On September 14, 2016 the 1st video conference of ITG Energy was organized by MPEI at WebEx platform. This conference was conducted by MPEI Prof. Igor Zhelbakov, actual moderator of the ITG Energy. 21 persons took part in this event representing 12 partner universities of ITG Energy:
Brazil
• Federal University of Vicosa
Russia
• National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute”
• National University of Science and Technology “MISIS”
• Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (State University)
• National Research University Higher School of Economics
• Lomonosov Moscow State University
India
• Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
• Banaras Hindu University Varanasi
China
• Hohai University
• North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power
• Hunan University
South Africa
• North West University
1. The conference was accompanied with ITG road map, which was composed by MPEI after 1st conference in Yekaterinburg, Russia. It was delivered to all universities via contact persons, who took part in the 1st conference. The road map was completed by suggestions of some universities and in July 2016 it was sent to the Russian National Coordinating Committee and to all participating universities of ITG Energy. The current version of the road map is located at the corresponding topic of NU-BRICS.ru web-site (Ongoing ITG projects / Energy) and at the ITG web-site itgenergy.mpei.ru (to be described below).
2. During 5 months after 1st conference at Yekaterinburg several items of the road map were completed.
In April 2016 partner universities were invited to take part at the academic colloquium “Rodney Allam Cycle and pilot power plant based on it”, which was organized at MPEI with Nobel Prize and Global Energy prize winner Rodney Allam. The academic colloquium was transmitted by MPEI internet-based video-conference system and any person could connect to this event.
In May 2016 MPEI together with Moscow Technological Institute has published a reference book “Higher Education Systems in BRICS countries” by M.N.Zhitnikova and V.N.Zamolodchikov. The reference book is written in Russian and contains information about educational systems of other BRICS countries. Nowadays additional chapter about Russian educational system is already completed. MPEI is looking for partners and sponsors to organize its translation into English in order to make it available for all NU BRICS participants. After translation we will ask partner universities to check the information about their national education systems. ITG BRICS Studies has also expressed interest to this work.
In June 2016 MPEI has published a draft version of internet platform for ITG Energy, which is available at itgenergy.mpei.ru. This platform contains some information about all partner universities of ITG Energy. This information was taken from Wikipedia and nowadays all universities are welcome to present more detailed information about university and its academic programs available for students’ exchange. The web-site also contains information about our first event – conference in Yekaterinburg including presentations of all partner universities. The last section contains information about contact persons in each partner university of ITG Energy who is responsible for NU BRICS activities. Please, check this information and send all necessary corrections to mpei.energy@mail.ru.
We planned to make a Webinar on information exchange in July, but in fact it happened in September in the form of video conference. It seems that we should not plan any activities on summer vacation period.
3. Abovementioned internet platform of ITG Energy is waiting for information about partner universities, actual contacts, events and any suggestions for cooperation. Please, send your content to mpei.energy@mail.ru.
4. In Yekaterinburg besides various fields of interest for ITG Energy everyone remember bright presentation about Brazilian project of joint academic program in Sustainable Energy. According to information of Federal University of Vicosa this summer Brazilian universities have developed PhD program in this field:
• Joint PhD program Sustainable Energy
All partner universities are waiting for details of this program, which can be sent to all by email or presented on the internet platform.
National Research University “Moscow Power Engineering Institute” is going to suggest 3 Master programs for further development of joint Master program with any partner university:
• Intelligent Protection, Automation and Control for Power Systems
• Operation and Management of Environmentally Safe Thermal Power Plants
• Sustainable Thermal and Energy Systems
These Master programs will be developed by MPEI during 2016/17 academic year. In November 2016 draft curriculum should be available for partner universities which are welcome to join any of these programs.
National University of Science and Technology “MISIS” suggests Master program
• Science and Materials of Solar Energy
The details of this program can be found at MISIS web-site by the following address: http://en.misis.ru/academics/masters-english/solar-energy/
5. During video conference each university got an opportunity to make a short presentation of its activities. The connection quality was rather good in most cases. Nevertheless, we invite all participants to send their information in written form in order to locate it at the internet platform and make it available for all participants. Banaras Hindu University has already shared such information and it will be presented at the internet platform.