ITMO’s Monday Science Roundup #7

Research

Since our last roundup, we’ve reported on several scientific breakthroughs made here at ITMO:

• Researchers from ITMO and St. Petersburg State University have devised an improved way of printing copper micropatterns onto glass surfaces. These patterns, used in a wide variety of electronic devices, can now be printed 100 times more quickly! Read more
• In other news, scientists from the ChemBio Cluster and their Canadian colleagues have produced a special nanostructured temperature sensor using carbon dots and nanocellulose – almost by accident, too! Following further development, this portable, wide-range device will be used to control the storage conditions of various materials. Read more
• Finally, a team from the School of Physics and Engineering has made an important contribution to the cutting-edge field of quantum computing. Using the topological states that can be found in 2D qubit arrays, they were able to make quantum computing algorithms more resistant to disorder – an important step on the path to better quantum processors. Read more

Now that you’ve read about research – what about becoming a part of it? In the spirit of ITMO’s 2030 Development Strategy, the university is launching a large-scale study of academic quality of life among both students and staff. Respondents will take part in a survey that will assess their physical and mental health over time. The acquired data will be used to improve the many services that ITMO provides to its community, while the participants will also receive personalized recommendations on how to improve their lifestyle and ensure their well-being. Read more and visit ISU to sign up!

Education

Now that the admission season is in full swing, there’s no shortage of great news for prospective students. In the past couple weeks, we’ve reported on exciting changes coming to two of ITMO’s Master’s programs.

First up, the program Software Engineering (currently offered in Russian) has found a new partner in the fuel industry giant Gazprom Neft. The partners have already reassessed the program’s curriculum to provide an even larger focus on practical experience. Each semester, students will present individual projects to a board of experts; in their studies, they will become familiar with various hot topics in the field, such as deep learning, computer vision, and more. Moreover, the company will provide students with stipends and cover expenses related to participation in conferences, competitions, and other events. Read more

Now in its second year, the Master’s program Public Health Sciences (currently offered in English) is the first of its kind in Russia. ITMO.NEWS recently spoke to some of the program’s creators about this field of study at the intersection of medicine, social science, and economics, as well as the students’ varied internship and career prospects. Read more

Student-driven courses at ITMO

In the past couple months, we’ve written at length about a new initiative available at ITMO: motivated students are now free to develop and offer their own optional courses. Most recently, we’ve covered two successful cases:

• Anna Pozhar, a Master’s student at the Faculty of Biotechnologies, has authored a course that debunks food-related myths, educates students about nutrition science, and helps them develop a healthy personalized diet. Read more
• Maria Akhmetova, a Master’s student at the ChemBio Cluster, is the creator of an advanced biochemistry course. She spoke to ITMO.NEWS about the challenges of teaching and the key ways to motivate fellow students. Read more

Popular science

And finally, we’ve got two fascinating reading recommendations to get you up to speed on a couple of topics:

• First on the list is a breakdown of key information on the connection between physical activity and cognitive abilities. Do sports make you smarter? How much do you need to work out to stay healthy? Is it ever too late to take up a sport? Scientists from ITMO’s Center for Neuroscience in Education have answers to these and other questions. Read more
• Data visualization is far from a simple art, but one that can be mastered – and the students of a scientific storytelling course at ITMO can attest to that. ITMO.NEWS spoke to Aleksandr Bogachev, a datavis expert and author of Graphics That Convince Everyone, about this fascinating field and the origins of people’s passion for numbers. Read more