Category: Novosibirsk State University

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From October 23 to 26, the IT holding T1 held a hackathon for young professionals and students at Novosibirsk State University as part of the "Impulse T1" conference. Over 300 participants from across Russia, from students to aspiring developers, took part in the competition.

The event continued the series of hackathons previously held in Nizhny Novgorod and Yekaterinburg and became one of the largest platforms for the exchange of experience between students and experts from leading IT companies. The total prize fund for the entire series was 3.8 million rubles, 800,000 of which were awarded in Novosibirsk.

Participants worked on two case studies. The first involved creating a system for generating personalized backgrounds using an ML module that would run locally on the user's device without transmitting data to external servers. The second case focused on automated Git activity analysis for development teams. Automated analysis enables the timely identification of problems in development processes and inefficient resource allocation within teams.

Teams from NSU won all three prize places in the first case.

The "Pirates of the Ob Sea" team (Maxim Yemelyanov and Ulyana Zaitseva, master's students from the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, and Mark Skvortsov, Alexander Shovkoplyas, and Alina Vdovichenko, graduates of the Institute of Intelligent Robotics) took first place. The team received a prize of 180,000 rubles.

"I led the team solving the case 'Digital Dress Code: A Background That Makes You Stand Out.' The task was to develop a model that segments individuals from their backgrounds in a video stream. The ML module had to be robust to low light, light interference, and similar colors, and the personalization module had to generate customized backgrounds based on templates and employee data, while adhering to contrast and privacy rules," explains Maxim Yemelyanov.

The team began their work by analyzing existing solutions and identifying factors affecting segmentation quality. They then studied open-source models, selected suitable options, improved them, and integrated them into the system. At the same time, they developed interactive elements over the video stream to clearly demonstrate the algorithm's operation.

"We didn't just aim to complete the task, but to make the solution as stable and visually understandable as possible. It was important that the model looked 'live' and responded to the user in real time. The challenge was that everything had to work locally, without cloud services, so optimization took a lot of effort," notes Maxim.

Alexander Shovkoplyas, who was part of the winning team, also shares his impressions:

"The main challenge for us was working with technologies we'd never used before—for example, running neural networks via JavaScript directly in the browser. We managed to not only create a truly high-quality solution but also convey to the hackathon experts the potential uses for it. We implemented features in the app that are useful for companies: their image is built on small details—a suitable background for video calls in line with their corporate colors, a convenient way to display employees' names and job titles on the background. This is precisely what we accomplished and expertly presented at the hackathon."

Second place in the same case was taken by the VI_KA team (Ivan Kadilenko, Maxim Unzhakov, Egor Palkin), and third place was taken by the UML team (Stavr Mariskin, Fedor Chumakin, Daniil Kolesnik, Damir Shaikhov and Yuri Malyugin).

Thus, all the prize places in the first case were taken by NSU teams, confirming the high level of students' preparation and their competitiveness in the federal arena.

The Impulse T1 hackathon became not only a competition but also a platform for students to connect with IT industry experts. Participants note that such formats provide an opportunity to apply their knowledge in practice, receive feedback from professionals, and see how ideas are transformed into real solutions.

The material was prepared by: Yulia Dankova, NSU press service

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A group of archery enthusiasts recently began training thanks to the efforts of Michele Debrenne, a professor at the Humanities Institute. Six students have now competed in the Novosibirsk Region Championship and Junior Championship as part of the Arkadem club team. Our athletes competed in the classic bow and won three silver medals.

In the individual championship, Kirill Vanin (FIT) took 2nd place, and in the team competition, the prize winners were: Fedor Ostanin (FF) and Victoria Michurina (GGF).

We congratulate the winners on their excellent results at the regional competitions and wish them continued success at the Novosibirsk Region Cup of Higher Education Institutions in this exciting sport, which will be held for the first time next year.

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Today, the 3rd All-Russian Scientific and Technological Dictation was held in 57 regions of Russia. It was organized by the Scientific and Technological Development Fund of the Novosibirsk Region and the Ministry of Science and Innovation Policy of the Novosibirsk Region with the support of United Russia as part of the 12th International Technological Development Forum "Technoprom-2025."

The official start of the dictation was given by Deputy Governor Irina Manuilova at the site new campus of NSUThe Vice Governor noted that Victory technologies represent not only pages of a glorious past, but also technologies for Russia's future victories—in scientific and technological sovereignty, economic development, and technological leadership. These are precisely the national goals that Russian President Vladimir Putin has set for us.

"This is the third time the dictation has been held. The first year, the theme was drones, and last year, biotechnology. This year is dedicated to the technologies of Victory. During the Great Patriotic War, our country emerged victorious, engaging its science and scientists, among other things, in solving the most serious problems. Even then, new developments, technologies, and innovations, as we now call them, were used to rearm the army, to help the front, and to provide assistance. The goal of the dictation is to unite people, to remind them of the events that are so important, linking the past and the future. Dear friends, I want to wish you success. This is the final event of the XII Technoprom-2025 Forum. Today, we close it and begin preparations for the Technoprom-2026 Forum," noted Irina Manuilova.

In total, the dictation was held in person at 571 locations across 57 regions of Russia, with approximately 200,000 participants in both in-person and online formats. In the Novosibirsk Region, 21 in-person locations were opened at educational institutions and cultural institutions. At NSU, the dictation attracted over 100 participants—students from the university's natural sciences and medical programs, as well as schoolchildren and teachers.

The results of the dictation will be announced on November 4. Those who place first, second, and third will receive prizes from the Technoprom forum.

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The issues of infrastructure development of the territories adjacent to the construction of the Center for Collective Use "Siberian Ring Photon Source" (CCU "SKIF") were discussed on October 29-30 at the site new campus of NSU During the strategic session, Deputy Governor Irina Manuilova opened the strategic session. In her welcoming remarks, she emphasized the project's importance not only for the region but for the entire country.

"Today, we're discussing more than just a world-class scientific facility—we're talking about a strategic driver of innovative and economic development for the Novosibirsk Region and the entire country. The SKIF project embodies the best traditions of Russian science and opens up fundamentally new opportunities for breakthrough research. We see SKIF not only as a cutting-edge scientific infrastructure, but also as a powerful tool for shaping an innovation ecosystem, attracting talent, and developing high-tech industries in the region. I'm confident that this discussion will enable us to develop effective solutions to maximize its potential as a growth hub," emphasized Irina Manuilova.

The event brought together representatives of government, science, business, and the expert community to develop a comprehensive vision for the future of this large-scale scientific project. On the first day of the session, Alexey Ogonev, Deputy Director of the Department of Budget Investments at the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, also delivered a welcome address. Participants were presented with a master plan for the area adjacent to the SKIF Center for Collective Use, a presentation on which was given by NSUADI Rector Natalia Bagrova.

"Just as the decision to establish Akademgorodok in the Novosibirsk Region was right, I believe the decision to build a facility like SKIF here was just as right. Most of the people involved in developing the SKIF equipment are scientists from Akademgorodok institutes. It turns out that one point of growth gives rise to another. And the creation of SKIF marks the beginning of the development of the surrounding area. And today we will discuss what the territory of Akademgorodok and the Koltsovo Science Center will look like in the next 20-40 years," said Alexey Ogonev.

A key part of the program was the work of expert groups in three strategic areas: Scientific and Educational Ecosystem (integration of institutes, universities, and laboratories, attracting scientists and students); Urban Environment, Infrastructure, and Transport (access roads, housing, logistics, energy, and social services); Development and Implementation (financing models, business participation, support for startups and industrial partners).

On the second day, expert groups presented their work at the plenary session, "The SKIF Center for Collective Use as a Regional Growth Point." Airat Gatiyatov, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, participated in the discussion via videoconference. He emphasized that the creation of a mega-class facility is only the first step, which must be followed by the development of a full-fledged innovation ecosystem, including not only research infrastructure but also a comfortable urban environment, effective models of cooperation with industry, and programs to attract young scientists.

"The implementation of the SKIF Common Use Center project is designed to strengthen Novosibirsk's status as a leading center of global science, advanced industry, and knowledge generation nationwide, and to create a powerful scientific and technological hub around it. Our key goal is to make the SKIF Common Use Center not only a unique scientific facility but also a magnet for young scientists and innovation. All initiatives, comments, and suggestions received during this discussion will be reviewed and, where possible, incorporated into the master plan for its improvement," noted Airat Gatiyatov.

Expert groups presented their proposals on the integration of institutes, universities, and laboratories of the SKIF Center for Collective Use, with particular attention paid to attracting young scientists and students, shaping the urban environment—social infrastructure and transport accessibility—and creating conditions for attracting business.

Participants in the strategic session identified five key projects for immediate implementation: the construction of the SKIF Center for Collective Use (CCU) training center—a separate building for student work—a scientific and business communications center, a cooperative data center, a pavilion complex for anchor residents, and an interdisciplinary research complex for aerodynamics, mechanical engineering, and energy.

NSU is one of the key universities training personnel for SKIF, offering specialized interdisciplinary educational programs. The university also annually organizes a school for young scientists on "Application of Synchrotron Radiation for Solving Biological Problems" and a school on synchrotron research methods in materials science. Furthermore, the SKIF-NSU research and education station will be one of the first stations at the megascience facility.

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We are enrolling in seven programs across a variety of subjects, suitable for students studying in any field—technical, humanities, or natural sciences:

Practical bioinformatics and molecular biology. Machine learning and neural networks. Digital medicine. SMM tools for promotion. Basic Python programming. Design and implementation of digital products. Digital jurisprudence.

Important: These programs are not intended for IT specialists; they allow you to gain additional qualifications in a digital field, in addition to your primary specialty.

New programs for 2025

Two new programs have been launched in the current intake:

"Digital Medicine" – where you will learn how to use big data, AI, and modern digital platforms to develop healthTech solutions.

"Design and Implementation of Digital Products" – where you'll learn how modern digital product development works, from concept to MVP, which specialists are involved, and what each person does.

General information

Application deadline: October 30, 2025.

Training format: online, evening classes.

Program volume: up to 260 academic hours.

Cost: free.

Students in their 2nd to 6th years of undergraduate and specialist programs, master's students, and residents from any university can take part in the program.

The number of places is limited!

Documents upon completion of training

Students with higher education receive a diploma of professional retraining (issued in the summer of 2026).

Other program participants receive certificates during their studies and a diploma upon completion of their bachelor's/specialist's degree.

Hurry to sign up using the link: http://education.nsu.ru/digital-session/

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Diwali is the main Indian and Hindu holiday, celebrated as the "Festival of Lights" and symbolizing the victory of good over evil. Beyond India itself, Diwali is widely celebrated in countries with large Hindu communities, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Nepal, Malaysia, South Africa, and many other countries. The Novosibirsk Association of International Students organized the event for the first time. The traditional celebration took place at the House of Scientists.

"The idea of our celebration truly brought together people from different educational institutions. Since the Association of International Students represents all of Novosibirsk's universities, students from NSU, NSTU, NSPU, NGK, NSAU, SibUPC, RANEPA, NSUEM, and other universities actively participated in the preparation and celebration of Diwali. What's especially gratifying is that our event attracted attention beyond the city limits. We were delighted to welcome a student delegation from Altai State Medical University, who made a special trip to share in the joy of the celebration," commented Avishka Alagiyavanna, President of the Association of International Students of Novosibirsk and a student at the NSU Faculty of Geology and Geophysics.

At the celebration, students and guests enjoyed traditional Indian treats such as gulab jamun and masala chai, participated in mehndi workshops, and a quiz on Bollywood and Indian songs. On stage, Jahedul Islam from Bangladesh and Olesya Lanser from Russia recited a touching poem in Bengali and its Russian translation. Anna Tsyba, a master's student at NSPU, performed classical kathak dance, accompanied by Yegor Shikhov, playing the tabla drum.

"We were absolutely thrilled! We were truly touched by how many people responded and came to the celebration. Seeing happy faces, feeling the energy of unity and mutual interest—it was priceless. Guests enthusiastically participated in the master classes, sampled Indian delicacies, and danced to traditional music. This lively, warm atmosphere exceeded all our expectations. Most importantly, the organizers and performers weren't just students from India. We had students from Sri Lanka, Algeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Syria, Mali, Russia, Azerbaijan, and so on," shared Avishka.

Amira Nada, Vice President of the AIS and a student at the Faculty of Natural Sciences at NSU, is well acquainted with Indian culture, and planning the program and workshops was no problem for her.

"Avishka and I were the key organizers who brought this idea to life. With the help of other team members, we managed to pull off a truly amazing event, and everyone contributed to its success. I was the head of media, and my role was to promote the event, create posts and posters. We also recruited participants to make the event as diverse as possible. And finally, I performed with Avishka and our girls to Indian songs—it was amazing! The event was the culmination of three months of hard work. Organizing an event of this scale is no easy task, but when you have a team willing to achieve the impossible, everything becomes easier. People really enjoyed the event, and we received a lot of positive feedback—that means a lot to us. We're happy we were able to create such a memorable event, and it inspires us to work even harder and hold even larger events in the future," said Amira.

Nadir Mammadzade from RANEPA served as the event's host, assisting with the preparation of scripts, coordinating rehearsals with participants and communications with volunteers, participating in program planning meetings, and assisting with selecting texts for the presenters and distributing lines. Like other AIS participants, this was his first experience organizing Diwali.

"The atmosphere was warm, sincere, and very energetic. It was amazing to see how people from different countries came together and poured their hearts into each number. Technically, everything went smoothly: the lighting and sound were seamless, and the audience warmly welcomed each performance. I think in the future, we could allocate a little more time to stage rehearsals for larger groups. We could also enhance the visual component, for example, with more background video clips or decor to make some of the numbers even more impressive. Otherwise, everything went great!" Nadir said.

For Huefae Lorvanxai from NSAU, this was her first event as an AIS member. She helped organize the dance performance.

"The event was a great success! Participants were engaged and showed great interest in Diwali traditions. The atmosphere was festive and friendly. I especially remember the warm and joyful atmosphere that permeated the celebration," said Huefae.

For Lihiniya Kumarage Avishka Vishwajit from NSTU, this was also his first experience working at AIS. The student was responsible for purchasing decorations and food, coordinating guest participants, and was also a photographer during the event itself.

"The event was great. The students had a great time networking and getting to know each other, and students from Asian countries shared their unique experiences! We're glad the students made so many new connections. The event featured a wide range of interactive activities," said Lihinia Kumarage Avishka Vishwajit.

The AIS's mission is to create a friendly and warm international environment that will become a home for international students in Novosibirsk, where they can not only study but also experience their culture and share it with others. This isn't the last national holiday the Association will organize. The organizers also plan to hold traditional Russian holidays to introduce students to Russian customs and culture.

Material prepared by: Varvara Frolkina, NSU press service

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The competition counts toward the Spartakiad among faculties, institutes, the Specialized Scientific Center, and the Higher Institute of Culture (VKI) and was held using the Olympic system. Pairs were determined by drawing lots and taking into account the previous year's results. The losers were immediately eliminated, while the winners advanced to the next round and then to the semifinals.

In the final, the places were distributed as follows:

1st place — Faculty of Physics: Daria Kiryanova, Elizaveta Karlova, Elizaveta Kirchanova, Alexandra Kopysova, Daria Litvinova, Alena Mikhailova, Daria Lisyutenko and Alisa Ilinykh.

2nd place — Institute of Philosophy and Law: Sofia Volkova, Maria Dukhina, Alena Zagorodnikova, Sofia Kolmagorova, Polina Krivoshey, Ekaterina Petrova, Lada Sizova, Valeria Sitnikova and Daria Stepanova.

3rd place — Faculty of Economics: Anna Remus, Anastasia Turaeva, Darima Bayartueva, Daria Efimova, Sofia Nechaeva, Svetlana Ushakova, Ksenia Rekunova, Maria Kuminova, Sofia Rodenko and Elizaveta Karshakevich.

The Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics took 4th place. From there, places were determined by goal difference.

We congratulate the winners and wish the Physics Department team good luck and success at the upcoming Faculty Festival among universities in the Novosibirsk Region!

We thank KafFV teachers Svetlana and Vladimir Krylov for the excellent organization of the tournament.

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Faculty and students of the Department of Solid State Chemistry Faculty of Natural Sciences (FNS) of NSU participated in the International University of California, Santa Cruz, High Pressure Workshop on High-Pressure Crystallography (IUCr High Pressure Workshop). The workshop was held in Shanghai, China, from September 21 to 26.

The seminar program included presentations on various areas of high-pressure crystallography: from geological research and the analysis of superconducting materials to technical aspects such as the design of synchrotron and neutron stations. The event brought together high-pressure crystallography specialists from around the world, with 169 participants. A competition was held among the young scientists' submissions.

Elena Boldyreva, Professor of the Department of Solid State Chemistry at the NSU Department of Natural Sciences, presented an invited talk online. Poster presentations were presented by Nikita Bogdanov, Senior Lecturer in the Department; Svetlana Sharaya and Polina Kalinina, PhD students; and Grigory Zhdankin, Master's student at the Moscow Institute of Physical Chemistry and Physics. Nikita Bogdanov and Polina Kalinina's work was awarded prizes for the best work in the Young Scientists Competition and for the best talk. The talks presented research results, including those from Russian Science Foundation projects being implemented at NSU: "The Relationship Between Crystal Structure and Photoisomerization of Cobalt Pentaammine with Various Anions" (No. 24-22-00293) and "Structural Aspects of Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Phase Transitions in Organic Crystals under High Pressure and Low Temperature Conditions" (No. 24-23-00410).

The conference included a tour of the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, where participants were able to see the experimental stations designed for studying substances under high pressure. They also visited the HPSTAR Center for Advanced High-Pressure Science and Technology.

The participant shared their impressions:

Grigory Zhdankin, a second-year student of the master's program "Methodological Support for Physicochemical Studies of Condensed Phases" at the Department of Chemical Technology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, NSU:

I really enjoyed the diversity of the oral and poster presentations at the conference: from projects for synchrotron radiation stations designed to study substances under extreme conditions to research in mineralogy and the synthesis of new substances at high pressures (over two million atmospheres). I had the opportunity to interact in person with a large number of interesting people whom I had previously only known through their articles. This gave me a huge boost of motivation to continue my scientific work.

Shanghai itself turned out to be quite an interesting city for tourism. Between listening to presentations, we managed to visit several interesting places: Yuyuan Garden, the Shanghai Aquarium, Nanjing Road, and People's Square.

Polina Kalinina, first-year PhD student at the Faculty of Natural Sciences:

It was fascinating to interact with various scientists, both leading experts in high-pressure crystallography and emerging young researchers. It was also helpful to see firsthand how high pressures are applied in various fields of research—it broadens your horizons and inspires new research beyond your own. For example, I was particularly interested in the work investigating the composition of the Earth's mantle, as well as the work aimed at producing hexagonal diamond—lonsdaleite. It was gratifying to see the conference participants' interest in my work and that of my colleagues; there were many positive wishes and encouragement. I am very motivated when my work is interesting to people who are seeing it for the first time.

Svetlana Sharaya, 3rd year PhD student at the Faculty of Natural Sciences:

A huge number of presentations at the conference were devoted to synchrotron topics and the use of synchrotron radiation for high-pressure crystallography research. It was very interesting to hear the experiences of colleagues from China and other countries in setting up stations and conducting experiments using synchrotron radiation. This was useful for us, as the knowledge gained can be applied at the SKIF facility currently under construction in Koltsovo.

Furthermore, the conference featured presentations that weren't directly related to crystal study methods, but focused on the fundamentals of mathematical crystallography. This was useful for me as a budding scientist. I particularly remember the presentation on predicting crystal symmetry before and after a phase transition, taking into account the structure and properties based on group theory.

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The permanent exhibition "Mesozoic: Continental Flora and Fauna" has been expanded with a new display case featuring specimens of Cretaceous lake fauna—remains of bony fish, insects, and crustaceans. These specimens were collected by staff from the "Evolution of the Earth" Scientific and Educational Center. Faculty of Geology and Geophysics of Novosibirsk State University and the A.A. Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics (IPGG) of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences during expeditions to the Trans-Baikal Territory. The exhibition also includes finds from China, provided by Igor Kosenko, Associate Professor of the Department of Historical Geology and Paleontology at NSU's GGG. The uniqueness of all the specimens lies in their excellent preservation—the structure of these prehistoric creatures can be seen in exquisite detail, even with the naked eye.

The new display case presents animals belonging to the Jehol fauna. These are the fossil remains of feathered dinosaurs, birds, mammals, and plants, found in large numbers in the Lower Cretaceous deposits of northeastern China. Such localities are called lagerstätten. This is a special type of fossil burial that preserves not only the hard parts of skeletal forms but also impressions of soft tissue. Lower Cretaceous deposits containing the remains of the Jehol biota are very widespread—from Transbaikalia, Russia, in the north and Japan in the east, to Guangdong Province, China, in the south and the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. Deposits characterized by typical representatives of the Jehol biota are widespread in Transbaikalia. These include the remains of crustaceans (Eosestheria conchostracans), insects (Ephemeropsis mayfly larvae), and bony fishes (Lycoptera). All of these prehistoric lake animals are on display in a new display case, said Vsevolod Efremenko, an engineer at the Evolution of the Earth Research Center and a junior researcher at the Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics (IPGG SB RAS).

The Jehol Biota is a distinct lake fauna and flora characteristic of Asia. It encompasses China, Mongolia, the Transbaikal Territory, and parts of Korea. This fauna has been known for some time and was first described from finds made in the Transbaikal Territory. However, it gained notoriety and its current name after the discovery of feathered dinosaur footprints in China. Scientists from the Novosibirsk State University Geological and Geophysical Institute and the Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics (IPGG SB RAS) have been studying the Jehol Biota in the Transbaikal Territory since 2021. An expeditionary team for paleontological research in the Transbaikal Territory was formed four times—in 2021, 2022, 2024, and 2025. The materials presented in the exhibition were collected during the 2021 and 2024 expeditions. A new expedition is planned for 2026.

The new display case features specimens of Jehol lake fauna from Transbaikal and China. The most striking, of course, are the fish. Among them is an ancient paddlefish—a sturgeon-like fish called Protopsephurus, which appeared in the Mesozoic era and spread across the planet. Also on display is a remarkably well-preserved bony fish called Lycoptera, quite common in the Mesozoic era. The specimen clearly displays scales that have retained their original position. For this reason, even the lateral line—a sensory organ that runs along the body—is visible on the fish's body. It senses the movement and vibrations of the water, helping the fish navigate, navigate obstacles, move in a school, and avoid predators.

Fishes of the genus Lycoptera were widespread across Asia approximately 120 million years ago, and paleontologists encounter such finds quite frequently. However, many specimens often have scales that are displaced and the lateral line is destroyed. Here, however, it is clearly visible. This means that the scales remained in place from the moment of death until burial, and the fish itself was preserved in ideal conditions. Thanks to these conditions, another specimen was also perfectly preserved—the largest fish skeleton on display. This is an Irenichthys, with a body length of approximately 15-18 cm. This is the largest complete skeleton of this species we have found—these fish typically do not grow to such a size. All the bones of the skeleton and scales are clearly visible, and the structure of the skull is clearly visible. A detailed description of the entire species could be compiled from this specimen. This specimen, like the previous one, was preserved in ideal conditions, which is why it is so beautifully preserved. But other fish of the same species, whose imprints are on display, were less fortunate—they are slightly deformed, their scales damaged. "It's likely that optimal conditions were periodically disrupted in the places where they were preserved," explained Vsevolod Efremenko.

In addition to Cretaceous fish, the exhibition also features crustaceans and insects: shield bugs, mayfly larvae, and beetles. They are as well preserved as the fish—all body segments, legs, tiny claws of small crustaceans, and antennae are clearly visible. Some insects even retain egg clutches and the internal structure of their bodies. A magnifying glass is sufficient to fully appreciate such fine details, but they are also visible to the naked eye. The silhouettes of mayflies with their triple tails are slightly less distinct on the stone slabs. On some specimens, the outlines of small fish can be seen among the numerous crustaceans.

— Locations where creatures that lived for tens or hundreds of millions of years have been preserved in ideal conditions and in wide diversity are called lagerstätt. For paleontologists, these are real treasure troves. There are several of them in Transbaikalia, and we worked at these locations. It should be noted that the lakes themselves are no longer preserved; we are working with the fossilized sediments of these paleolakes. In one such ancient reservoir, a large variety of fish was preserved in abundance, while in another, for some reason, they were not found, but many shieldfish and insects were found. To ensure such preservation for living beings and “preserve” them for many tens of millions of years, a number of conditions must be met. The animal must end up on the muddy bottom of the reservoir in an oxygen-free environment. An important condition is the absence of predators or scavengers who would eat the remains of a dead animal. In these places there should be no currents or other hydrodynamics that could disrupt the integrity of the remains. In addition, they should be gradually covered with sediment to protect them from adverse environmental influences. It is in such places that today one can study the ecology, paleobiology, food chains, and lifestyle of the lake inhabitants of the Mesozoic. Lagerstätts are also valuable because such unique specimens, which are presented in our exhibition, can be found by paleontologists without much difficulty, whereas at ordinary excavation sites the search for ancient creatures is a rather labor-intensive, lengthy task and does not guarantee success. The number of exhibits on our new showcase will be replenished, as we plan to continue to participate in excavations in the Transbaikal region,” said Vsevolod Efremenko.

The exhibition dedicated to the continental flora and fauna of the Mesozoic was recently supplemented by an installation of fragments of fossilized tree trunks. It aims to reflect the Mesozoic era as the kingdom of gymnosperms, which then reached its peak of biodiversity and distribution. Modern conifers are a well-known example of such plants. However, by the mid-Cretaceous, the first flowering plants appeared, which, by geological standards, began to displace their competitors quite quickly. Therefore, the diet of herbivorous dinosaurs at the end of the Cretaceous was already radically different from that of their Jurassic predecessors.

"When assembling the installation, we used more ancient, late Paleozoic fragments of fossilized cordaite trunks (Cordaitales) from Kuzbass, approximately 300 million years old, as the Evolution of the Earth Research Center has accumulated a large number of similar specimens, collected over the years by staff from the Geological and Geophysical Faculty of NSU. Cordaites are also gymnosperms, specifically primitive conifers. These were mighty trees, as tall as modern pines and cedars, but with large, lanceolate leaves that were shed seasonally," explained Alexander Igolnikov, head of the Evolution of the Earth Research Center.

Material prepared by: Elena Panfilo, NSU press service

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The Novosibirsk Region boasts one of the most developed IT training ecosystems in the country. Thousands of IT specialists and engineers graduate annually from 10 universities and 14 colleges in the region. Many of them are in demand at leading Russian and international companies and become proponents of the latest technologies. This was announced by Elena Proforuk, head of the Novosibirsk Region Ministry of Digital Development, at a press briefing that kicked off the "Impulse T1" conference in Novosibirsk. The event took place on the new campus of Novosibirsk State University.

Novosibirsk has traditionally been among Russia's IT leaders. Today, the sector employs over 30,000 specialists, and approximately 3,000 IT companies are registered in the region. In 2025, the digital industry's contribution to the gross regional product reached 4%, exceeding the Russian average. In the first six months, the local IT sector contributed over 7 billion rubles to the budget, with revenue and tax revenues increasing by 20-30%.

"Our main competitive advantage is our highly qualified workforce. The region boasts a unique combination of education, science, and industry, which ensures dynamic growth in the IT sector and the digital transformation of the entire economy, as well as provides young people with opportunities to successfully find employment in their home region," said Elena Proforuk, head of the Novosibirsk Region Ministry of Digital Development, Communications, and Mass Media project office.

Mikhail Knigin, Executive Director of T1 Integration, noted that Novosibirsk is one of the key regions for the T1 IT holding company. "Today, we have over 500 employees in Novosibirsk, and the team has grown by 37% over the past year. This demonstrates the growing potential of the region's engineering workforce and the effectiveness of the practice-oriented approach to training specialists, which is achieved through the collaboration between educational institutions and businesses," Mikhail Knigin emphasized.

This year, NSU launched a bachelor's degree program in applied artificial intelligence: 176 students from more than 20 regions are studying not only technical disciplines and programming but also IT project management. All students are participating in the development of real-world solutions for Russian businesses. The program's anchor industry partner is the IT holding T1. As part of the program's training, the company provides students with access to its own IT solutions. In 2026, NSU will implement the Cybox platform for a full cycle of working with machine learning models, which will be used both in education and for research purposes.

"Artificial intelligence isn't a privilege for a select few, but a tool that should be taught to students from their first year. The sooner we introduce practical and project-based learning, the faster young specialists become marketable," says Alexey Okunev, Director of the NSU Institute of Intelligent Robotics.

As part of the conference, IT holding T1 also held a hackathon across two tracks: "Digital Dress Code: Creating Local ML Video Segmentation Modules and a Personalized Background Generator"; and "CodeMetrics: Developing a System for Automatically Assessing Team Performance Through Git Metrics Analysis." Over 630 students registered for the competition, with 10 teams reaching the finals. Third place in the "Digital Dress Code" track was taken by first-year students from the Institute of Intelligent Robotics, studying in the new bachelor's degree program "Applied Artificial Intelligence," supported by IT holding T1 and supervised by the Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation.

A cooperation agreement was also signed between NSU and the IT holding T1 in the field of education. Key areas include improving the quality of IT education, taking into account current practical needs, and developing students' research activities in the field of AI.

The event demonstrated that Novosibirsk is becoming not only a magnet for high-tech companies, but also a true laboratory for new educational solutions, forming the foundation for Russia's digital future.

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