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Obruchev was greatly interested in problems of theoretical geophysics and in 1940 he presented a modified form of the pulsation theory, stating that the most significant geophysical processes are caused by contraction and expansion of the earth, with contraction predominant.

Obruchev’s publications consist of hundreds of books and articles, and thousands of essays, published in the USSR and abroad. His most important work “Geologiya Sibiri” (Geology of Siberia) is of outstanding value.

Obruchev died on June 19, 1956 and was buried in the Novodevich’ cemetery in Moscow.*

Task 2. Answer the following questions:

1.Where and when was Vladimir A. Obruchev born?

2.What higher educational institution did he graduate from?

3.What was his first scientific survey?

4.How long did he work in Siberia?

5.When was he awarded the degree of Doctor of Geological Sciences?

6.When was Obruchev named a member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR?

7.What is his contribution to the study of permafrost?

8.What did his interest in problems of theoretical geophysics result in?

9.Obruchev had a lot of publications in the USSR and abroad, didn’t he?

10.What is his most outstanding work?

Task 3. Imagine you are a scientific supervisor. You want to motivate your post-graduate student. Tell him/her about an outstanding scientist who devoted his life to science, try to explain why you admire him and why you think it is worth doing science. Use some word combinations from the list:

а/an outstanding/prominent/world-known scientist/researcher to accumulate knowledge

to advance / to develop / to modify а theory to contribute to / to make а contribution to

to do / to carry on / to carry out / to conduct research to influence / to affect / to have an effect on/upon

to predict / to forecast / to foresee to put forward an idea

to study / to make studies / to investigate / to explore to suggest an idea / a theory / a hypothesis

* Adopted from: Centenary of the birth of V. A. Obruchev, Soviet geologist, geographer, traveller, and pioneer in permafrost research / Tikhomirov V. V., Voskresenskaya N. A., Nagy K. [Translator]. — Arctic, v. 16, No. 4, Dec. 1963, p. 285–288.

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Task 4. Read the following passage and discuss it with your partner and report to the group what traits the ideal scientific supervisor must have in your opinion.

Several scientific efforts have been made in the United States to establish the personality structure of the ideal scientific supervisor. Ladis1as Farago in his book “War of Wits” lists ten groups of character traits which а good scientific supervisor is supposed to possess:

1. His moral must be high and he must be genuinely interested in the job

ahead.

2. He must be energetic, zealous, and enterprising.

3. He must be resourceful, and а quick thinker. He must know how to deal with things, people, and ideas. He must have some professional skills.

4.He must be emotionally stable: capable of endurance under stress.

5.He must have the ability to get along with other people, and to work as a member of а team.

6.He must know how to inspire collaboration, to organize, administrate, and lead others. He must be willing to accept responsibility.

7.He must have а passion for lecturing and research, and know how to do it.

8.He must be able to get hold of the required equipment ahead of others.

9.He must be agile, strong and daring.

10.He must be able to memorize details, evaluate his observations, and relate them to the greater complex things.*

Task 5. Tell a few words about your scientific supervisor, his/her research activity, and contribution to the development of science in Russia.

UNIT 4. Postgraduate Studies in Russia

Task 1. Read the text written by an American about Russian system of academic degrees.

Russian scientific hierarchy is quite different from Western.

In the USA, having graduated from 4 year college, a student receives an undergraduate degree of Bachelor. To obtain a graduate degree, one has to fulfill a separate 2 or more year graduate program to get Master’s, Engineer’s, or Doctor’s diploma.

In Russia, undergraduate education is only emerging. The predominant majority of higher education institutions bypass it and directly provide graduate education. A student receives his/her graduate degree of “Engineer” or “Specialist with Diploma” having fulfilled 5 or 6 years of studies.

* Bibanova I. N. et al. Learn to Speak Science. — M., 1995. — p. 52–53.

In case of Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), for example, it takes 6 years. MIPT curriculum is more fundamental and broader than that in any American university. MIPT Diploma exceeds the American MS Degree standards, and, given a formal presentation of a dissertation to the Department Qualification Committee, roughly corresponds to an American PhD from a state university.

The first academic degree in Russia is called “Candidate of Sciences”. It is gained after 3 to 5 years in a post-graduate school. The qualification requirements are noticeably higher than in any US state university, with mandatory publications in peer reviewed journals and approval on the Federal government level. This degree may be compared to American PhD in the Assistant Professor position.

There is a second academic degree in Russia, the “Doctor of Sciences”. This Degree may be earned by those, who made a substantial contribution to the Science; an American Full Professor may qualify for this degree.

The top of the pyramid are “Academicians”. Academicians are of two classes. “Corresponding Members” approximately have the same standing as the members of the American Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Medicine, etc. “Full Members” have the same recognition in Russia as the Nobel Prize winners in the West (Russian scientists could not normally compete for this title in the time of the Cold War).*

Task 2. Answer the following questions:

1.Russian scientific hierarchy is quite similar to American, isn’t it?

2.How many years do American students study at university to get a Bachelor degree?

3.What do they have to do to get a Master degree?

4.How is Russian system of higher education different from American?

5.What is the first Russian academic degree?

6.What are the requirements for this degree?

7.Can it be compared to any American degree?

8.Who can get the second Russian academic degree, the “Doctor of Sciences”?

9.What American academic degree does it roughly correspond to?

10.What “classes” of academicians are there in Russia. What is the difference between members of these classes?

Task 3. Read the text about a post-graduate of the Russian literature department at Cherepovets State University. Make up a list of words and word combination that you may use in your talk about your post-graduate studies.

* URL: http://www.mipt.ru/eng/questions/hierarchy.esp

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My name is Anna Burakova. I’m а full-time post-graduate student of the Russian literature department at Cherepovets State University. I was born in the city of Cherepovets 25 years ago. I left school number 21 and entered the Philological Department of our University. On graduating from the University I had been working at school as а teacher of Russian Literature for 2 years. I have always been interested in research work. When а student I took part in the work of the students’ scientific society and delivered reports at the scientific conferences. Last year I found an interesting topic and made up my mind to enter the postgraduate courses. I passed my entrance exams with excellent marks and became а post-graduate student. The topic of my thesis is “The genre of familiar letter in Pushkin epoch”. That topic was approved by the scientific counsel of the Humanitarian Institute. My supervisor is professor N., Doctor of literature. During the first year I have done much. I have written 2 learned articles, which were published in the collection of works of post-graduate students, taken part in 3 scientific conferences. Also I have collected bibliography. I attended classes in philosophy and English. I have already passed my candidate exam in philosophy with а good mark.*

Task 4. Read the given dialogue. Note grammar and word structures used by the speakers. Imagine that you are speaking to a stranger, whom you met at a conference of young researchers in Moscow. Make up a similar dialogue with a partner in which you introduce yourself and speak about your post-graduate studies.

A:What is your name?

B:My name is Marina Ivanova.

A:What do you do?

B:I m а part-time post-graduate student of the Russian language department at Cherepovets State University.

A:What educational establishment have you graduated from?

B:I graduated from the Philological department of the same University last

year.

A:Why did you enter the post-graduate courses?

B:I have always been interested in research work; that’s why I made up my mind to enter the post-graduate courses. But I want to have some practice of teaching too. So I decided to combine the work at school and studying at the postgraduate courses.

A:What is the topic of your thesis?

B:The topic of my thesis is “The Problem of Coherence in а Short Story”.

A:Who is your supervisor?

B:My supervisor is Professor N., Doctor of Linguistics.

A:Did you take part in scientific conferences?

* Belyaeva Ye. I. English for Post-Graduate Students. — M., 2006. — p. 209.

B: Yes, I did. Last year I took part in the international conference “Traditions in the Context of Russian Culture”.

A:Do you have any published learned articles?

B:Yes, I have one published learned article in the journal on the theory of text.

A:What have you done during this year?

B:I have collected bibliography, written the first paragraph of the first chapter, attended classes in English and philosophy, read а monograph in English on my specialty.

A:Have you already passed your candidate exam in philosophy?

B:Yes, I have. With а good mark.*

Task 5. Read the passage about post-graduate courses at Saint-Petersburg State Mining Institute. Fill in the gaps with information relevant to you. Give a talk about your post-graduate studies using the material of the text.

I’m a first-year postgraduate of the Saint Petersburg State Mining Institute. Our Institute is the oldest and the most established technical training and scientific research institution in the Russian Federation and one of the oldest in Europe. It was founded by the Order of Empress Catherine II on the 21st of October (1st of November) 1773.

Nowadays there are more than 8½ thousand students, bachelors, and masters in the 8 departments of the Mining Institute.

More than 120 Doctors and about 400 Candidates of Sciences, are teaching in our Institute. Among them there are about 30 academicians of both Russian and foreign Academies.

St. Petersburg State Mining Institute’s research enterprise is extremely diverse. Over the years the Institute has built a strong reputation for research in one of the most important sectors for any state — natural resources and energy. The scope of the research conducted here reflects the Institute’s strategic research thrusts in the areas of civic institutions; advanced technologies; advanced materials and structural science; the life sciences; and modern culture. Research at the Institute is also contributing to competitiveness and productivity. Our commitment to technology development and commercialization has resulted in patents, licenses and partnerships that are integral to the success of the Russian products.

I … (have started/started) my postgraduate course … (this year/in…). I’m investigating the problem of … . Professor … directs my scientific research. He/she is an honorary member of … .

Let me tell you a few words about my studies. Postgraduates in Russia have to take coursers in Philosophy, a foreign language, and some special subject during their first year. My special subject is … . I have classes … days a week, two or three periods a day. I’m especially keen on … .

* Belyaeva Ye. I. English for Post-Graduate Students. — M., 2006. — p. 209–210.

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I have a good opportunity to take part in different conferences and forums. Participants from all over the world are eager to present their projects here. I have some ideas from my scientific project published in the Journal of … .

Apart from classes and participation in various symposiums I have to do a lot of library work every day. I read a lot on the problems of … . Fortunately, the Mining Institute has a good library. It houses more than 1½ million volumes that are available for students, postgraduates and lecturers.

The Mining Institute has a high national status in the educational system of the Russian Federation, as it is a very valuable object of the cultural heritage.

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For speaking about the subject of investigation the following verbs can be recommended to use: study, investigate, examine, consider, analyze.

Examples:

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If it is necessary to mention about obtained results or carried out research work the following phrases can be applied: pay (give) attention to… — обращать внимание на…; emphasize, give emphasis to..., place emphasis on… — подчеркивать. To sound them better the following adjectives and adverbs can be used: particular, special, specific — особый; great — большой; primer — первостепенный; especially, particularly, specially, specifically — особенно (исключительно); with particular emphasis on… (with special attention to…) — причем особое внимание уделяется (обращается на…, особо подчеркивается).