A student of VSUFT took part in the scientific and technological programme "Big Challenges" at "Sirius" University

Maria Stupnichenko, a fourth-year student of the Faculty of Computer Science and Technology of the Secondary Vocational Education Department of Voronezh State University of Forestry and Technologies named after G.F. Morozov, has become a participant in the prestigious "Big Challenges" science and technology programme at "Sirius" University. She was among 125 top students from 28 Russian regions selected to work on real-world problems as part of the state "Science" programme of the "Sirius" federal territory.

Over the course of two weeks, the programme participants worked in six key areas: ecology and climate change; life sciences; humans and society in the face of big challenges; big data and artificial intelligence; and modern robotics and new materials.

A participant from VSUFT described the intensive programme: "Every day we attended lectures from leading Russian scientists, including on anthropogenic impact on soils, the synthesis of new drugs, methods of writing scientific papers, and building a career in education. In addition, all teams worked on their projects for 8 hours every day".

The "Big Challenges" programme provided students with a unique opportunity to contribute to breakthrough research conducted at "Sirius". Projects included developing new drugs for oncology, creating functional foods, designing the country's first aquatic natural and climatic park, and other significant scientific initiatives.

Maria chose one of the most promising areas—developing a bionic prosthesis with a non-invasive neural interface and internal feedback. "Our team of five developed it in six days", - she noted.

In addition to intensive academic and project work, the programme included a tour of "Sirius" University's infrastructure. Participants were shown modern laboratories, classrooms, and a library with a unique collection.

Students took part in the Congress of Young Scientists.

The students were also able to appreciate the natural beauty of the federal territory. "We visited Krasnaya Polyana, walked two ecological trails and climbed to the observation deck", - Maria said.

At the end of the programme, all participants successfully defended their projects before an expert jury, gaining invaluable experience working as part of interdisciplinary research teams.

The participation of a VSUFT student in such a large-scale federal programme demonstrated the high level of training of university students and their competitiveness in the All-Russian scientific arena.