Summer school in the field of UAV Technologies opened at INRTU supported by the Russian-African Network University
On 29 July, the INRTU Siberian School of Geosciences for the first time organized a Summer School for students from Africa. The participants will master open technologies of UAV remote sensing and take part in field work on the Chernorud geological camp. The project is supported by the Russian-African Network University (RAFU) consortium.
INRTU has been a partner of the RAFU consortium since 2022. In addition to the Irkutsk National Research Technical University, 18 other Russian universities have received funding to organize schools on various topics. The project is supervised by the Siberian School of Geosciences (SSG) and the INRTU International Exchange Office.
The Summer school for students from Nigeria, Liberia, Ethiopia, Cameroon and Zimbabwe will last for three weeks. Students will delve into the aspects of multispectral and LIDAR sensing, learn about unmanned aerial vehicles and autopilot systems, and learn surveying and data processing techniques.
During the trip to the Chernorud geological camp, the participants will not only gain knowledge, but also get acquainted with the rich history and nature of the Siberian region. The summer school program will be complemented by sports and cultural and educational activities. The participants will visit the architectural and ethnographic museum ‘Taltsy’, the Baikal Museum, the Regional Museum of Local Lore, and go on a tour of the city's landmarks.
The students were welcomed by Stepan Bykov, Vice-Rector for International Affairs.
“The summer school is the first joint project of INRTU and RAFU. We hope that the event will become traditional and strengthen our interaction with educational organizations in Africa. Potentially, the project will serve as a basis for the birth of international research teams, inspire the launch of new educational programs of Bachelor's and Master's degrees”, - Stepan Bykov said to the audience.
Alexander Parshin, founder and scientific director of SSG, told about the advantages of participation in the Summer School:
“The aim of the program is to introduce students to such a part of geoinformatics as the basics of remote sensing of the earth using unmanned aerial vehicles. This course is available for students of different areas of training. The program is structured in a way that it is understandable for everyone. During the educational block, you will learn how to create drones from improvised materials, then test the author's developments on the Chernorud geological camp”.
Alexander Parshin added that there are many training courses on the use of UAVs of a particular manufacturer:
“However, such programs are expensive and narrowly focused. With our course, the students will learn the basics and their knowledge will be less susceptible to external factors”.
The skills learnt at the INRTU will be useful for the students in their personal and research activities. Students who demonstrate the best results may be invited to participate in paid fieldwork.
Toure Mohammed from Liberia was interested in the event. He graduated from the Baikal School of BRICS with a degree in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science. In the next academic year, Toure Mohammed will continue his studies at the INRTU Master's programme. The alumnus considers the summer school an excellent opportunity to broaden his horizons and gain practical skills in the field of geoinformatics.
On the opening day of the educational project, the participants were introduced to the unmanned aerial systems of the Siberian School of Geosciences and the collection of the A. V. Sidorov Mineralogical Museum.
The ceremonial awarding of certificates will take place in the SSG auditorium on 16 August.
REFERENCE:
The Russian-African Network University (RAFU) Consortium is a unified platform for the development of academic co-operation between Russian and African universities. This consortium was created to form new sustainable ties between universities and organizations of Russia and African countries, to expand the areas of personnel training in the interests of sustainable development of African countries. The RAFU participants are Russian universities, research institutes and organizations, as well as various African universities.
