«Ultimate experience for schoolkids»: Alabuga SEZ hosts the first «Alabuga STEM» International Scientific and Practical Conference

The schoolkids from Russia and China made their first steps in science.

On March 11 and 12, Alabuga SEZ hosted “Alabuga STEM” International Scientific and Practical Conference.

“The purpose of the conference is to provide a platform for students to meet and discuss STEM topics, along with teachers, methodologists, and leading experts,” stated Konstantin Gnidko, the STEM coordinator of Alabuga International School. “Despite this being our inaugural conference, the participant base spans a wide geography - from St. Petersburg to Hong Kong, and from Moscow to Ishim.”

Over the course of two days, school students from across Russia and China presented their projects to experienced experts for evaluation and feedback.

Alabuga International School's students, Alisa Ivanova and Maya Salimova, delved into the topic of HIV, a highly perilous disease. Their presentation showcased innovative approaches to treating human immunodeficiency virus through gene mutation therapy.

Yaroslav Gnidko, a tenth grader from St. Petersburg, highlighted another crucial topic. A visitor from the Northern capital emphasized the importance of safety in schools. This young man has created a program that utilizes video surveillance cameras to detect weapons on individuals through neural networks. The system promptly relays this information to the security personnel of educational institutions.

The Moscow Economics School's team presented a mock-up of an unmanned underwater vehicle designed to explore the bottoms of reservoirs, aiming to simplify their cleaning process. 

Batyr Kanzafarov, in turn, shared pilot projects in aeromodelling and explained how people can benefit from airborne devices today. 

Students from ELCHK Lutheran Academy in Hong Kong shared their space projects with their Russian colleagues. Additionally, projects in microbiology, physics, and other areas were presented for jury evaluation.

An educational segment was included in the conference program where school students engaged in the Business Cats simulation and later challenged their own entrepreneurial abilities.

Experts participated in a roundtable discussion on STEM education issues and the development of design and research activities. Dr. Patrick Hak-chung Lam, the Principal of ELCHK Lutheran, joined the roundtable via conference call and highlighted their collaboration with Russia on space projects such as “Arctic Challenge 2024: Mission S.”

At the conclusion of the event, awards were given for the best reports in various STEAM categories:

“Technology, Engineering and Robotics”:

Batyr Kanzafarov, MAOU “Boarding School No. 1” (Almetyevsk).

“Artificial intelligence and programming”:

Yaroslav Gnidko, GBOU Secondary school No.632 (St. Petersburg)

“Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry”:

Damir Kapralov, MBOU “Boarding School No. 24” (Nizhnekamsk)

“Biotechnology”:

Marcel Murtazin, MAOU “Boarding School No. 1” (Almetyevsk);

Silvia Akhmetova, “Bala City Academy. The City of children” (Kazan)

Conference experts praised the participants' work and encouraged them to continue developing their skills.

Natalia Blatt, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology of Kazan Federal University, commended the participants for their engaging presentations on challenging topics like HIV treatment and school safety measures. She emphasized how involved children are in adult issues and how interested they are in the world around them. The participants gained valuable experience that will undoubtedly benefit them in the future.

A collection of reports containing the main materials from the conference will be published following its conclusion.

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