SPbPU: Polytechnic Energy Winter Academy brought together over 40 students from all over the world
This winter, Russian and international students were once again united by the International Energy Academy — project, which is being implemented at the Higher School of Nuclear and Thermal Energy of the Institute of Energy of SPbPU as part of the International Polytechnic Winter School.
In total, the Academy welcomed over 40 students from different countries, and for the first time in two years was able to welcome some international students in person: Christina HOFMANN from Germany and Dimitrios PAPADOPOULOS from Greece flew to Russia to see Saint Petersburg and Polytechnic University with their own eyes. Previously the training of international students had been completed online, but in the new season, it was decided to hold classes in a mixed format.
The educational part of the Academy program included intensive lectures from international specialists. Lectures and case studies on the chosen programs were carried out on the Microsoft Teams platform since all of the participants were located in different time zones — from Africa to Australia. The Day of Invited Speakers was also held. For the first time, Academy alumni from previous seasons participated in it and talked about how their academic careers were developing. In addition, for the second time in the history of the Academy, the students, interacting at a distance of thousands of kilometers, were able to research case presentations, which they successfully managed to do.
The training of international students had been completed in a mixed format
The cultural part of the Academy program has also changed in comparison to previous seasons. Since a small part of the participants could still come to the Northern Capital it was important to combine live communication and online interaction. To do this, the tutor team created live podcasts, invited guests for discussions and exchange of travel experiences. The students who came to St. Petersburg were able to visit the main sights of the city and its environs — the Hermitage, Kazan Cathedral, Russian Museum, Catherine Palace, Vyborg Castle, and others. And on one of the final evenings, they were invited to a traditional Russian tea party with samovar and Tula gingerbread.
“Right now we are in the process of updating our structure and educational course. We understand perfectly well what times are like now. Whether we have few or many students, we are still moving forward,” Ekaterina SOKOLOVA, Academy Coordinator, is sure. “A new stage in the Academy’s development will begin in spring: opening a module on hydrogen energy, which partners of Polytechnic University are showing more and more interest in. Now the Academy will be active every season for foreign participants and the whole year for Polytechnic students. Everyone can become a part of the Academy team and try their hand at interesting projects!’