The most objective assessment of the scientific potential of universities is the scope of their research studies. By its 80th Anniversary, SUSU has shown record-breaking results: the volume of funding for all its research studies will exceed one billion roubles for the first time. The scope includes programs, grants and business contracts – orders from the real sector of the economy in the Chelyabinsk Region and other Russian regions.
"For several years now, SUSU has been persistent in increasing investments into science. This year, we have set an ambitious goal for our selves, to reach the amount of one billion roubles," commented Rector of South Ural State University Alexander Wagner. "By the end of the year, we will pass this milestone: the approximate cost of grants from the Ministry of Education and Science and the Russian Science Foundation will equal 490 million roubles, and the cost of the projects being implemented in the interests of the enterprises of the real sector of economy will amount to 515 million roubles."
Currently, scientists from South Ural State University are heading the work under two Megagrants: "Engineering the States of Light for Quantum Computing and Sensors" and "Innovations for Purification of Air and Water, and Reducing of the Carbon Footprint: Nanomaterials and Nanocomposites, Photocatalytic and Electrochemical Approaches". Also, 67 grants from the Russian Science Foundation are being implemented, and more than half of them are supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Chelyabinsk Region. In addition, SUSU has obtained a regional grant for the fulfilment of 7 research-and-development projects being carried our jointly with industrial enterprises.
Among the works under business contracts, the most important are the projects being implemented within the frameworks of Resolution No.218 of the Russian Federation Government, as well as the studies being conducted in the interests of big enterprises, such as Magnitogorsk Iron & Steel Works, Russian Federal Nuclear Centre – VNIITF, Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant, Chelyabinsk Pipe-Rolling Plant, Ural Design Bureau of Transport Machinery, and many other companies. Everyone in our country has heard of the Arctic bus engineered by the SUSU scientists jointly with Automobile Plant URAL. Recently, it has been included in the Russian Federation list of achievements.
The South Ural's leading engineering university has significantly changed the format of interaction with the real sector of economy.
"We have quite often heard of the insufficient practical training of students, and there was a gap between their knowledge and the employers' expectations," shared Alexander Wagner. "Today, we have minimized that gap. We are implementing a process of a "seamless" employment of our university's graduates thanks to involving our industrial partners in the academic programmes. Among those are the leading enterprises of the Chelyabinsk Region: Automobile Plant URAL, enterprises of the Mechel group of companies, Magnezit Group, Chelyabinsk Forge-and-Press Plant, and Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant (part of the Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company). We closely interact with these companies and involve them in the educational process."
SUSU researchers conduct fundamental studies jointly with industrial partners. For instance, Konar enterprise is opening a new Laboratory of Additive Technologies for Foundry Production at the university. The company staff and scientists will be working here, and students will also be engaged in their projects and tasks.