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VIKTOR SADOVNICHY: "SPECIAL ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTH CAUCASUS UNIVERSITIES"
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Oct 8 2013
8 October 2013 - 10:27am
Interview by Vestnik Kavkaza
On October 11-13 Moscow will host the 8th Festival of Science. The
president of Moscow State University (MSU), Viktor Sanovnichiy,
invited pupils, students, scientists, and everybody who finds science
interesting to it. The main platform, the intellectual center is
the Fundamental library of MSU. Viktor Sadonvnichiy told journalists
about the festival and science in general.
- What do you think will be the most interesting thing at the Festival
of Science?
- I wish I could listen to the lectures of leading scientists. They
will speak about the latest innovations, discoveries in the
modern science. I think I will have an opportunity to watch all
expositions. It is always a pleasure. I watch them before the opening
ceremony. It is too little time to see everything. I am interested in
projects by young scientists and in projects which can be touched -
a vehicle or a virtual experiment, a virtual room; I am also interested
in serious abstract lectures.
You should come to the Festival of Science because you will learn
a lot there. Science is your future. Think about your future, come
to the Festival of Science, enjoy the science, be a scientist or a
person who appreciates and supports science.
- Why should science be promoted?
- It should be promoted to make it live and develop. When we speak
about promotion, we try to attract young people to understanding of
certain scientific events, discoveries. If the youth come to science,
science will have the future. Moreover, promotion of science is needed
for the society to understand that science should be supported, that
state resources which are spent on science are used effectively. It
is very important as well. The society should understand that it
supports its future by paying taxes.
- Please tell us about the most interesting experiment in your
childhood.
- I had postwar childhood, and we dreamt about photo cameras.
I heard about the camera FED and decided to made my own camera, to
copy FED. I made a frame, found a lens from a binocular, there were
a lot of them after the war, made a mechanism of rolling a film stock
from sewing spools and bought a photo film. Our group went hiking. And
our supervisor told me to shoot the most interesting moments of the
hike. It was 1953 or 1954, you can imagine how we lived then. I made
some pictures, but when I processed the film, all pictures were out of
focus. When our supervisor I asked me to give him the photos as a gift,
I was shy and didn't want to do this because the photos were out of
focus. Finally I agreed and gave away the photos. But our supervisor
was a very good teacher and he said: "The photos are lovely!" It was
my first serious invention - a handmade camera.
- How does science develop in the Caucasus?
- There are several wonderful universities in the Caucasus. I
would like to mention the one I know the best - Kabardino-Balkaria
University; it has a nice president Barasbi Karamurzov. I have visited
the university and its innovative expositions. There are many good
discoveries, good exhibitions and results. We are connected with the
university in the sphere of studying mountains. There is a station on
Elbrus where we are working together, geographers and physicians. It
is about studying particles. There are other strong universities
in Dagestan, North Ossetia. At the same time, due to some reasons
development of universities in regions should be supported. It concerns
not only a university. It is more than a university. It is a cultural
center, a bond in the region, a bond which unites Russian regions. We
need a special program and pay special attention to development of
the North Caucasus universities. A lot is being done, but we need more.
- Are there any joint scientific projects with countries of the
South Caucasus?
- We have very nice relations with Abkhazia, we have signed a treaty
with Sukhumi University, we have a powerful base there. In Azerbaijan
we have a branch of Moscow State University in Baku, one of the
strongest branches of MSU. I will fly to Baku soon. We will open a
branch in Yerevan, it will be another point. We are ready to build
relations with other countries, including Georgia.
- What are the most striking scientific discoveries of recent years
for you?
- For sure, they are in the science of life. A great breakthrough
in genetics, understanding of life materials and life organisms has
been achieved. The fact that we are close to understanding how life
appeared and why human being appeared in its form is an achievement
of our scientists. I think the biggest breakthroughs will be connected
with biology, genetics, cognitive sciences. And of course microphysics
achieved great results. The most striking is discovery of black holes;
science explains appearance of the universe.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/interviews/society/46032.html
Vestnik Kavkaza, Russia
Oct 8 2013
8 October 2013 - 10:27am
Interview by Vestnik Kavkaza
On October 11-13 Moscow will host the 8th Festival of Science. The
president of Moscow State University (MSU), Viktor Sanovnichiy,
invited pupils, students, scientists, and everybody who finds science
interesting to it. The main platform, the intellectual center is
the Fundamental library of MSU. Viktor Sadonvnichiy told journalists
about the festival and science in general.
- What do you think will be the most interesting thing at the Festival
of Science?
- I wish I could listen to the lectures of leading scientists. They
will speak about the latest innovations, discoveries in the
modern science. I think I will have an opportunity to watch all
expositions. It is always a pleasure. I watch them before the opening
ceremony. It is too little time to see everything. I am interested in
projects by young scientists and in projects which can be touched -
a vehicle or a virtual experiment, a virtual room; I am also interested
in serious abstract lectures.
You should come to the Festival of Science because you will learn
a lot there. Science is your future. Think about your future, come
to the Festival of Science, enjoy the science, be a scientist or a
person who appreciates and supports science.
- Why should science be promoted?
- It should be promoted to make it live and develop. When we speak
about promotion, we try to attract young people to understanding of
certain scientific events, discoveries. If the youth come to science,
science will have the future. Moreover, promotion of science is needed
for the society to understand that science should be supported, that
state resources which are spent on science are used effectively. It
is very important as well. The society should understand that it
supports its future by paying taxes.
- Please tell us about the most interesting experiment in your
childhood.
- I had postwar childhood, and we dreamt about photo cameras.
I heard about the camera FED and decided to made my own camera, to
copy FED. I made a frame, found a lens from a binocular, there were
a lot of them after the war, made a mechanism of rolling a film stock
from sewing spools and bought a photo film. Our group went hiking. And
our supervisor told me to shoot the most interesting moments of the
hike. It was 1953 or 1954, you can imagine how we lived then. I made
some pictures, but when I processed the film, all pictures were out of
focus. When our supervisor I asked me to give him the photos as a gift,
I was shy and didn't want to do this because the photos were out of
focus. Finally I agreed and gave away the photos. But our supervisor
was a very good teacher and he said: "The photos are lovely!" It was
my first serious invention - a handmade camera.
- How does science develop in the Caucasus?
- There are several wonderful universities in the Caucasus. I
would like to mention the one I know the best - Kabardino-Balkaria
University; it has a nice president Barasbi Karamurzov. I have visited
the university and its innovative expositions. There are many good
discoveries, good exhibitions and results. We are connected with the
university in the sphere of studying mountains. There is a station on
Elbrus where we are working together, geographers and physicians. It
is about studying particles. There are other strong universities
in Dagestan, North Ossetia. At the same time, due to some reasons
development of universities in regions should be supported. It concerns
not only a university. It is more than a university. It is a cultural
center, a bond in the region, a bond which unites Russian regions. We
need a special program and pay special attention to development of
the North Caucasus universities. A lot is being done, but we need more.
- Are there any joint scientific projects with countries of the
South Caucasus?
- We have very nice relations with Abkhazia, we have signed a treaty
with Sukhumi University, we have a powerful base there. In Azerbaijan
we have a branch of Moscow State University in Baku, one of the
strongest branches of MSU. I will fly to Baku soon. We will open a
branch in Yerevan, it will be another point. We are ready to build
relations with other countries, including Georgia.
- What are the most striking scientific discoveries of recent years
for you?
- For sure, they are in the science of life. A great breakthrough
in genetics, understanding of life materials and life organisms has
been achieved. The fact that we are close to understanding how life
appeared and why human being appeared in its form is an achievement
of our scientists. I think the biggest breakthroughs will be connected
with biology, genetics, cognitive sciences. And of course microphysics
achieved great results. The most striking is discovery of black holes;
science explains appearance of the universe.
http://vestnikkavkaza.net/interviews/society/46032.html