The books by the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate open up new worlds and help readers understand themselves.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Yesterday, the Nobel Committee announced the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature: Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai. The committee's reasoning states that Krasznahorkai was awarded the prize "for his compelling and visionary work, which, amid apocalyptic horror, reaffirms the power of art."

Lyudmila Budneva, senior lecturer at the NSU Humanities Institute, commented:

The Nobel Committee is often criticized for awarding prizes to authors well known to the Committee itself, which means the range of national literatures represented by the winners is quite limited. However, the name of the 2025 laureate, Hungarian writer László Krasznahorkai, should not raise any eyebrows among literary scholars or readers.

The 71-year-old writer is well known not only in his homeland but also abroad; in 2015, he won the Man Booker International Prize. His best-known works are the novels Satan Tango and The Melancholy of Resistance. Unfortunately, Krasznahorkai is little known to Russian readers: several translations of his short stories have appeared in literary journals, and the two novels I mentioned have also been published. His novel The Return of Baron Wenckheim is scheduled for publication next year.

The Hungarian writer himself admitted that L.N. Tolstoy and F.M. Dostoevsky had a decisive influence on both his personality and his work: “If it weren’t for Russian literature, I would never have started writing.”

I see the influence of Russian classics both in the consciousness of the hero, who seeks his place in the existential emptiness of a world hurtling toward the depths of hell, and in the writer's own language, which often leaves out periods. Krasznahorkai strives to convey the hero's thoughts, to hear the polyphony and rhythm of thoughts, sometimes confused, yet struggling in search.

Krasznahorkai compares art to the work of a scientist struggling with a problem and "suddenly having an epiphany," because it's impossible to logically explain how a book is written or how it affects the reader. The books of the 2025 Nobel Prize laureate in literature not only open new worlds but also, through emotional tension, help readers understand themselves.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Novosibirsk State University has launched a lecture course, "University of the Silver Age," for pensioners in the Sovietsky District.

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Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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The lecture course "University of the Silver Age" began at Novosibirsk State University on October 8th. The participants were pensioners from the Sovetsky District of Novosibirsk. This course on financial literacy was organized by Faculty of Economics (EF) of NSU In collaboration with the administration of the Sovetsky District of Novosibirsk, with the support of State Duma Deputy Alexander Aksenenko, the event is being conducted by specialists from Alfa-Bank and Sber. It is part of the mandatory "Service Learning" course, which is being implemented in various formats at all universities across the country and aims to develop civic responsibility, leadership skills, and patriotism, along with professional competencies, through the implementation of socially oriented projects. Students are assigned tasks by social partners, who also oversee student activities throughout the semester. The "Silver Age University" course events in the fall semester are being organized by a project team of second-year students from the NSU Faculty of Economics: Ulyana Molodtseva, Daria Denisova, Darima Bayartueva, and Daria Zyazeva.

The first event of the course was a lecture by Alfa-Bank representative Tatyana Shamanaeva, titled "Money in Action: Generating Income from Savings and Deposits." The expert discussed investment types, and the audience learned about the main instruments for capital growth, namely, savings accounts, deposits, and securities. Investment strategies were also discussed, with the bank representative explaining how to choose the appropriate action plan based on goals and investment timeframes. She also explained when it's appropriate to invest your savings and, together with the audience, explored key points for an effective start and risk minimization. This lecture was aimed not only at helping students understand the basics of investing, but also at their practical application for generating a stable income and managing their finances wisely.

Tatyana Shamanaeva explained that investing can be a way for seniors to supplement their pensions. However, only available funds should be invested, as investments always carry some risk. The most common investment instruments are stocks and bonds. For those who are less willing to take risks, federal loan bonds, which offer yields around the Central Bank of the Russian Federation's key rate, as well as corporate bonds from reliable companies and municipal bonds, may be preferable. However, it's important to avoid high-yield bonds (20% or more above the Central Bank of the Russian Federation's key rate), as they are often risky. Also, avoid investing all your funds in a single bond or a single issuer (an organization or other entity that issues and markets financial assets such as stocks, bonds, banknotes, or bank cards to raise funds).

The expert also explained how pensioners can use various banking products, earn interest on deposits, cashback on prescription medications, and certain purchase categories.

The next lecture, "Financial Health," will take place on October 15th. Sberbank representative Anna Voronova will lead the lecture. She will offer advice on maintaining financial stability, managing financial obligations, and rationally building capital and creating financial plans. The expert will also discuss expenses, savings, insurance, investments, and pensions, and introduce the audience to the four components of financial health. She will present simple and effective methods for maintaining a balance between income and expenses, provide recommendations for managing debt and payments, and provide a detailed analysis of the key factors that shape a person's financial health. She will also share strategies for a secure future, helping to rationally build capital and create financial plans.

The third event will be hosted by the project team organizing the "University of the Silver Age" course. It will be a fascinating journey through time, "At the Crossroads of Generations: From Soviet Classics to 21st-Century Flicks." In the first part, attendees will enjoy a quiz about famous Soviet films, complete with riddles and a challenge to guess the melodies played against familiar soundtracks. The second part will feature a discussion about how the values, language, and habits of generations have changed—from boomers to zoomers. The meeting will conclude with an interactive quiz about slang from different eras: attendees will be asked to guess which modern words have become equivalents of Soviet expressions.

"This is the second year we've been offering the lecture course, 'Silver Age University,' for pensioners in the Sovetsky District as part of the 'Service-Learning' course. This spring, we successfully held a series of lectures on financial and computer literacy, 'Cybersecurity Fundamentals for the Senior Generation.' The project was a success and received a positive response from the audience, so we decided to continue the series. The lectures held at NSU are also open to students and faculty, and I think they will be useful for everyone. Last year, we focused on cybersecurity and financial innovation, and this year we've focused on investing and financial well-being. The first lecture has already received numerous positive reviews from attendees. They noted the relevance of the topic, the accessible presentation of the information, and its practical benefits," said Elena Obukhova, PhD in Economics and Associate Professor in the Department of Management at NSU's Faculty of Economics.

Material prepared by: Elena Panfilo, NSU press service

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

An NSU student took part in the Postgres Professional conference.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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PGConf is the largest annual conference held by Postgres Professional, a Russian developer of database management systems (DBMS) and other data products. Developers and administrators present their developments and best practices for using the system. One of the topics of discussion is the object-relational database management system PostgreSQL. This year, Anton Chumak, a fourth-year student, participated in the conference. Faculty of Information Technology, NSU.

"At the conference, I talked about my patch for PostgreSQL, which adds composite parameters to the configuration system. A patch is a set of changes made to the codebase. I wrote some code that I'm adding to the existing code, and this code changes the program's behavior. Since PostgreSQL is an open system developed by a global, international community of developers, I can't simply add my code as if it were a personal project; I have to take it through multiple stages of community approval. So, I created the patch and contributed it to the community," said Anton Chumak.

At the conference, Anton presented a paper titled "How to Easily Configure Parameters of Complex Types." Prior to this, he spent six months working on a project within the PGLab database management systems lab, which opened this year at the NSU Faculty of Information Technology in collaboration with Postgres Professional. The results of his work became the topic of his thesis.

"My thesis is about implementing composite data types into the PostgreSQL configuration system. The result of my work is a patch that I'm contributing to the vanilla version. Vanilla is the open-source community version of PostgreSQL. But I also plan to implement these changes in Post Group's commercial product," Anton explained.

The conference was attended by over 1,400 participants and 36 speakers—all of them high-level specialists, database administrators, architects, developers, testers, and IT managers.

"Conferences like these feature people with cutting-edge ideas, and hearing about their work is invaluable. I was particularly interested in Anton Doroshkevich's presentation, Project Manager at InfoSoft, on information security and how to properly protect data. I generally enjoy the topic of PostgreSQL compilers and optimizers, and it was interesting to learn something new from the presentations by Postgres specialists," Anton shared.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

For a modern researcher, curiosity and scientific creativity, openness and interest in finding something new are critically important.

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Source: Novosibirsk State University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

At the end of the spring semester, announcements were made Results of the second competitive selection for the Russian Presidential Scholarship for postgraduate and adjunct studentsAmong the 500 winners of the all-Russian competition across all fields of science, five were representatives of the Department of Chemical and Biological Physics of the NSU Physics Faculty. This high recognition of the scientific achievements and potential of young scientists is a clear confirmation of the successful work of the department, which is closely linked to the leading research institutes of Akademgorodok. We met with Vitaly Georgievich Kiselev, Head of the Department of Chemical and Biological Physics, to learn how the scientific work of undergraduate and graduate students is organized and what helps them achieve such significant results.

— Vitaly Georgievich, please tell us how students' research activities are conducted in the department. How does the interaction between students and their supervisors work during the dissertation preparation process?

We organize students' research work as soon as they join us and are assigned supervisors, starting in their third year of the Physics Department. Generally speaking, without a good supervisor, no matter how talented a student is, it's impossible to produce high-quality research. You can research a lot, but it doesn't always produce relevant scientific results. Sometimes, a top-performing student may be actively researching at first glance, but the task they've been assigned is no longer of interest to the scientific community. Conversely, an initially less bright student, under the guidance of an experienced professor, may even achieve meaningful results by the time they defend their bachelor's thesis, have good publications, and be the recipient of various scholarships and competitions.

Incidentally, the professionalism of a qualified supervisor lies primarily in formulating a promising research problem for a good graduate student. And, of course, it's important that they have a personal chemistry. We never impose a research topic or supervisor on our department's undergraduate and graduate students, but we do offer advice, monitor their progress, and assist when needed.

— Tell us about the research areas of your department.

Modern physics is a very broad science, ranging from elementary particle physics to medical applications (incidentally, all of this is studied at the graduate departments of the NSU Physics Department). Our field, chemical physics, studies the processes and phenomena that occur in matter at the scale of individual molecules. Its applications can be very diverse. At the molecular level, for example, combustion processes can be studied in detail. Our fellowship-holding graduate students, Yegor Sosnin and Andrey Cherepanov, are pursuing this research at the Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Alexandra Borodulina and Arkady Samsonenko, meanwhile, are studying the properties of new molecular magnetic materials and magnetic phenomena that could be useful, for example, for information storage. Olga Bakulina is researching the microscopic structure of ionic liquids—salts melted at room temperature. All of them work at the International Tomography Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

We've discussed chemical applications, but the department's name also includes biology, and we have many such research areas. For example, Professor Sergei Andreevich Dzyuba's group (previous head of the Department of Chemical and Biological Physics at the NSU Faculty of Physics – Editor's note) has conducted many studies on the interaction of antibiotics with bacterial cell membranes. Olesya Anatolyevna Krumkacheva, a lecturer in our department and, incidentally, the Deputy Dean for Graduate Studies at the Faculty of Physics, also studies the structure of biomolecules using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. All of this is important for understanding specific biochemical processes in our bodies.

Furthermore, quantitative supercomputer modeling effectively complements experiments in modern science. In chemical physics, quantum chemical calculations are an important part of this, and we work directly on this with Nina Pavlovna Gritsan, the most highly cited professor in our department. The essence of these calculations is to describe the structure of matter at the molecular level using the laws of quantum mechanics. Modeling allows us to answer many questions, such as why some molecules are stable and others are not, how chemical reactions occur, why materials exhibit specific properties, and so on. This also requires significant resources; the costs are often comparable to those of an experiment, requiring significant computing power. The university is very helpful in this regard. For example, Vladislav Anatolyevich Kalyuzhny, head of the NSU Information and Computing Center, has literally never turned down a single specific technical request during our 15 years of collaboration.

— Is there a common trait or quality that unites successful graduate students in your department?

"For a modern researcher, in my opinion, three sets of qualities are particularly important. First, a good education—you need to be literate, confident in the basic methods and concepts, and familiar with the current state of your scientific field. Second, internal discipline and independence—that is, a graduate student must be prepared to work without additional prodding or detailed supervision; this must come from within. Third—and perhaps most crucially—is curiosity and scientific creativity, openness, and an interest in exploring new ideas. At a certain point in scientific work, the definition of the problem becomes the most important. Without personal creativity, a researcher will not be able to achieve significant success."

— What is most important for the successful scientific work of postgraduate students in your field of study?

All scientific directors are closely connected to their laboratories. The specific nature of the natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biology) is that they, of course, rely on instruments. Scholasticism was practiced in the Middle Ages, and today, to study natural phenomena at their full extent, instruments are needed. A natural science institute cannot exist without them.

What educational and scientific resources does the department provide to postgraduate students to support them in competitions and grants? Are there plans to expand collaboration with research organizations to provide postgraduate students with more research opportunities?

— In all of the university's natural sciences departments—the Physics Department, the Faculty of Natural Sciences—collaboration with institutes plays a vital role. We are as closely intertwined as possible. Almost all of our department's faculty members are employees of academic institutes, primarily the Institute of Chemical Kinetics and Combustion of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the International Tomography Center. The main facilities and instruments are located there. The university and institutes cannot exist without each other; we mutually reinforce each other. These are not casual compliments; this is how science and education work. University faculty and graduate supervisors are actively working scientists. In turn, the institutes receive undergraduate and graduate students who directly advance science. It is crucial that this collaboration is always constructive; it is the key to success.

— What advice would you give to young scientists starting their postgraduate career?

— Be as inquisitive as possible and open to everything new. Don't be shy about learning, and don't despair if something doesn't work out—it's absolutely normal, everyone has been there, including me.

________________________________________Thank you, Vitaly Georgievich, for your detailed answers! We congratulate your graduate students on their well-deserved scholarships from the President of the Russian Federation and wish them new scientific achievements!

Material prepared by: Ekaterina Mukovozchik, NSU press service

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

The 4th School of Young Scientists, "Application of Synchrotron Radiation for Solving Biological Problems," was held at Novosibirsk State University.

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The 4th School of Young Scientists, "Application of Synchrotron Radiation for Solving Biological Problems," was held at Novosibirsk State University from October 1st to 3rd. Undergraduate and graduate students from 11 Russian cities participated: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Tyumen, Pushchino (Moscow Region), Vladivostok, Krasnoyarsk, and Barnaul. The School program consisted of lectures and practical classes, providing young scientists with the opportunity to gain an understanding of the use of advanced research methods in structural biology, as well as skills in molecular modeling and processing of primary experimental data obtained using synchrotron radiation.

School participants highly appreciated the lectures given by leading scientists who actively use synchrotron radiation in their work. They expressed particular interest in the practical sessions related to molecular modeling and the determination of biopolymer structures using X-ray diffraction analysis.

– We decided to divide practical classes devoted to the method of low -ugly x -ray scattering and radiographic analysis (RSA) at two levels: introductory and in -depth. It turned out that this was the right decision. About 40 participants passed an introductory master class on the RSA, its task was to form a general understanding of the capabilities of the method. To do this, the participants worked with a set of diffraction data obtained from the crystals of the model object almost in ideal conditions of the experiment. The participants who wanted to gain experience with diffraction data that were used to solve real scientific problems came to the second-level master class. Similarly, master classes were built on the use of the method of low-ugly x-ray scattering, where in the second practical lesson, data sets obtained in the Shanghai Center for Synchrotron Radiation were processed. At the next school, we plan to make two-levels and a master class on molecular modeling, as well as add more laboratory work. Separately, I would like to note introductory practical classes on the application of the method of radiofluorescent analysis and computed tomography. The guys successfully reconstructed the data and built a three-dimensional model of the mouse skeleton, ”said the head of the Crystalization Educational Center of the Institute of Chemical Technologies of the NSU, senior teacher of the Department of Solid Body, the Faculty of Natural Sciences of the NSU, Senior Researcher at the Central Committee of the Central Committee of the Central Committee of the Central Committee of the Central Committee forces, Skifov Sergey Arkhipov.

According to the organizers and participants, the third day of the Young Scientists School was particularly eventful. The lecture "Fundamentals of the Interaction of Synchrotron Radiation with Biological Objects" by PhD in Geology and Mathematics Sergey Rashchenko (IGM SB RAS, NSU) examined the interactions of synchrotron radiation with matter and the existing fundamental limitations of experimental methods. A lecture by Doctor of Physics and Mathematics Konstantin Usachev (Federal Research Center of the Kazan Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Kazan) on "Crystallography of Macromolecular Complexes" aroused great interest among the school participants. The lecture examined X-ray structural analysis of large objects such as ribosomes and the importance of this research for the development of antibiotics. Examples were given of combining cryo-electron microscopy at the initial level with X-ray structural analysis at a later stage. This topic continued with a presentation by Anna Burtseva (Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow), titled "Cryo-Electron Microscopy in the Study of Macromolecular Structures. A Method of Choice or One of the Elements of Integrative Structural Biology." She discussed the fundamentals of cryo-electron microscopy, discussing real-world examples, including the structure of a phycobilisomes from an ancient cyanobacterium. She also introduced the audience to the latest work by scientists at the Research Center of Biotechnology, Russian Academy of Sciences.

The excursion to the Department of Solid State Chemistry at the NSU Natural Sciences Department and the laboratories of the NSU Institute of Chemical Technology received numerous positive reviews. Model crystals were prepared for the school participants, and they were given an introduction to crystallization methods. Young scientists also learned about robotic and manual crystallization equipment and the consumables required for this work.

"Next year, we plan to make some changes to the School—run it as a conference-style school and publish a collection of abstracts. The lectures and practical sessions will remain conceptually the same, but we intend to introduce flash talks by young scientists and possibly a poster session. Therefore, it's possible that the School will be four days long, rather than three. I'm confident these changes will attract even more participants, although the trend toward increased participation is already clear. For the convenience of attendees, we're also considering moving it to the summer months, but no decision has been made yet," said Sergey Arkhipov.

Feedback from participants of the IV School of Young Scientists "Application of Synchrotron Radiation for Solving Biological Problems"

Ekaterina Molotkova, a graduate of the Physics Department of Lomonosov Moscow State University:

My research interests include structural biology. I'm interested in the collaboration between high-energy physics and biology. Conceptually, I really like the fusion of fundamental physics and practical biology. Unfortunately, events focused on this topic are quite rare. Therefore, the decision to participate in the Young Scientists' School was an obvious one. I wanted to attend lectures and participate in workshops, and also visit Akademgorodok in Novosibirsk. My impressions of the School were very positive. There were many practical workshops, and now I intend to shift my current work toward structural biology. Therefore, both theoretical knowledge and practical skills, which provide a deeper understanding of the theory behind all these methods, were important to me.

Alexey Ivanov, 4th year student at the Faculty of Natural Sciences at NSU:

I've been following the development of the SKIF project for a long time. I'm interested in various areas of biology, but especially structural biology, as it relates to bioinformatics, which is my area of expertise. I learned about the Young Scientists' School "Application of Synchrotron Radiation for Solving Biological Problems" last year, and I learned about its topic at the School of Systems Biology and the School of Synthetic Biology and Industrial Information. This year, I'm applying to participate in this school. I wanted to learn more about the current state of construction at the SKIF Center for Collective Use, the latest scientific research, and the teams conducting structural biology research in Russia, as well as gain practical skills related to molecular modeling, X-ray fluorescence analysis, molecular docking, and X-ray diffraction data processing.

At Anna Burtseva's lecture, I discovered the process of sample preparation for cryo-electron microscopy, learned how sample preparation works, and what calculations are used to reconstruct the three-dimensional structure. The lecture on X-ray structural analysis was equally interesting. Previously, for me, these were all just names of methods; I knew what they did, but now I have a comprehensive understanding of how they can be applied in integrative approaches and how they complement each other.

The most memorable experience was the master class on small-angle X-ray scattering data processing, where we manually derived the three-dimensional structure of a molecule in solution from two-dimensional data, compared it with X-ray structural analysis data, and saw for ourselves how these methods can be combined. It seems like magic, but it's science.

Natalia Smolyanova, Researcher at the Kurchatov Institute National Research Center, and PhD student at the Institute of Protein Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences:

"The main methods I use in my work are crystallography and X-ray diffraction analysis, as well as the BioSAXS method, but I was very interested in the lecture on cryo-electron microscopy. I wondered whether this method could be used for my sample—cellulase enzymes—which are small enough for this purpose. It was important for me to discuss the feasibility with my colleagues. The X-ray diffraction master class was also helpful, as crystallization of the sample and subsequent data processing is a fairly labor-intensive process. Meeting like-minded people and getting acquainted with the equipment at the Crystallization Educational and Methodological Center of the NSU Institute of Chemical Technology were important and interesting."

Every day of the School brought vivid impressions, positive emotions, invaluable knowledge and useful experience.

Vladimir Andreytsev, Laboratory of Structural Studies of the Translation Apparatus, Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences:

"The School for Young Scientists interested me because of the master classes taught by highly qualified specialists. They emphasize subtle points that are difficult for a young researcher to master on their own. It was important for me to gain a certain amount of knowledge and experience that I could apply in my future research and, eventually, pass on to students who come to our institute."

Everything about this school was useful: both the lectures and the workshops, but the most memorable experience for me was interacting with colleagues. After such meetings, you understand what you should strive for. A very important meeting for me was with Sofia Borisevich, Doctor of Chemical Sciences (SKIF Center for Collective Use, Ufa Federal Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Ufa), who gave a lecture on "Joint Application of Experimental Methods and Molecular Modeling Methods for Solving Structural Biology Problems" and a workshop on molecular docking and molecular modeling using X-ray diffraction data. Without this school, I would hardly have had the opportunity to connect with her and attend such a workshop.

Material prepared by: Elena Panfilo, NSU press service

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

NSU hosted a YADRO laboratory day.

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Source: Novosibirsk State University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

A large-scale hackathon dedicated to indoor navigation was held at Novosibirsk State University by the YADRO laboratory. This unique event brought together 78 participants in 22 teams representing not only Faculty of Information Technology (FIT), but also other faculties and institutes of NSU.

The YADRO laboratory, based at the Faculty of Information Technologies but with university-wide status, emphasizes an interdisciplinary approach, allowing students from various fields to immerse themselves in solving real-world engineering problems and gain invaluable experience in team development. The hackathon's theme, "Indoor Navigation Technologies," was chosen deliberately: today, when global positioning systems such as GPS/GLONASS have become indispensable in everyday life, indoor navigation systems remain a pressing issue without a universal solution.

The hackathon consisted of two intense stages. In the first, teams were given a testing ground with special beacons installed in advance. Using a signal from these beacons, they had to record the route they had taken on the computer, which required both technical and organizational skills. In the second round, participants presented their innovative solutions to indoor navigation, described their architecture, shared their experiences, and were evaluated by a panel of experts.

Hackathon organizer Alexander Alexandrovich Vlasov spoke about the significance and relevance of the task:

"Each of us is accustomed to the all-powerful GPS or GLONASS outdoors, but indoors, this service stops working, creating serious challenges—from finding classrooms at universities to navigating large shopping malls and airports. We are confident that our future IT engineers, whom we train today, will use robots and artificial intelligence to automate everyday and industrial processes in buildings—where most of our lives take place, and this is impossible without a precision positioning system."

The selection process was as open as possible: even schoolchildren and humanities students with basic IT knowledge were welcome to apply. The hackathon's rules allowed teams to independently assign roles and choose strategies, while the organizers provided comprehensive support in the form of consultations and the selection of training materials relevant to the task.

"Navigation in large buildings is a complex task. Beyond shopping malls and airports, there are major industrial facilities with robotic lines, where positioning is a matter of safety and an accuracy of 1-2 meters. We proposed a system based on beacons and an intelligent algorithm that achieved an accuracy of about 1.5 meters," said Bogdan Afanasyev, a Master's student in Philosophy and a member of the AKL team, about his project.

The results of the first round were announced on October 3, and the second round on October 4 at the YADRO Lab Day celebration. On that day, the participants discussed the challenges they encountered during the rounds, presented their solutions, and participated in the awards ceremony. Team "Barebuhi" emerged as the winner, with ProBLEms taking second place and SysCall taking third. Team n00bmasters also received the Audience Choice Award for their original engineering solution.

Participants gained not only valuable experience and knowledge, but also worthy prizes from YADRO, including financial support, which provided them with additional incentive for further research and development.

Material prepared by: Ekaterina Mukovozchik, NSU press service

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Novosibirsk State University and Kim Il Sung University will hold a lecture series on Juche philosophy.

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Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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Novosibirsk State University and Kim Il Sung University will hold a lecture series on Juche philosophy. The first lecture will be held on October 16 at 3:00 PM Novosibirsk time. It will be delivered in Russian by the dean of the North Korean university's philosophy department. Vladimir Diev, Director of the NSU Institute of Philosophy and Law, will moderate the meeting. The next two lectures are scheduled for October 21 and 23.

"Earlier this year, a delegation from Kim Il Sung University, North Korea's leading university, visited Novosibirsk State University. During the visit, representatives from the two universities agreed to intensify interuniversity cooperation. One of the key components of building effective collaboration is familiarization with the partner country's culture, as culture reflects a people's worldview and values. And the soul of culture, in turn, is philosophy, which examines the foundations of human activity. Therefore, to better understand partners from other countries, it is important to begin by studying philosophy and culture," commented Vladimir Diev.

Kim Il Sung University is interested in developing cooperation with Russian universities, particularly NSU and the Novosibirsk Scientific Center. The university is currently exploring the possibility and selecting a site for opening a representative office in Akademgorodok. The Russian side, in turn, is committed to strengthening the partnership.

"We've only just announced the lecture series, but 10 Russian universities have already expressed their willingness to join the online broadcast. Little is known about North Korean philosophy and culture in our country, so these lectures offer an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the unique way of life, traditions, and foundations of this country," added Evgeny Sagaydak, Head of the Education Export Department at NSU.

Contact information for universities wishing to connect their students to lectures:

Evgeny Ivanovich Sagaydak, Head of the Education Export Department of NSU, sei@lab.nsu.ru

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

An NSU student has created an intelligent robotic arm for automated tomato harvesting in industrial greenhouses.

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

A student has created an intelligent robotic arm for the automatic harvesting of tomatoes in industrial greenhouses, which can distinguish ripe fruits from unripe ones. Faculty of Information Technology, Novosibirsk State University Anton Vlasenko. His robot is capable of analyzing the ripening time of different tomato varieties and harvesting only ripe ones. It leaves unripe ones on the bushes and returns to them as they ripen. The young researcher is currently testing his device at home, and plans are underway for industrial testing at the Tolmachevsky greenhouse complex, for which a preliminary agreement has already been reached.

We used computer vision algorithms to analyze the condition of the fruit and make decisions. The system also incorporates ultrasonic sensors. They help the robot estimate the distance to objects and avoid collisions. To prevent the robotic arm from accidentally crushing tomatoes when picking them from the branches, we equipped the device with sensors that regulate the force of compression. An interesting aspect relates to the "time to harvest" algorithm itself. We don't simply classify tomatoes as "green" or "red," but rather attempt to estimate how many days remain until the optimal harvest. To do this, we use color channel and saturation data. Using this data, the system predicts the harvest time. This will allow us not only to harvest the fruit "here and now," but also to plan when exactly to dispatch the robot to a specific plant. Our robotic arm doesn't simply determine the overall color of the tomato, but divides its image into a grid, like a chessboard. Each cell is analyzed individually based on the fruit variety, separating out areas that are red, green, or yellow. This way, the system understands whether the fruit is ripe, partially ripe, or still green, and then predicts the optimal time for harvesting, explained Anton Vlasenko.

To detect objects, the young researcher used the YOLOv8 (Ultralytics) core neural network in his development. It finds the bounding boxes of tomatoes in the frame. The robot's software is written in Python. The OpenCV (cv2) computer vision library handles several tasks: reading the video stream from the camera, image transformation (HSV, LAB), and creating color masks. Numerical calculations—channel averages, array operations, and pixel counting in masks—are performed using the NumPy library. An Orange Pi 5 controller powers the stepper motors and control drivers. This allows the robotic arm to receive tomato coordinates from YOLO, convert them into angles for the servo motors, and then pick the fruit.

The manipulator itself was manufactured using 3D printing. It consists of a gearbox, arm segments, brackets, and a gripper. A total of 115 parts were manufactured. After printing, each one underwent meticulous post-processing. A significant portion of this work was performed by the project's second participant, Yakov Gubarev, a student at the Siberian State University of Geosystems and Technology. Supports had to be removed from each part, contact surfaces had to be manually sanded, mounting holes for fasteners had to be drilled, and the accuracy of the mounting surfaces had to be verified.

"While working on printing the manipulator parts, we encountered a serious problem. It's a fairly large structure—if its "arm" is fully extended, it's about 1.5 meters long. Our existing printer couldn't handle this. We started looking for alternatives, and it turned out that printing ready-made 3D models would cost us more than a new printer with the capabilities we needed. So we had to buy a new 3D printer," said Anton Vlasenko.

The manipulator is currently assembled, and the young researchers will now fine-tune its motion and then assemble a mobile platform that will allow the robot to navigate between rows in greenhouses. After that, they will be able to move on to pilot testing in real-world conditions. Anton Vlasenko will defend his master's thesis, which will be the basis for his project. He also plans to submit it to a student startup competition.

The idea to create a robotic manipulator for this task came to me at a hackathon held by TRK. One of the tracks was to create a small robot that would use computer vision to pick certain types of fruit. The task wasn't difficult—we just needed to make sure the robot touched the fruit it had selected. Later, we decided that it would indeed be a good idea to create a robot that could pick tomatoes in industrial greenhouses. After speaking with Sergei Evgenievich Lozhnikov, the former director of the Tolmachevsky greenhouse complex, we learned that there was a real need for automated harvesters. Currently, this process is done manually, but there's a labor shortage, which is becoming a serious problem for greenhouse complexes. Our idea to create a robot that could perform this task found support, and we got to work. First, we studied existing robots, and then began considering which architecture to use to more effectively harvest tomatoes, as well as planning for future development. In the future, we plan to adapt our tomato picker to other vegetable crops, Anton Vlasenko shared his plans.

Material prepared by: Elena Panfilo, NSU press service

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

More than 2,000 students took part in the NSU orienteering championship.

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

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Over the course of several days during physical education classes, students ran around the campus and the adjacent forest with a map, searching for checkpoints at which they had to register with an electronic tag. The boys' task was to find 14 checkpoints, while the girls had to find 12 of the 15 checkpoints located on the ground.

Among 2nd-3rd year students, the best results were shown by: 1st place – Dmitry Alimov (Physics Faculty) and Ulyana Chichaeva (Engineering Faculty) 2nd place – Yaroslav Myasnikov (Global Geography Faculty) and Sofia Smirnova (Engineering Faculty) 3rd place – Alexander Biryukov (FIT Faculty) and Vlada Bykova (Engineering Faculty) Among first-year students, the guys from the Physics Faculty, Ivan Vlasov, Bogdan Nikolaenko and Fedor Romanov, distinguished themselves, showing the same result and sharing first place.

The first-year girls were in the lead:

Darina Zelenkova (MMF) – 1st place Alesya Patrina (FEN) – 2nd place Anna Korobitsyna (FEN) – 3rd place

Congratulations to the winners on their excellent results! We thank all the students for their participation and KaffaFV faculty members Sofia Zakharova, Andrey Tolstov, and Grigory Oparin for the excellent organization of the event.

All results are on the page: HTTPS: //vk.kom/port_nsu

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Sofia Shifon, a sixth-year student at the NSU Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies, took third place in the young scientists' competition.

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

From September 24th to 26th, the 26th All-Russian Scientific and Educational Forum "Mother and Child"—the most significant annual event for all obstetricians and gynecologists in the country—was held in Moscow. The forum brought together 5,600 specialists in person and 6,800 online from 226 cities and 13 countries, including Russia. Current issues in obstetrics and gynecology, gynecological endocrinology, perinatology, reproductive medicine, pediatric and adolescent gynecology, ultrasound, and laboratory diagnostics were discussed daily in the forum's 10 halls.

Novosibirsk State University and the Professor Pasman Clinic, a long-standing partner of the university, prepared three presentations:

1. Pre-pregnancy preparation, management of pregnancy and childbirth with a history of recurrent thrombosis (Pasman N.M., Drobinskaya A.N., Dudareva A.V., Shaklein A.V., Rogov N.V., Wagner Yu.N., Dmitrieva O.V., Kolesnikova A.V., Pis'mak M.A.) – together with the team of the maternity hospital of the 1st City Clinical Hospital.

2. Extragenital forms of endometriosis. Surgical treatment. Prevention of relapses (Kramskoy V.G., Sokolov A.V., Pasman N.M., Veretelnikova T.V.) — in collaboration with the 1st City Clinical Hospital.

3. Asherman's syndrome: diagnosis, treatment, pre-pregnancy preparation (Veretelnikova T.V., Pasman N.M., Pronicheva S.V., Selyunina N.A.).

Also speaking at the forum on behalf of NSU and the Regional Clinical Hospital was Alla Drobinskaya, Head of the Regional Perinatal Center, Chief Anesthesiologist-Resuscitator in Obstetrics, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies at NSU. Her presentation was titled "HELLP Syndrome from the Perspective of an Obstetric Anesthesiologist."

At the traditional competition for young scientists, held as part of the Forum in English, the results of a 6th-year student's research were presented. Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies of NSU Sofia Shiffon "Transcriptome analysis of stage-dependent molecular changes in endometriosis of various localizations."

The research was conducted at Professor Pasman's Clinic, using endoscopic procedures performed by Tatyana Vladimirovna Veretelnikova, and in the Cell Technologies Laboratory of the Research Institute of Fundamental and Clinical Immunology (RIFI). The research was supervised by Elena Removna Chernykh, MD, Professor, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Deputy Director of RIFI. A total of 100 applications were submitted to the competition, and Sofia Shiffon's work took third place.

In our work at the Cellular Immunotherapy Laboratory at the Research Institute of Physical Culture, Infection, and Clinical Infection, we comprehensively examined molecular changes in endometriosis—a chronic gynecological inflammatory disease—at various stages. In our experimental work, we studied how patients' peritoneal fluid influences the phenotype of immune cells. We also conducted a multiplex analysis of 27 cytokines in the peritoneal fluid, identifying specific biomarkers for each stage.

My task was to supplement these experimental data with a bioinformatics experiment: transcriptomic (histology sequencing) profiling of endometriosis tissues. I analyzed 408 samples from 162 patients using differential gene expression and coexpression network construction. This allowed me to identify molecular changes occurring at different stages and locations of endometriosis, as well as validate the data obtained in the laboratory experiment," explained Sofia Shiffon.

Endometriosis affects approximately 10% of women of reproductive age, but is diagnosed on average 7-10 years after the onset of symptoms. Endometriosis symptoms significantly impair patients' quality of life. Existing hormonal therapy is not effective for all patients, and after surgical treatment, the recurrence rate reaches 40-50% within five years.

This study, conducted by NSU in collaboration with Professor Pasman's Clinic and the Research Institute of Physical Infection and Clinical Clinical Infections, opens up new possibilities for targeted immunotherapy, minimally invasive diagnostics, and provides new insights into the mechanisms of disease development.

Speaking about the success factors that enabled her to win the competition, Sofia noted that the key was the integrative approach, which combined several levels of analysis: from functional experiments with living cells to bioinformatic analysis of the transcriptome and the identification of biomarkers in biological fluids.

"The use of network analysis (WGCNA) allowed us to identify not individual genes, but functional modules reflecting key pathophysiological processes—from lesion implantation to metabolic adaptation and immune escape. Importantly, the results have clear translational potential: they point to specific therapeutic targets and biomarkers that can be validated for clinical use. Undoubtedly, the scientific supervision of Elena Removna Chernykh and Natalia Mikhailovna Pasman also played a decisive role. Thanks to them, I mastered the methods of systems immunology and learned to connect fundamental research with the clinical practice of a gynecologist," emphasized Sofya Shiffon.

Congratulations to Tatyana Vladimirovna, who represented NSU and the clinic with dignity, on her brilliant performance, and to Sofia Shiffon on her victory. We wish them continued creative success!

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