Samara has qualified for the finals!

On April 7, 2015, Samara State Technical University hosted the qualifying stage of the Electric Power Industry League of the All-Russian Fuel and Energy Case Solving Championship.

Opening the event, guests and participants of the qualifying stage Welcomed Eugene Frank, Vice Rector for Educational and Social Work of SamSTU: "The Case Solving Championship is an educational format that will allow you, future specialists, to learn how to comprehensively solve production problems of electric power enterprises today".

Each stage of the Championship is held with the assistance of regional authorities who are interested in developing the region's human resources potential. The SamSTU stage was held with the participation of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Samara Region.  Natalia KUDASHEVA, Consultant to the Department of Vocational Education, Science and Human Resources of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Samara Region She highly appreciated the Championship as a modern educational project for future engineers.: "The Championship is a brilliant result of the unification of science, education and production. The fuel and energy complex is the most important industrial cluster in the region, the development of which is impossible without the corresponding innovative development of the scientific base. Currently, the case study method is perhaps one of the most progressive in the field of training industrial scientists. It allows students to gain management skills, teamwork skills, and productive decision-making experience. I sincerely hope that the participation of students in the Championship will contribute to their further professional self-determination, and will allow employers to select young, effective employees."

The championship brings together industry companies on its sites, without whose support it would have been impossible to carry out such a large-scale project.  Among the partners of the Championship and each individual stage are the leading fuel and energy companies of the regions and Russia, including
JSC "System Operator of the Unified Energy System". For the System Operator, the Championship is an additional opportunity to assess the level of training of future power engineers, including students studying in specialized programs of JSC SO UES, and additionally select candidates for the company's personnel reserve at various sites. Alexey Tanaev, Director of Technical Controlling at the Joint Dispatch Management of the Middle Volga Power System Branch of JSC SO UES, He reminded the participants that the task of the case is based on a real situation, and expressed confidence that the students' solutions can be applied during the reconstruction of the CHP.: "We want you to use new, unconventional approaches when solving cases, come up with new technical solutions that will optimize production processes at the CHP plant and, perhaps, we will even use your solutions in practice."

Alexander Vedernikov, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of SamSTU, Head of the Department of Electrical Stations, Coordinator of the RNC CIGRE Youth Section, He told the participants about the university's six-year cooperation with one of the organizers of the Championship, the Reliable Shift Foundation. A. Vedernikov expressed confidence that the students of the 9 participating teams of the qualifying stage would show a high level of knowledge and training, and the SamSTU finalists would adequately represent the university at the Championship finals.: "I am sure that you will be in demand in industry, in grid and generating companies and will provide a reliable replacement for those professionals who are currently doing everything to ensure that our enterprises and homes have electricity."

Addressing the participants and guests of the stage, Director of the Reliable Change Foundation Artem Korolev He spoke about the history of the Championship and the opportunities it provides to students. A. Korolev wished the students to prove themselves as much as possible in the competition and show a high level of technical solutions and teamwork.

The Electric Power Industry League has been included in the competition program of the Championship for the first time, and students from 17 industrial universities in Russia and Kazakhstan are solving the case in the electric power industry. SamSTU students already have experience in solving energy cases: in 2014, a team of university students participated in another major project of the Reliable Change Foundation, the Interregional Educational Forum Energy of Youth. Within the framework of the Forum, students solved the case "Development of the energy system of the Crimean Peninsula".

In the qualifying stage at SamSTU, 9 teams presented case solutions "Development and selection of the optimal scheme for the supply of electric energy to a thermal power plant during its reconstruction".   The ideas of the participants were evaluated by an expert jury consisting of managers and specialists of key energy companies in the region: a branch of JSC SO UES ODU of the Middle Volga, JSC FGC UES, MES of Volga, LLC PC ELECTRUM, as well as teachers of SamSTU. 

The winner of the qualifying stage was the team "Masters of SamSTU" consisting of undergraduates of the Department "Electric Stations" of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of SamSTU Nikolay Titenin (captain of the team), Mikhail Kritsky, Alexey Romanov, Ivan Zuev. 

The silver medalist of the Championship was the team "Light Bulbs" consisting of undergraduates of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of SamSTU, studying  according to the specialized programs of JSC SO UES for the Branch of SO UES Roman Klimenkov (team captain, Department of "Electric Power Stations"), Daria Yezhova (Department of "Automated Electric Power Systems"), Aidar Mutalov (Department of "Electric Power Stations").

The winners and prize-winners of the qualifying stage received diplomas and certificates. Valuable prizes from the project partners were also awarded: the prize of the Branch of JSC SO UES The finalists of the stage were awarded to the ODE of the Middle Volga, and the silver medalists received the award of JSC FGC UES Volga MEA. PC ELECTRUM LLC awarded memorable prizes to three particularly distinguished students.

One of the goals of the Championship is to promote the worthy representation of Russian energy companies in the international energy community. That is why the Russian National Committee of the International Council for Large High Voltage Electrical Systems (NP RNC CIGRE) is among the organizers of the Championship. At the end of the qualifying stage, the winners of student scientific events held at SamSTU through the RNC CIGRE Youth Section were awarded.

The winners of the qualifying stage of the SamSTU Championship will meet with the finalists from other universities on May 28-29, 2015 in Moscow.

During the qualifying stage, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between SamSTU and the Reliable Change Foundation in the field of youth and personnel policy. On behalf of the university, the document was signed by Georgy Bichurov, Vice-rector for Evening and Distance Learning, and Artem Korolev, Director of the Reliable Shift Foundation, on behalf of the Reliable Shift Foundation. "We are expanding and strengthening our partnership. The memorandum provides for the participation of SamSTU students in a large number of events, such as case solving championships, various educational forums, contests, and conferences," explained Artem Korolev.

The general partners of the Championship are: JSC "System Operator of the Unified Energy System", JSC "Siberian Coal Energy Company", Micromine company, JSC "MHC "EuroChem", LLC "Siberian Generating Company", EVRAZ company and JSC "Raspadskaya Coal Company", RUSDRAGMET Management Company, LLC "Dassault System Geovia RUS".

More photos

The next stage of the Electric Power Industry League will be held on April 10, 2015 at Kazan State Energy University.