Meridians of cooperation

"The School has inspired us"

On 3-7 April, the Scientific School for Teachers of Physics in Kamchatka was held at JINR. 14 teachers from different districts of the region came to Dubna.

E.G.Karpova (Department of Scientific and Educational Projects and Programmes of the UC) spoke about the features of the School: The School programme included a visit to an exhibition dedicated to the JINR basic facilities, lectures by the Institute staff, work in a virtual research laboratory workshop, a demonstration of physical experiments, visits to VBLHEP , FLNR and MLIT. We have tried to choose the events so that the teachers would learn not only about the scientific activities of the Institute, but also imbue with the spirit of our science city, learn about its history. Excursions to the Blokhintsev Library and the Kadyshevsky Physics and Mathematics Lyceum became a valuable addition.

The selection of teachers was carried out with the participation of the JINR Information Centre in Kamchatka and we are grateful to our colleagues for the fact that such trained and motivated teachers have arrived in Dubna. For a relatively short period of work, the Information Centre in Kamchatka, together with the staff of the UC and the laboratories of the Joint Institute, has held about a dozen events for schoolchildren, students and teachers of natural sciences in the region. All lecturers and guides who worked at the School noted the high activity of Kamchatka teachers that "absorbed" information with interest, asked many questions, and discussed the introduction of newly acquired knowledge into the educational process.

The teachers highly appreciated the master classes on working in a virtual research laboratory workshop, developed and conducted by the staff of the department Yu.A.Panebrattsev. This is a really useful tool that allows you to carry out experiments (including Nuclear Physics) anywhere in the world. A pleasant surprise for the participants of the School was the meeting with Academician Yu.Ts.Oganessian that shared his thoughts with the teachers on the importance of science in human life.

And teachers shared their impressions about the School.

N.A.Vysotskaya (Yelizovo, school No.7):

- I am in Dubna for the first time, for me everything here is interesting, informative, unexpected. I have realized that this is a science city in the literal and figurative sense of the word. There are quite a lot of young people involved in science here that is very nice. It is also pleasant that science develops and develops as we have seen, in many areas. It is very pleasant that there are very kind and sympathetic people here - employees in laboratories, lecturers, staff. Today, our dream has come true - we have met with Yu.Ts.Oganessian, the man who supplemented the Periodic Table of Mendeleev. We can be proud of this and tell our children. We learnt about the NICA project, we would like to see your reactor, but, unfortunately, we have had no chance.

I think our programme has been completed to the maximum. I am sure that someday I will return here with the children, there are already such plans. One of my students currently studys at the Dubna State University as a biologist and chemist. This whole School suggests that it is necessary to instill in children a love of physics, although we already do it, and show them the prospect of working here. We still return to the fact that the country needs scientists and technical specialists.

A.V.Larionova (Yelizovo, school No.2):

- We immediately agreed here: in order not to lose emotions and impressions, share them daily. On the first day of School, we felt complete delight - so many new things, meeting new people ... And wherever we go, no matter what they start telling us about, everyone has such an attitude towards us, as if they were just waiting for us. As if we were the dearest guests, and everyone dreamed of meeting with us. It's very nice, it's unusual - we don't know anyone here, but we met such an attentive, joyfully kind attitude. And every time new ideas arise, you get energized to work not only this academic year, but also for two, three years ahead, and this is important for teachers. We have problems with physics teachers in the Kamchatka Territory, the burden on everyone is enormous. The school inspired us, will stimulate us in our work and inspire our children.

I want to tell you about our delegation. There are two teacher-student pairs here, that is, a former student of the same teacher, who himself became a teacher. There are many graduates of different years of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Kamchatka Pedagogical Institute in the group. And three teachers now working in different schools in Yelizovo continue the work of the same teacher - our physics teacher was Vladimir Nestorovich Orlovsky.

V.V.Cheremukhin (Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, gymnasium No.39):

- Of course, everything is interesting, I have learned about some things for the first time, and a lot of things are funny (I take an interview during a tour of the Museum of the History of Information Carriers and Computers MLIT). For example, we have already thrown it all away, because there is no free space, but here we have organized a museum, and this is very good - I can appreciate it, since I am a teacher of physics, computer science and mathematics. I will be happy to use the virtual laboratories that we were introduced to in the lessons. We were given lectures, taught interesting material, and promised to send presentations, it would be very good. Now I definitely have an understanding of where our graduates, after graduating from physical and informational areas, can work. Working specialties are also required here, because a magnet cannot be assembled without a qualified locksmith. In general, I am very pleased with the trip - a lot of interesting moments, positive emotions, many thanks for organizing this School.

Olga TARANTINA,
photo by Igor LAPENKO