General info about the Academic University

Federal State Budgetary Institution of Higher Education and Science

St Petersburg National Research Academic University
of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Saint Petersburg Academic University was founded in 1999 as the Research and Educational Centre of the Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute of the RAS for integration of science and education in the field of physics and information technologies. It was initiated by the Director of the Ioffe Institute, Vice-President of the RAS, Academician Zhores I. Alferov, who has headed the Centre since its creation. Today Zhores I. Alferov is the Rector of the Academic University. Peter the Great as far back as proposed the idea of tripartite “composition” of the Academy of Sciences, Academic University and Gymnasium during the Academy’s foundation. Three centuries later this idea was embodied in the Academic University that unites research and scientific laboratories, university departments and Lyceum “Physical-Technical School”. Senior school, graduate and post-graduate students are trained in direct contact with active scientists who teach them not only during lectures and workshops, but also in the laboratories.

Rector of the Academic University, Nobel Prize Laureate, Academician Zhores I. Alferov

This is in line with the best world practices of training of specialists in the field of nanotechnologies and it creates necessary prerequisites for Russia to retain its leading position in scientific and technical progress in the 21st Century. The system of scientific staff training conceived by Abram Ioffe has been constantly improved, and after the Research and Education Centre — today Academic University — was established, it became complete.

The necessity to integrate science and education in the training of highly qualified physicists for modern high-tech industry at the end of the 20th Century was evident to Academician Zh.I. Alferov. This work was started in 1919 by A.F. Ioffe, the founder and the first director of the Physical Technical Institute, when he was creating the Physical-Mechanical faculty at Polytechnic Institute, tightly linked to the Physical Technical Institute.

The Opening ceremony of the Research and Education Centre: September 1, 1999

That is why in 1973 Zh.I. Alferov established the first Department of Optoelectronics of Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute (St Petersburg Electrotechnical University “LETI”) situated at the Ioffe Institute, thus assuring close collaboration between students of the university and researchers of the academic institute specializing in applied physics.

Soon it became clear that comprehensive higher education for physicists could only be provided on the basis of specialized physical and mathematical education in secondary school. In 1987 thanks to the efforts of Zh.I. Alferov and M.G. Ivanov Lyceum “Physical-Technical School” affiliated to the Ioffe Institute was established for students of grades 8–11 (aged 15–18).

In 1988 Zh.I.Alferov and Yu.S. Vassiliev created a new Physical-Technical faculty at St Petersburg Polytechnic University with the teaching staff comprising mainly research associates of the Ioffe Institute and other major research institutes of the city.

Then another challenge emerged: how to gather under one roof students of Lyceum “Physical-Technical School”, students of Physical-Technical Faculty of St Petersburg Polytechnic University and students of Optoelectronics Department of St Petersburg State Electrotechnical University, as well as scientific staff of the laboratories working in advanced research and technological area, the area of nanotechnologies. It was an important step, and major efforts of vice-president of the RAS Zh.I. Alferov (allocation of a construction plot, funding, construction itself) lead to the inauguration of the first building of Research and Educational Centre of the Ioffe Institute on September 1, 1999 (later it became St Petersburg Physical and Technological Research and Educational Centre of the RAS). In 2002 the RAS Presidium established a new educational institution in the

Group of buildings of St Petersburg Academic University

In 2002 the RAS Presidium established a new educational institution in the system of the Academy of Sciences which was the Academic Physical-Technological University of the RAS. In 2009 it was merged with the Lyceum “Physical-Technical School” and St Petersburg Physical and Technological Research and Educational Centre of the RAS, which led to the creation of St Petersburg Academic University — Nanotechnology Research and Educational Centre of the RAS (the Academic University).

The Academic University works in close cooperation with the Institute of Physics, Nanotechnology and Telecommunications of the Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University, continuing the traditions of Physical-Mechanical faculty of Polytechnic Institute established by Academician A.F. Ioffe in 1919 and the traditions of the Physical-Technical faculty of St Petersburg Polytechnic University established in 1988 by Academician Zh.I. Alferov.

In 2011 the Academic University was given the status of National Research University.

The buildings of the Academic University are fully equipped for giving classes and holding conferences of different scales at modern level. The Academic University also has a large room for expositions, a conference hall, a hall for theatre performances, and a hotel. Students and staff have a sports Centre at their disposal, comprising a swimming pool, a playground, an indoor tennis court, and a gym. The activities of National Research Academic University mainly include:
— Implementation of the programs of higher education (Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees), post-graduate education (PhD programs) and extended education in various fields of general and applied physics, astronomy, quantum and solid-state electronics, biophysics, biochemistry, physiology and experimental medicine;
— Fundamental and applied research, research and development;
— Improvement of the created integrated system of continuous education (school–undergraduate–graduate–post-graduate studies), which provides training of skilled professionals within a united research-educational network.
The main divisions of the Academic University are the following:
— Nanotechnology Centre headed by the First Vice-Rector, Academician, Mikhail V. Dubina;
— Higher Education Centre headed by the Vice-Rector for Education, Corresponding Member of the RAS Alexey E. Zhukov;
— Basic Education Centre (Lyceum “Physical-Technical School”) headed by Vice-Rector for Basic Education, Honoured Teacher of the RF Mikhail G. Ivanov.
Scientific-Educational Auditorium and Museum of the Academic University work on a permanent basis. Both institutions are headed by Honoured Scientist of the RF, DSc in Physics and Mathematics, Professor Yuri V. Trushin, Scientific Secretary of the Academic University.The Academic University cooperates in its research and educational activity on the basis of bilateral agreements with the following institutions:
— Ioffe Institute
— Research and Engineering Centre for Microelectronics of the RAS
— Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry
of the RAS
— Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University
— Institute of Cytology of the RAS
— Institute for Analytical Instrumentation of the RAS
— Library of the RAS

Research clean rooms	Covered overhead passage connecting the buildings

The Academic University has held more than 200 conferences on the issues related to various branches of science. Since 2005 the Academic University has been one of the organizers of the international symposium “Nanostructures: Physics and Technology” that has a high rating in Russia and abroad. The symposium is co-chaired by two Nobel Laureates in Physics Leo Esaki and Zhores I. Alferov.

It has become traditional for the Academic University to participate in the organization of Nobel Laureates meetings in St Petersburg “Science and Mankind Progress” in 2003, International Symposium “Science and Society” in 2005, St Petersburg Scientific Forums “Science and Society”: “Nanotechnologies: Research and Education” in 2008, “Information Technologies” in 2009, “Economics and Sociology in the 21st Century” in 2010, “Physiology and Medicine of the 21st Century” in 2011, “Science and Mankind Progress” in 2012, “Innovative Technologies for New Russian Economy” in 2013, “Nanostructures: Physics and Technology” in 2015.