Main Areas of Research

The scientists and researchers of the school are involved in developing advanced and unique methods and facilities for electric power engineering. These high technologies are intended to help solve urgent problems related to environment protection. These developments include:

• Vacuum distilling electric furnaces as technological systems consisting of technically conjugate separate unit systems linked by energy and physical flows

• Electromechanical oscillations in the systems of superpowerful AC and DC arc steel-melting furnaces

• Interaction between low temperature plasma and solid surfaces

• Electrical to heat energy conversion in the systems of a forward current flow in conductors (Prof. S. Lyupi from Padua University in Italy takes part in this research)

• Physical principles of electric arc discharge under high pressure and in vacuum

• Near-electrode processes in a high-current arc discharge of high pressure

• Powder material heating in a low temperature reduced pressure plasma flux

• Physical processes in a vacuum arc discharge with hollow cathodes

• Fundamentals of carbon-containing waste plasma treatment

• Elaboration of theoretical principles and development of low temperature electric heaters by plasma spraying

Main Lines of Training

The research staff are actively engaged in the training process that covers the following areas:

• Training of undergraduate and graduate students in “Electrical Engineering, Electromechanics and Electrical Technologies” and training of engineers in “Electric Power Installations and Systems”

• Training of doctoral and postdoctoral students in “Electrical Technologies”

• Implementation of the European program TEMPUS-TACIS COMPACT PROJECT CP 20021-98 – “Dissemination of Knowledge in the Field of Modern Energy-Saving Technologies” in co-operation with Padua University (Italy), Hanover University (Germany), St. Petersburg State Electrical Engineering University (Russia) and Samara State Electrical Engineering University (Russia).

Social Philosophy

Department of Philosophy

Leader of the School

Prof. I. Ya. Kopylov, D. Sc. (Philosophy), honoured worker of higher school; author of over 150 printed papers including 14 monographs, 4 handbooks and 1 textbook.

History of the School

The school of thought emerged around the department of philosophy and laboratory of sociological study in Novosibirsk Electrical Engineering Institute (now NSTU) in 1985. The teachers and professors of the philosophy department were actively involved in the work of the laboratory. They were among the first sociologists in Siberia who initiated widespread public opinion polls among students of Russian universities. The results of study carried out in the laboratory were so impressive that the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Vocational Education and the State Committee for science and technology made a decision to provide financial support to the laboratory in order to promote further research. This budgetary financing allowed the laboratory to conduct studies in all large universities of Russia and collect statistical data for further analysis.

In 1992, the staff won the grant of the RF State for national relations to study national interests of peoples living in Russia. The study was successfully completed and based on its findings and conclusions the monograph “The Russian Federation: nations and international relations” was published in Novosibirsk in 1993.

For a number of years the school was co-operating successfully with scientists from Karl-Marx-Stadt (now Chemnits) University in Germany. The work resulted in the monograph “Burning Moral and Ethical Problems of Scientific and Technological Progress” published in Karl-Marx-Stadt in 1984. In 1995, the school won the grant offered by the Soros Foundation to do research into ontological problems. Based on the research results, the monograph “The ontology of the Russian social system” was published in Novosibirsk. Up to 1997, the scientists of the school supervised the work in a number of areas within the RF state programme “Peoples of Russia: revival and development”. The Academy of Liberal Arts highly evaluated the results of this work. Members of the school participate in the programme of the European Centre for studying problems of contemporary young people (with its centre being in Strasbourg). They also take part in the programme of the Academy of Liberal Arts being its regional representative in Novosibirsk.

Many distinguished scientists have contributed to the achievements and successes of the school, among them the leader and founder of the school Prof. I. Ya. Kopylov, D. Sc. (Phil.), S. I. Grigoryev, Corresponding Member of the RF Academy of Education (Altai State University), Prof. V. G. Leonov, D. Sc. (Law), Prof. G. D. Likhachev, D. Sc. (Phil.), Prof. O. S. Rasumovsky, D. Sc. (Phil.), honoured worker of science, and others.

At present 19 staff members, 3 postdoctoral and 5 doctoral students are involved in doing research within the school.