Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On March 15, the final round of the All-Russian Student Olympiad "I Am a Professional" in Bioengineering and Bioinformatics took place at Novosibirsk State University. The competition lasted four hours.
The Olympiad finals were held simultaneously at several locations across the country—Moscow, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, and Sirius. A total of 205 students participated, with 44 students from six Russian regions taking part in the final round at the Novosibirsk location.
According to Marina Shashkova, the NSU Olympiad organizer, the finals are an in-person tournament in which participants complete written assignments over several hours.
Winners and prize winners of the Olympiad receive benefits when applying to master's and postgraduate programs, the opportunity to complete internships at leading Russian companies, and cash prizes for medalists.
As Olympiad participants note, the tasks allow them to test themselves in practice and encounter problems that differ from those typically encountered at university. Undergraduate student Victoria, who participated in the finals, said she chose the Bioengineering and Bioinformatics program because of its promising potential.
"I decided to participate in the Olympiad in this field because it's one of the most promising, along with biotechnology and genetics. It was interesting to see what you'd have to deal with in this field, because the Olympiad poses unconventional problems. It's more interesting than classes where you only get introductory material," Victoria shared.
According to the participant, her preparation for the final included studying the Olympiad specifications, recommended literature, and demo versions of assignments from previous years.
"For me, the most challenging task was the one related to the tertiary structure of proteins—we hadn't covered that, so it was challenging," Victoria said.
She also noted that participating in the Olympiad allows one to better understand their future profession and test their knowledge in new conditions:
— For those just planning to participate, I would advise extensive and thoughtful preparation—not only using neural networks, but also relying on reading lists and assignments from previous years.
This year, 588 students from NSU applied to participate in the qualifying round of the "I Am a Professional" Olympiad, and 196 advanced to the finals. NSU became the regional leader in the number of students reaching the finals. Novosibirsk State University is the organizer of the "Bioengineering and Bioinformatics" track within the Olympiad.
The final stage of the Olympiad at NSU provided a platform for students to test their knowledge of bioengineering and bioinformatics, as well as meet like-minded individuals and learn about the current challenges of this rapidly developing scientific field.
The All-Russian Student Olympiad "I Am a Professional" is one of the flagship projects of the presidential platform "Russia – Land of Opportunity." The project is being implemented as part of the national project "Youth and Children" with the support of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
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