Published on: 2026-06-03
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
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The formation of the team of the Central Collective Laboratory of Photons (CCLP) “Siberian Ring Photon Source” continues. As of today, there are 98 graduates of Novosibirsk State University of various years working at CCLP “SKIF,” out of which 82 graduates are employed in scientific divisions, including 25 graduates of NSU under 27 years old. In total, 163 employees are involved in scientific tasks at SKIF. Thus, NSU graduates make up half of the staff of the scientific divisions of CCLP. Furthermore, young employees who are still undergoing training at NSU—students and postgraduate students—are already employed at SKIF. They hold positions as engineers and laboratory assistants.
The training of specialists for the CCP “SKIF” has been conducted at NGU over the past several years with the support of the “Priority 2030” program.Scientific research and educational projects are carried out in close cooperation with the institutes of the Novosibirsk Scientific Center and the CKP SKIF, which concluded an agreement with NGU on scientific collaboration and personnel training in the field of synchrotron and neutron research, and integrate interdisciplinary scientific studies of the atomic structure of inorganic, organic, and biological objects, diagnostics of materials and products using X-ray and synchrotron radiation, as well as neutron beams.The task is to train specialists from various fields of physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and materials science who are ready to take advantage of the unique opportunities that have unveiled themselves before them with maximum efficiency.
—Novosibirsk State University is the closest partner and the main training ground for personnel for SCIF. Many employees of the CSC “SCIF” are current teachers at NSU; accordingly, there is a constant influx of young personnel – young graduates, postgraduates, students. Thus, the crucial role of NSU in forming the scientific team of the CSC “SCIF” is absolutely indisputable. In second place with a noticeable gap is Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU). Students and postgraduates are mostly employed in scientific departments as laboratory assistants or engineers.This is a good personnel start because in the near future they will be able to apply for the position of junior research associate and further advance up the career ladder. We are very satisfied with the level of training of NGU students because this university emphasizes early involvement of students in science and engagement in interdisciplinary research. In our view, NGU has a very strong basic training in key disciplines important to us: physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology. Importantly, there is also experience in effective interfaculty and interdepartmental interaction.For these reasons, we are interested in having students and graduates of NGU work at the CKP “SKIF”., — said the chief research associate of the CKP “SKIF,” associate professor of the Department of Solid State Physics of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at NSU and the Department of Physical Methods of Solid State Research of the Faculty of Physics at NSU, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical SciencesYan Zubavichus.
On its part, NGU is also interested in forming a scientific team for the Scientific and Educational Complex “SKIF”. Active work in this area has been carried out for the past four years. Several important events aimed at achieving this goal are conducted by NGU with the support of the “Priority – 2030” program. Since 2022, Schools for young scientists on synchrotron research methods in materials science and Schools for young scientists on the “Application of synchrotron radiation for solving biological problems” have been held annually.An annual competition is also held at NGU for student and postgraduate scientific research works “X-ray, synchrotron, neutron methods of interdisciplinary research,” based on the results of which 25-30 projects receive support ranging from 150 to 250 thousand rubles. Part of the winners of these competitions were employed at the CKP “SKIF”. Yan Zubavichus emphasized that winning this competition often became a key moment in the decision to employ NGU students at SKIF and in securing their positions at its station.Employees of SCP “SKIF” take the most active part in organizing scientific research competitions for trainees and the Youth School.
—Most of our students and postgraduate students of NGU, employed at the CKP “SKIF”, went through these events: schools and competitions. They presented their projects, implementing the main principle of NGU — learning through project activities. For a successful development, presentation of their projects, and victory in the competition, they received assignment on the relevant research topics at SKIF and financial support, even before finishing their studies at NGU. Thus, they will smoothly transition from university walls to the SKIF scientific team.— explained a doctor of physical and mathematical sciences, professor, head of the department of physical methods of solid body research at the Physics Faculty of NSU, deputy dean of the Physics Faculty of NSUSergey Tsybulya.
Teachers and graduates of several faculties of NSU participate in the creation of SCIFF: the Faculty of Physics (departments of accelerator physics, elementary particle physics, radiophysics, physical informatics, physical methods of solid-state research, physics of continuous media, chemical and biological physics), the Faculty of Natural Sciences (departments of catalysis and adsorption, solid-state chemistry, physical chemistry, chemical materials science), the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics (department of mineralogy and geochemistry), and the Faculty of Information Technologies and Mechanics-Mathematics.
Since 2018, an Interfaculty Interdisciplinary Master’s program “Methodological Support of Physicochemical Studies of Condensed Phases” has been implemented at NGU, which includes a block of disciplines aimed at studying physical methods of research using synchrotron radiation — “High-Energy Spectroscopy”, “Synchrotron Radiation in Structural Studies”, “Methods of Crystallographic Studies”, “Small-Angle Scattering of X-ray and Neutron Radiation”, “Structural Analysis of Nanocrystals”, “Methods for Studying Non-Crystalline Phases” and “Modern XRD at…””base sources of synchrotron radiation” and othersClasses can be attended not only by students who have directly enrolled in this program, but also by students from other departments and faculties, studying according to individual plans.
Since 2021, the master’s program of FF NSU “Synchrotron methods in materials science” has been implemented. Its feature is the conduct of lecture courses by leading specialists of the SCP “SKIF”. They are scientific supervisors of the students.
Master’s program disciplines represent a unified educational platform for the implementation of individual educational trajectories for students of various levels and fields of study. The possibilities of organizing practical training for students at the experimental base of the Science and Culture Center “SKIF” will appear with the launch of the first phase stations and, in particular, the educational and research station 1-7 “Basic methods of synchrotron diagnostics for educational, research, and innovative activities,” in the design and outfitting of which the Novosibirsk State University took direct part.
—With the completion of the formation of the scientific team of the CKP “SKIF”, the implementation of our joint project will not end. We need to prepare not only specialists to work at the CKP “SKIF”, but also to form its community of users. SKIF is a gigantic, powerful, high-performance instrument, which necessarily must be loaded with tasks — stable and regular tasks. These should be high-level tasks — research that has already been developed at the laboratory level and for which the capabilities of the existing scientific equipment have proven to be insufficient.SKIF users must have skills in conducting all stages of laboratory research and preparing samples for SKIF study. Some students and postgraduates who won the competition and participate in the work of the Young Scientists School preferred to develop precisely in this field. They will work at NGU, the Institute of СО RAN, or the Technopark company and set tasks for SKIF. Their work is also very important because in a few months the first SKIF station will start operating, and next year the entire complex will operate at full capacity., — said Sergey Tsybulya.
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