engineering personnel and specialists in the natural sciences. The opening of this laboratory aligns with this trend. This year, our Department of Organic Chemistry is graduating 60 graduates, each of whom requires access to facilities and equipment for their training. With this new laboratory, meeting those needs will be more manageable," noted Natalia Bazarnova.
The laboratory is set to implement projects within the real sector of chemical production, fostering collaboration with leading manufacturing enterprises of Altai Krai. The grand opening was attended by representatives from industrial partners of the university, who participated in establishing the laboratory. Ekaterina Stefanskaya, Deputy Chief Technologist of Renaissance Cosmetic LLC, highlighted the significant opportunities this laboratory opens up for students and encouraged graduates to pursue carriers in production, where there is a constant demand for skilled personnel.
Aleksey Chibitko, General Director of “Altai Chemical Plant” named after Vereshchagin noted:
"This laboratory is a good base for students who have chosen chemistry. The country is actively engaged in import substitution, but there is a notable shortage of qualified personnel. We have stopped the flow of cheap chemicals from Europe, which contributed to the development of our enterprises, enabling them to enter the market. 10 years ago, 150 people were employed at our enterprise, today the number has increased to 400 employees. Most of them are of pre-retirement and retirement age, and we are very happy to expect more employees: we train and help with scholarships. We are looking forward to seeing your graduates working with us!”
Tatyana Funk, Head of the Chemical Technology laboratory, spoke in more detail about the project, emphasizing the importance of working with schoolchildren:
"We are ready to collaborate with schools, to assist children in implementing their projects. We are already actively working with our college. Roman Rakitin, during his tenure as the college director, co-financed our laboratory and licensed the training direction. Students will use our laboratory for their diploma projects, and the examination will be conducted here. We have recently acquired a chemical reactor, which will enable us to stimulate industrial conditions, scale up our developments, and carry out practice-oriented tasks from our partners."
Roman Rakitin, Vice-Rector of Altai State University for Digital Development, also highlighted the importance of having equipment that enables students to work as closely as possible to industrial standards.
"Of course, such technologies entail significant costs, and the "Priority 2030" program facilitates the acquisition of this equipment. The college consistently collaborates with the institute to implement programs and procure equipment. Thank everyone for the excellent work, the laboratory is modern and attractive, students will enjoy their studies here," stated Roman Rakitin.
Anna Prasolova, Director of the college, remarked:
"Today we have repeatedly emphasized the need to guide children from school. We accept students after 9th grade, conclude contracts on employer-sponsored education and direct almost ready specialists here, to the Institute of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technologies. We ensure continuity in education, and employers can be assured of receiving highly qualified personnel. We are also actively expanding our additional education programs; this year we obtained a license for vocational training. In just two months, we can train chemical analysis lab technicians within these facilities."