Meridians of cooperation

The jubilee of the "Big Physics Department" of Saratov University was celebrated

On 4 April, the first conference of graduates and friends of the Institute of Physics of SSU was held within the walls of the University, bringing together more than 300 people - representatives of all generations, from physicists of the 1970s to graduates of 2025.

Saratov National Research State University named after N. G. Chernyshevsky has been associated with Dubna since the first years of the Joint Institute. The collaboration that started with the Department of Theoretical Physics of SSU that was founded by D.I. Blokhintsev in 1935, is currently held by more than 40 SSU graduates working in JINR laboratories. During a recent visit to JINR by a delegation of SSU, headed by the Rector of the University Professor A. N. Chumachenko, the Institute's Directorate discussed the prospects for joint research in the field of radiobiology, medical physics and other interdisciplinary areas.

The reason for the meeting was the five-year anniversary of the Institute of Physics of SSU that due to reforms in the education system, included the Physics Department of SSU in 2021. In a historical reference, Director of the Institute of Physics of SSU Professor S. B. Venig emphasized the main stages of its foundation, "The development of physics is continuously related to the history of our UIniversity. At its opening in 1909, the Department of Physics was established; during the construction of the SSU campus in 1914, the building of the Physics Institute was commissioned. In 1917, the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics was established; in 1945, physicists and mathematicians separated into separate faculties. It must be admitted that the 1960s-1980s became a period of triumph for physics. The answer to the challenges of the time was the establishment of the Faculty of Nonlinear Processes in 1994 and in 2005 - the Faculty of Nano- and Biomedical Technologies. Despite the division, physicists have always been united by common projects and joint research. In 2021, it was decided to unite these faculties into one institute to preserve physical science."

Rector of SSU Professor A. N. Chumachenko

Associate Professor of the Department of Nonlinear Physics S.V. Ovchinnikov (on the right)

In his welcoming speech, the Rector of SSU stated the inscription "Big Physics Department" that adorned the stage. "But how reasonably invented: Big Physics Department! The community of physicists has been vibrant and meaningful throughout its years. Great scientists have worked and currently work here, which world science is proud of. At our University, the Institute of Physics is always at the forefront and we always associate our hopes with physicists. Many of you have already walked through physical classrooms and scientific laboratories, have seen our pride - young scientists, candidates and doctors of sciences that successfully carry out serious scientific research. But today, we want to especially emphasize how important its graduates are for any university! Many of you work very closely with the Institute of Physics. Joint departments, laboratories, centres, new educational spaces have been opened, you finance various student and scientific events, give scholarships to students. But the most important thing is that each of you has a very kind and warm attitude towards the Institute and you talk about it everywhere! I would like to wish you and us all that these days of pleasant memories, friendly conversations and new joint plans are repeated again and again!"

A training drone hovered above the assembly hall of the X building, the camera of which, row by row, projected the faces of physicists - graduates from 1959 to 2025 - onto the screen. On stage, there was a demonstration of spectacular experiments and no less effectively, with humor and nostalgia, directed videos, inviting graduates of different years to remember their most beloved teachers.

The key point of the conference was a representative discussion between experts - "carriers of the unique optics of their professional view of the Institute". Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Department of Optics and Biophotonics at the Institute of Physics of SSU Professor V.V. Tuchin got the question: if you look ten or fifteen years ahead, how would you like to see our Institute of Physics? He replied, "It is important to take with you to the future the fundamentality of education, the physical vision of the world. It was a great time when a new equipment flowed into the University, so it would be repeated in the coming years. And my big dream is the construction of the laboratory building of the Institute of Physics."

The representative of a large industrial partner, a graduate of the Physics Department, General Director of JSC NPP Almaz and Head of the Base Department Professor N. A. Bushuev was asked the question: what tasks should the engineer of the future be able to meet and how should he be taught for it today? "Fundamental education is the foundation of the future graduate's knowledge and future success. But you can't get away from the realities of today. It's time to include the same artificial intelligence in basic subjects of 1-2 courses, to teach how to work properly with this "substance". A graduate of the Physics Department should be creative - he is not so much an engineer as a designer, a developer and a specialist that understands the phenomenon as a whole and can predict the future of a particular process. Such graduates should leave the Institute of Physics of the Great Physics Department in the 21st century. It is they that meet the complex tasks of the accelerated transition of our country to technological sovereignty," N. A. Bushuev said.

And of course, all those present were interested in the initiative of the graduates of the Physics Department of 1973 to establish the Endowment Fund of the Institute of Physics of SSU. Leader of this Community, Director of the Dipol Business School V. L. Vidro was asked during an expert discussion: why did you become one of the initiators of the establishment of the Endowment Fund? He replied, "Endowment is a financial instrument for the long-term development of our home Institute that functions almost like a perpetual motion machine. The funds of this fund cannot be spent but they can be invested with the help of a licensed management company and receive income that can only be spent for the development of the Institute of Physics. Everyone can become part of history and make a long-term contribution to the development of alma mater. To date, more than three and a half million rubles have been collected. This idea is to develop a financial instrument independent of the vicissitudes of the state budget for the implementation of the Institute's development strategy. Endowment is a long game. And the development strategy is to give a worthy response to the challenges of our time. Today, SSU has a unique opportunity to be the first among the country's universities to embark on the path of changing the educational paradigm. Only a big goal allows you to collect big endowments! But only large endowments allow these goals to be achieved!"

Concluding the meeting, the presenters announced that the community of graduates and friends of the Institute of Physics of SSU was established right here and now. And those guests that are not University employees were asked to get the plastic cards they received when registering, "This is our first and definitely not the last gift for you. This is your official personal pass to the University, according to which, any of you can now get to the III or VIII building of SSU, to the Institute of Physics, hold a meeting with students, visit the laboratory or the department, offer any of your other options for support and cooperation with the Institute. The pass is valid for exactly one year, until the next conference of the Big Physics Department."

The programme included lectures by conference guests. I told the students and teachers that attended my seminar about the JINR University Centre and its capabilities, as well as my life path at the Joint Institute, demonstrating it with examples of international projects and publications.

Advisor to FLNP Directorate
Graduate of SSU
M.V. FRONTASIEVA,
photo from the VK group БикЮ“Institute of Physics | SSU”