Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The young RUDN University scientist is more than just a researcher, but a bridge between cultures and disciplines. His strength lies in his "hybrid" thinking: he combines the traditions of the Russian academic school with a global perspective, works in international collaborations, and sees science as a tool for solving specific human problems—from food security to interfaith dialogue. His research is born at the intersection of faculties, and his results speak the language of Q1 and Q2 articles and real-world technologies.
In total, the university currently employs over 130 young researchers and research trainees across a wide range of departments: the Scientific Administration, the Agrarian and Technological Institute, the Medical Institute, the Institute of Ecology, the Engineering Academy, the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics, and Natural Sciences, the Research Institute for Brain Development and Higher Achievement, and others. Our scientists publish hundreds of studies annually (including on topics aligned with sustainable development goals), develop modern technologies, new materials, and treatments for various diseases. And, of course, they actively participate in scientific forums, seminars, and conferences, presenting papers, participating in discussions, and sharing their knowledge and experience.
From November 26 to 28, a 13-member RUDN University delegation will participate in the Congress of Young Scientists, which will be held at the Sirius Federal Territory. On the 28th, together with the Institute for African Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, our university will host a session titled "Russia-Africa: Opportunities for Applied Research Projects." Alexander Chupin, Deputy Dean for Research at the RUDN University Faculty of Economics, will moderate the session, and Elena Apasova, Vice Rector for Strategic Communications, will be a speaker.
The event will bring together over 7,000 people from 63 countries. Leading Russian and international scientists, heads of scientific and educational organizations, government officials, heads of major companies, and students and schoolchildren from Russia and other countries will participate in the congress. Speakers include Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, Presidential Aide Andrey Fursenko, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Krasnikov, and President of the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute" Mikhail Kovalchuk. This is the key annual event of the Decade of Science and Technology, declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin for 2022–2031. The organizers are the Roscongress Foundation, the Russian Government, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, and the Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs in Science and Education of the Presidential Council for Science and Education.
What are RUDN University scientists researching?
One of the delegation members, Yasser Reboukh, is a representative of Egypt and the Chairman of the RUDN University Council of Young Scientists. This year, he won our university's Science and Innovation Award for Young Scientists in the "Natural Science and Engineering" category. He holds a PhD in Agricultural Sciences and is an associate professor in the Department of Rational Nature Management at the Institute of Ecology. He has authored over 100 Scopus/WoS articles. He has developed environmentally friendly technologies for cultivating grain crops that allow the use of organic fertilizers instead of chemical ones. This reduces the risk of food contamination. The solutions proposed by the scientist make it possible to reduce agricultural costs, provide consumers with cleaner and safer products, increase yields, and improve the export potential of grain crops, all while preserving soil and water resources and reducing environmental impacts.
Another member of the delegation, Roman Vysotsky, an assistant professor in the Department of Applied Artificial Intelligence at the Faculty of Artificial Intelligence, is working on a project titled "Development of a Methodology for Assessing the Condition of Freshwater Bodies Using Bioindicators and AI-Based Video Tracking." The main idea is to use a living organism (fish) as a sensitive indicator of water quality. This method allows not only to detect water pollution but also to understand its nature—whether it causes toxic effects or affects genes, the microbiome, or the behavior of organisms. In the future, the method could be used to develop a test system: simply adding water from the pond to fish eggs will quickly assess the impact of pollutants on their development. Roman's project received grant support from the university.
Alexander Chupin, a PhD candidate in economics and deputy dean for research at the Faculty of Economics, focuses on transport policy. He focuses on digitalization, for example, analyzing how intelligent transport systems will change the economic reality of the EAEU. The scientist has developed approaches to creating intelligent transport systems that will form the basis for a unified transport space within the EAEU. This year, Alexander, like Yaser, won the Science and Innovation Award for Young Scientists in the "Social and Humanitarian Areas" category.
Olga Lazareva, a research intern at the medical institute's Molecular Pathophysiology Laboratory, won a competition for young scientists supported by the Presidential Grants Fund and T-Bank. Her team created a cellular model of the placenta that better matches the organ's natural structure than existing analogs. The scientists achieved this by inserting a layer of macrophages, which play a crucial role during pregnancy and ensure the fetus is not rejected by the mother's body, between the traditional cellular layers of such systems. The development is intended to facilitate the search for new treatments for complications and the development of drugs. RUDN University is also conducting numerous other studies aimed at combating disease, hunger, gender inequality, climate change, and the impacts of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, among other issues.
Opportunities for scientific pursuits at RUDN University
Our university currently houses over 200 laboratories, over 40 research and educational centers, and 13 research institutes. There are over 50 dissertation councils with the authority to award academic degrees.
The single entry point to youth science at the university is the Student Scientific Society's Telegram bot. The service helps students join SSS departments, find a suitable lab or research group, and enroll in scientific clubs. The bot also sends a weekly digest from the Student Scientific Research Council and informs them about scientific competitions and events.
Students at the university can receive support for their projects in a variety of ways. For example, they can participate in the RUDN.VC scientific accelerator, which allows them to launch their own startup. They can also receive financial support for travel to conferences, forums, and competitions in other cities and countries. Furthermore, our university awards scholarships for publications at scientific events, scientific achievements, victories and prizes in high-level competitions, and the results of the internal scientific project competitions "Project Start." Financial support for student projects is also provided through the "Joint Start: Let's Do Science Together" and "Best Student Community" competitions, as well as case championships. And, of course, students can participate in research conducted by the university's research teams.
Young scientists at the university have the following opportunities:
Implement an individual project within the RUDN University grant support system (grant amount: up to 3 million rubles per year); lead a youth team and implement a research project within the same grant system (support amount: up to 6 million rubles per year); receive an expert evaluation of research results for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals of humanity at the annual International Scientific Conference on Sustainable Development Goals; become one of the recipients of the Science and Innovation Award for Young Scientists. The payment for the winners is 250,000 rubles, awarded in two areas – social sciences, humanities and natural sciences; receive direct requests from industrial partners for R&D (creation of R&D) and scientific and technical services.
In addition, our university has a points-based incentive system for publication activity and citations for all university employees. Payments for publications can be up to 250,000 rubles (for articles in the top 1% of journals), and for citations per paper, up to 672,000 rubles. The final amount depends on the article's subject category and its coefficient.
Leading RUDN University scientists can lead a research team and implement a project with a grant from the university (up to 8 million rubles per year). They can also implement an applied research project for an industrial partner, receiving up to 10 million rubles in grant support per year. They also have the opportunity to receive financial support for inviting leading speakers to a regular scientific seminar or for organizing and hosting an international scientific and technical event. And thanks to the annual "RUDN University Megagrant" competition, they have the opportunity to create new or modernize existing scientific infrastructure facilities for interdisciplinary research. And, of course, they can also become recipients of the RUDN University Prize in Science and Innovation, which amounts to 500,000 rubles.
Our university offers a wide range of opportunities and tools to support young scientists.
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