The V International Case-In Championship started in IRNTU

In Irkutsk National Research Technical University The V International Engineering Championship started on March 2. «Case-In». During the competition, student teams spend ten days solving engineering cases based on materials from leading industry companies and defending their ideas before an expert panel. The championship is held in five leagues: electric power industry, mining, geological exploration, metallurgy, oil and gas business. It is noteworthy that IRNTU is one of the few universities where students compete in all five areas.

At the opening of the Championship in the Technopark of IRNTU, the guests were greeted by the acting rector Mikhail Kornyakov. Together with the representative of the organizing committee, Irakli Helaya, he solemnly cut the ribbon giving the official start of the "Case-In" in Russia. This right was granted to only five universities, whose teams became winners in five major leagues. M. Kornyakov wished the participating teams fruitful work, and the Case-In project successful development.

"It is a great honor for us to launch the All-Russian Case Solving Championship. I am grateful to the organizers for their trust and appreciation of the level of training of our students and teaching staff.

Today, there are 20 teams in the Technopark – 100 students from the institutes of subsoil use, energy, metallurgy and chemical technology, who are ready to show their professional knowledge and competencies, to prove to experts that their solution is the most correct and effective. I wish the guys good luck and victory. Remember that today you represent the best part of the country's engineering students.

I am pleased to welcome the expert jury - representatives of mining, energy, metallurgical enterprises, government authorities, scientific and educational centers. In the near future, our graduates will confirm their qualifications at your enterprises. Today you have the opportunity to verify their professional knowledge and competencies. After all, it is these guys who will have to develop engineering and management solutions that will determine the efficiency of the country's fuel and energy and mineral resource complexes," M. Kornyakov noted.

Head of the Coal Development Department of the Coal and Peat Industry Department of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation Oleg Karasev He stressed that the fuel and energy complex plays a key role in the Russian economy. This industry needs new highly qualified personnel who are able to solve difficult production tasks and improve their professionalism throughout their work.

"Over the years, the Case-In Championship has become an authoritative platform bringing together the most promising young people. The winners and prize–winners of this tournament are the future of our country. Such personnel are necessary for production for the further development and prosperity of the Russian economy," O. Karasev noted.

The First Deputy Minister of Education of the Irkutsk region addressed the participants of the Championship with wishes of success Evgeny Torunov, Scientific Director of the L.A. Melentyev Institute of Energy Systems Nikolai Voropai, Deputy Director of the Institute of the Earth 's Crust of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences for scientific work Alexander Kononov, Advisor to the Director of Personnel of JSC SUEK Anatoly Fomin.

The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of the industrial partners - Urangeo CEO Nikolai Dundukov, Deputy Chief Engineer of PJSC Irkutskenergo Andrey Korneev, Acting Director for Government Relations at Irkutskgeofizika Andrey Nekrasov.

As the Advisor to the Director of Personnel of JSC SUEK noted Anatoly Fomin For students, participation in the Case-In Championship is a good opportunity to gain unique experience in solving production problems at the level of business leaders.

"Participants are required not only to have knowledge of engineering, but also to have a good understanding of personnel and enterprise management, economic and financial matters. In universities, students master these disciplines separately, so this competition is an exam that identifies those who are able to combine all the acquired professional knowledge and skills. It is also a good test of teamwork skills. The production process is a collective matter, and only with proper assignment of tasks is it possible to solve any problems in the best way," emphasized A. Fomin. - The mining industry is constantly changing. The work front goes deeper into the ground, the mountain pressure increases, and related problems arise. At the same time, we must constantly increase the pace of work in order to be competitive in the market. Accordingly, the engineering tasks that specialists face are becoming more difficult from year to year. The Case-In Championship provides students with the opportunity to try to solve modern production tasks without risking anything. But the success of their competitive work depends on whether they can also successfully cope with such tasks, having real responsibility for the company on their shoulders."

Representatives of the Earth Center team shared their impressions of their participation and victory in the final stage of the 2016 Geological Exploration League in Moscow Nazarov Nazar and Sergey Permyakoin.

"We would like to thank the Case-In organizers for creating such a powerful and multidisciplinary competition that allows students to interact directly with employers and solve production problems. This is an additional experience that cannot be acquired either in the educational process or in practice.

After visiting Moscow at the final stage of the Championship, we realized that the teaching base of IRNTU is in no way inferior to St. Petersburg Mining University, Moscow State University and other universities in the country.  We thank the teachers who prepared us for the Championship 24 hours a day, seven days a week. These are Marina Tugarina, Vitaly Filonyuk, Galina Maltseva and others," the students said.

It should be noted that the International Engineering Case-in Championship is the only federal case championship in Russia, an effective tool for transferring practical knowledge, experience and new competencies to future engineering specialists. In 4 months, the Championship will be held in 47 universities, covering 35 regions of Russia and the CIS countries. More than 3,000 students will compete for a ticket to the finals, which will be held in Moscow on May 30-31.

The organizers of the Championship are the Reliable Change Foundation and the Youth Forum of Mining Leaders Non−profit Partnership. The League on Electric Power Industry is co–organized by the International Council for Large High−Voltage Electrical Systems (CIGRE), and the League on Oil and Gas Industry is co-organized by Tyumen Industrial University.

In 2017, the national partners of the Championship were five federal ministries of the Russian Federation − the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, as well as the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects.

The championship is supported annually by the largest industry companies. This season, JSC SUEK, JSC SO UES, PJSC Tatneft, JSC Rosgeologiya, PJSC FGC UES, PJSC NK Rosneft, PJSC Mechel, JSC Siberian Anthracite, LLC Management Company plan to use the Championship platform to select the most promising future specialists. "Kolmar", LLC "EvrazHolding", LLC "Vostochnaya Mining Company", PJSC "RusHydro", LLC "IBM SI Montan", Branch "Sverdlovsky" of PJSC "T Plus", PJSC "Novolipetsk Metallurgical Combine", LLC "Mycromine Rus", PJSC "Raspadskaya".

A source http://www.istu.edu/news/27894/