“All Russian scholarship to study abroad” gives Russian students a chance to get experience in international studying without giving a thought to looking for tuition fee. The grant covers flight, health insurance and other costs required for staying abroad. The only limitation is that the total sum of money don`t have to be more than 24,000 $. Students are not obliged to work at certain Russian companies to repay after their coming back. Candidates should be recommended by the organization, which submits an application. They also write a motivation letter as well as receive recommendations from Russian and international researchers and other documents.
According to Alena Schelokova and Evgeny Chorny, Department of PhD Student Affairs assisted them in document processing taking into account deadlines. The PhD students recommend everyone to submit the application next year.
Evgeny Cherny, PhD student at Department of Software Engineering and Computer Systems, who chose Åbo Akademi University (Turku, Finland) to continue his studying.
I am studying at Åbo Akademi University as part of the double degree postgraduate program ITMO University offers, and am already in my second year. While I was doing my Master`s, I participated in the work of the International Laboratory “Information Science and Semantic Technologies” (ISST), led by Dmitry Muromtsev. Later on I continued post-graduate studies and through contacts at the lab, I suggested a PhD topic to Johan Lilius, head of the laboratory of embedded systems at ÅAU, based on my experience in Technological Art. He approved. At first I suggested research in computational creativity; more specifically in simulating a person while they write music. Then the topic moved more towards sound-design. While working, I was able to reach out to researchers at several European universities and professional sound designers who support my work through consultations. In fact, we have put in an application for a Russian Presidential Grant for this project.
To tell the truth I underestimated difficulties caused by bureaucratic processes. The documents are common but to receive some of them one has to receive others before, it also may depend on schedule of some officials how quickly you will get them. Fortunately ITMO U experts helped me process all required documents on time.
I paid special attention to recommendations by researchers. Almost every time I noted that I needed money to continue my education because before that I also received several grants including ITMO U`s support that covered my studying and staying in Finland. That is why it is very important to underline some details especially.
In the application form I also outlined my achievements such as certificate for the best report given at a young scientists` conference, received grants and scholarships I won, including ITMO U`s academic mobility support program and support given by Finnish Center for International Mobility. I also took part in III International Conference for Csound, computer programming language for sound, initiated by Gleb Rogozinsky, my friend and colleague. By the way, the inspiration required entirely by our joint work helped me to launch my first project. So basically I recommend putting more focus on it. One can choose not only published articles and participation in conferences, but also other achievements important for one`s studying and development of academic mobility.
Alena Schelokova, PhD student of Department of Photonics and Optical Information, who chose Australian National University (Canberra, Australia) to continue her studying.
This year only Evgeny Cherny and I submitted the application for ITMO U grant. I suppose that all PhD students have to try to do that to study abroad. Everybody has a background to receive this grant because the main achievements of researchers are publications in well-known scientific journals. I managed to publish my research works in both Russian and international journals. It is always very important for submitting the application. Moreover, I mentioned prizes, scholarships and other achievements that I received while studying at ITMO University.
The topic of my Master`s dissertation was metasurfaces for near electromagnetic fields` managing. It is very important for development of MRI field. Metasurfaces are plain, ultrafine periodic structures that have unique electromagnetic features. I proved that using peculiarities of metasurface electromagnetic modes one can significantly increase signal-to-noise ratio, which will be resulted in upgrading of images.
I chose Australian National University because research activities of its` scientists are very influential and have top positions in world`s rankings. It has excellent theoretical and experimental facilities that give the university an opportunity to develop groundbraking technologies. The scientific center headed by Yury Kyvshar, who previously received “mega grant” to develop his project at ITMO U, provides state-of-the-art research in the field of metamaterials and metasurfaces of radio-frequency and optical regions. To have an internship at this center is a way to get unique experience and knowledge. By the way Australia is a country of warm climate and beautiful nature.
I suppose that it is very important to have as many internships abroad as it possible as well as to take part in conferences, workshops and seminars. Thus a researcher will see how it works in different universities, share one`s experience with colleagues at his or her alma mater and launch joint projects.
I want every Master`s and PhD students to participate in this annual grant program because if you didn`t do that this year you can apply in 2017.
