Polytechnic University expands its network of school design bureaus

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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Representatives of the Center for Continuing Professional Education at the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU, "Digital Engineering," signed a cooperation agreement between SPbPU and the Avangard Technological Lyceum in Omsk. The signing ceremony took place during Engineering Education Day at the Avangard Technological Lyceum. The SPbPU Advanced Engineering School team also presented educational initiatives, teaching methods, and developments at the event.

Engineering Education Day at the Avangard Technological Lyceum opened with a plenary session, in which Sergei Salkutsan, Director of the Center for Continuing Professional Education at the SPbPU Institute of Continuing Education, spoke as an expert.

The key topic of discussion was expanding cooperation between organizations involved in developing the educational environment in the Omsk region. Sergey Salkutsan announced the opening of the region's first school design bureau at the Avangard Technological Lyceum, implemented in collaboration with the Avangard hockey club.

Presenting the concept of the School of Design Bureaus (SDB), Sergey Salkutsan shared his experience of successfully launching the first cohorts in St. Petersburg: "The goal of the SDB is to prepare schoolchildren for project-based and research-based work by developing engineering thinking. In our school design bureaus, we foster an engineering culture and foster creative potential by immersing students in real-world project work, which serves as a powerful incentive for early career guidance."

The culmination of Engineering Education Day was the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement between the Avangard Technological Lyceum and SPbPU. Sergey Salkutsan signed the agreement on behalf of the Center for Continuing Professional Education of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU "Digital Engineering," and Director Larisa Efimova signed it on behalf of the Avangard Lyceum. Following this, the parties discussed the practical aspects and mechanisms for implementing joint plans for the functioning of the Avangard Lyceum.

At the exhibition, SPbPU PISh specialists Andrey Shimchenko and Elena Kasyanenko introduced parents and students to the activities of the School of Design at the Avangard Lyceum and demonstrated the results of project work by the first cohort of School of Design participants, implemented as part of an engineering design project.

Vladimir Voronov, an engineer at the Industrial Systems for Streaming Data Processing laboratory at the St. Petersburg Polytechnical School, presented a small-sized, wheeled, autonomous robot, MKAR, developed by the laboratory's staff, at the festival. This development meets modern educational standards in robotics.

MKAR 3.1 is a new version of the educational and methodological package aimed at studying robotics, unmanned systems, and programming. The robot is equipped with omnidirectional wheels, modern sensors, and a modular design. It also comes with a virtual simulator, making training possible even without access to a physical model.

The exhibition generated great interest among schoolchildren, teachers, and parents. Festival guests learned about the robot's capabilities and how it can be used to develop engineering and digital skills in schoolchildren and students.

Omsk boasts a modern educational center, the Avangard Lyceum, which educates talented and motivated students with a genuine interest in new engineering solutions and unmanned technologies. At the event, we saw keen interest from both students and their parents. Many carefully studied the design and functionality of the MKAR. Events like these are undoubtedly important for promoting engineering education and fostering a deeper understanding of how modern unmanned systems operate among a wider audience, noted Vladimir Voronov.

Active work on establishing the School of Design and Development (SCD) network continues this academic year, with both new and experienced project participants. As a reminder, the project is being implemented with the support of the Government of St. Petersburg, in collaboration with the Academy of Technical Creativity and Digital Technologies. Key project partners include JSC AEM-Technologies (part of the mechanical engineering division of the Rosatom State Corporation), PJSC Gazprom Neft, ANO Physical Rehabilitation, LLC Ascon — Design Systems, and the Kronstadt Engineering Center. The established SCDs have already successfully implemented the project for ANO Physical Rehabilitation and are ready for new challenges from the Kronstadt Engineering Center, which will begin in October of this year. In August, an organizational meeting dedicated to the launch of the SCD network was held at the Academy of Digital Technologies. It brought together representatives from 23 educational institutions in St. Petersburg, demonstrating significant interest in developing engineering education in schools.

Valeria Zotova, Director of the Academy, and Sergei Salkutsan, Director of the SPbPU Center for Continuing Professional Education, addressed the participants with welcoming remarks. They emphasized the importance of creating the SKB network as a systemic city initiative aimed at uniting the efforts of schools, universities, and industry to train future engineering professionals.

Zinaida Bushueva, the Academy's senior methodologist, presented a detailed overview of the methodological support for the School of Design and Development. Andrey Shimchenko, a specialist at the St. Petersburg Polytechnical School, conducted a briefing for school representatives on installing the specialized software "KOMPAS-3D," designed for use in the educational process. Following this, the PIS team organized a series of meetings with the first cohort of schools.

Sergey Salkutsan and Mikhail Zhmailo, head of the Applied Research and Development program at the SPbPU Advanced Engineering School "Digital Engineering," visited the first cohort of schools to discuss key aspects of the School's operations.

The development of collaboration between the SPbPU Advanced Engineering School "Digital Engineering" and schools in other regions as part of the expansion of the school design bureau network demonstrates the demand for the proposed multi-level system for developing young people's scientific and technical potential. This system is integrated into the SPbPU Advanced Engineering School's model of cross-cutting engineering education: "school-college-university-industry," ensuring the consistent transfer of knowledge and practical skills from school to industry.

The development of the School of Engineering Design is based on the principles of project-based learning, where students are engaged in solving real-world engineering problems, which fosters critical thinking and teamwork skills. Collaboration with schools in other regions of the country allows us to scale up successful practices and adapt educational programs to the needs of specific regions. This not only improves the quality of engineering education but also creates a talent pool for high-tech industries.

You can read more about the event Here.

Photos provided by the Avangard Technological Lyceum, the Academy of Technical Creativity and Digital Technologies, and the Lakhta-Polis Children's Development Center.

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