South Ural State University received a federal grant to create a network of engineering classes by winning a competition from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. The project will cover the Chelyabinsk and Kurgan regions.
Engineering classes are to be opened at the premises of general education institutions, where high school students will master the latest engineering and transport technologies. This work will be supported not only by South Ural State University, but also by industrial partners: AO Kurgandormash and the Automobile Plant URAL.
According to the “school-university-enterprise” model, it is planned to open 9 engineering classes, including 2 classes in rural areas (Chebarkulsky District), 3 classes in Miass and 4 classes in Kurgan, with a total enrolment of at least 220 people.
There will also be new spaces for schoolchildren – 2 centres for project activities for children in engineering classes: “Arctic Transport” in Miass and “Unmanned Innovative Transport” in Kurgan.
The new classes will be part of the network of the already existing SUSU engineering classes. Their students will be able to take part in case championships, engineering competitions and university Olympiads. Industrial partners will introduce students to real industry tasks. Students will meet engineers, undergo professional testing at enterprises, etc.
“Our university already has successful experience in working with engineering classes in the format of a school-university-enterprise consortium. We are a co-executor of the “Engineer of the Future-74” regional project. We cooperate with 15 Governor’s engineering classes of the Chelyabinsk Region and 40 engineering classes of PAO ChKPZ,” said Rector Alexander Wagner. “Such cooperation allows students to immerse themselves in the real production process, get acquainted with engineering tasks and features of work in the field of special equipment, contribute to the popularization of specialties related to the production of transport and engine building, form their interest and motivation to choose engineering professions, actively involve schoolchildren in engineering with the opportunity to continue their projects at the university as students.”
The key fields of training in the classrooms will be Environmentally Friendly Transport, Intelligent Transport Systems and Passenger Transportation, Digital Traffic Management Technologies, and Traffic Monitoring.
The grant provides for the allocation of a subsidy to the university in the amount of 26 million roubles until the end of 2025. At the same time, SUSU and partner enterprises are investing the same amount in the implementation of the project.