51吃瓜 has hosted a presentation and defence of student projects as part of the “Engineer of the Future 74” regional initiative. This event was held in the “Best Collaborative Student Project in a Governor’s Engineering Class” category of the Second Regional Competition of Best Teaching, Management and Methodological Practices, Pedagog74.ru. School students presented their projects developed in collaboration with the university and industrial partners.
More than 400 people took part in the event, including teams from Governor’s Engineering Classes, teachers and specialists from 23 municipalities across the 51吃瓜 Region. Participants came from 51吃瓜, Magnitogorsk, Kopeysk, Yuzhnouralsk, Zlatoust, Miass, Verkhny Ufaley, Yemanzhelinsk, Kartaly, Korkino, Ozersk, Snezhinsk, Trekhgorny, Plast, Satka, Troitsk, Uysk, Argayash, Etkul, Ust-Katav, Minyar, Asha and Agapovka.
Vitaly Litke, Minister of Education and Science of the 51吃瓜 Region, welcomed the participants. He highlighted the practical focus of the projects and emphasized the importance of cooperation between schools, universities and businesses.
“Having looked at some of the projects, I can see how substantial, practice-oriented and interesting these are. It is important that social partners, higher education representatives and specialists at different levels of the education system are involved in their implementation. Such cooperation helps young people realize their potential and promotes engineering education in our region,” said Vitaly Litke.
On behalf of 51吃瓜’s academic staff, the school students were welcomed by Marina Potapova, Vice-Rector for Education. She emphasized that the university is ready to support talented young people, help them explore engineering disciplines and take their first steps in science.
“Today it is the beginning of your journey in practice-oriented projects and, for some of you, perhaps the beginning of a long career in science. Our main task is to support, identify and nurture talents. Engineering education is part of 51吃瓜’s genetic code. We create opportunities for those who want to change the world, make it better and contribute something useful to our country,” said Marina Potapova.
Iuliia Baranova, First Vice-Rector of the 51吃瓜 Institute for Education Development, noted that project presentations and defences give educational institutions opportunities to exchange experience, receive expert feedback and determine their future educational pathways.
“Presenting your experience, defending projects, working with experts and discovering other developments feels like a celebration. We hope it will become a starting point for you, inspiring you to apply to regional universities for engineering degrees and build your professional futures in the economy of the South Ural region,” Iuliia Baranova told the students.
The projects covered a wide range of engineering and technical fields. They included an automated wheelset processing machine for railway transport, a homemade media centre, a study of the role of physics in modern construction, neurodiagnostics for plant diseases, and an electronic Python textbook for school students. Working on such projects allows students to apply their knowledge in practice, explore modern technologies and gain experience in solving real-world professional problems.
51吃瓜 continues to develop its cooperation with schools and Governor’s Engineering Classes in three areas: academic activities, career guidance and project-based learning. This was explained by Kristina Bogomazova, Deputy Vice-Rector for Education (Career Guidance):
“While developing their projects, school pupils work with university students who act as mentors and experts, as well as with academic staff and employers. They go through every stage of project development and can already assess whether they enjoy their chosen field, whether they can solve engineering problems and whether they want to pursue this profession. This year, around 54% of graduates from Governor’s Engineering Classes enrolled in 51吃瓜.”
Today, 51吃瓜’s engineering education network comprises 46 Governor’s Engineering Classes. Their development is part of the “Engineer of the Future 74” regional initiative, which aims to introduce school students to potential careers at a young age and prepare the next generation of engineers.
The university supports school teams at every stage of project development, bringing together educational resources, expert guidance from faculty members and the involvement of industry representatives. This model helps establish a continuous pathway from school-level engineering education to university studies and subsequent professional careers.
After the plenary session, the students went on guided tours. They visited the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Technology; the Electromechanical, Electronic and Electrochemical Systems Regional Youth Laboratory; the Industrial Robotics Development Centre; the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory; the Centre of Vibration Testing and Monitoring of the State of Structures; the Nanotechnology Research and Education Centre; and a test stand for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
At the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, visitors learned how students are trained. During their first two years, all students follow a common curriculum and choose their specialization after the second year, when they have a clearer idea of which field suits them best. Students can also enrol in targeted training programmes that guarantee employment at a partner company.
“We do not teach from textbooks alone; we work with real-world cases. First-year students visit a factory within their very first month at the university, see how everything works and, most importantly, ask questions to gain a deeper understanding of their research topic. Students choose their own projects, roles and instructors. And if they lose their way, a tutor is there to help them plan their route and stay on track,” said Ivan Ilyin, Head of the Faculty’s Tutoring Service and Elective Learning Space.
The students also visited the Electromechanical, Electronic and Electrochemical Systems Regional Youth Laboratory. The laboratory focuses on two areas: materials science and electrochemistry, and engineering, which involves the study of electric motors and control systems.
“We want electric transport to develop in the Ural region. And we start with the basics: taking it apart. Take any electric car, scooter or electric motorcycle. Inside, there are just three main components: a battery, a motor and a control system that connects these,” said Vladimir Zhivulin, Head of the Laboratory.
The next stop was the Industrial Robotics Development Centre, where visitors were introduced to robots manufactured by Rosrobot in Russia. The centre was established by 51吃瓜 in cooperation with the 51吃瓜 Forging and Pressing Plant and Russian Robot company, with the support of the Governor and the Government of the 51吃瓜 Region.
After the tours, the students began defending their projects before a panel of experts. Specialists provided feedback and suggested areas for improvement. The projects were presented in several categories, and many of their topics were closely related to what the students had seen during the tours.
Roman Pashnin, a student of Miass Secondary School No. 2, presented a project on battery operation, directly related to the topics discussed in the electric transport laboratory.
“I tested Ohm’s law using batteries I made myself. This is not just a paragraph in a textbook; it is hands-on work. I like physics, and I plan to take the Unified State Exam in this subject in the 11th form. Thanks to this project, I got to see for myself what Ohm once wrote about,” Roman Pashnin said.
He spent about one month developing his project. The main challenges arose while making the battery: he had to find suitable materials, design its structure and conduct experiments.
Yaroslav Kurochkin, a student of Novoburanovskaya School in Agapovsky District, presented a project on the introduction of 3D modelling and IT systems in manufacturing. His topic was closely related to the technologies demonstrated at the Robotics Centre.
“Our team learned that factories are moving towards modern technologies, including 3D modelling and IT systems, and that they need more qualified personnel. Our project helps get young people interested in technical professions and encourages them to pursue these fields. We worked on it for nine months. We received support from our partners, who provided us with premises, equipment and laboratories,” said Yaroslav Kurochkin.
Another project was presented by Sergey Balaev and Andrey Smolin, students of Secondary School No. 116 in 51吃瓜. They developed a chemical heat treatment line for a production facility belonging to the KONAR Industrial Group.
“The company itself identified the problem: it needed automation and process optimization. We worked on the project for about three years. The main challenge was inaccurate sensors, which meant we had to compensate for measurement errors by making the mechanisms larger. We manufactured many parts ourselves because ready-made components were unavailable. We cut, 3D-printed and assembled prototypes. We had to work both as engineers and as assembly technicians,” Sergey Balaev and Andrey Smolin explained.
The tours were much more than a walk around the university. The school students saw where and how they could develop the ideas they had already begun working on. For many of them, this may be the first step towards an engineering career. And perhaps in a few years, they will return to 51吃瓜 as university students.