Chinese Students Explore the Geology of the Olkhon Region at INRTU Summer School
INRTU has launched a summer geology school for students from the China University of Geoscience, Beijing (CUG). The program includes field trips on Olkhon Island, field training at the Chernorud base, and the study of igneous rocks such as ultramafic rocks, gabbro, granite, and pegmatite. Students will also study the Tazheran gabbro-syenite massif.
The summer school is held as part of the Geology of the Olkhon Region program. More than 20 students from the CUG are taking part. The Chinese delegation is led by Lin Fang, Deputy Head of the Foreign Cooperation Department:
“Projects like this help students expand their professional knowledge and practical skills. They also create new opportunities for international exchange and cooperation.
The summer school is designed not only to give students a deeper understanding of the region’s geological processes and structures, but also to develop skills needed for a successful career in geology. The knowledge and experience they gain will help young specialists become competitive professionals in the global job market”.
The project is coordinated by Constantine Grigorov, Head of INRTU’s Department for International Scientific and Educational Projects, and Project Manager Konstantin Khobta.
On their first day, the students visited the INRTU Mineralogical Museum and took a tour of Irkutsk, learning more about the city’s history and architecture.
Professor Eugene Sklyarov from the Institute of the Earth’s Crust of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences gave an introductory lecture on the tectonic features of the Baikal region. He explained the structure of local rocks and showed how geological processes shaped the landscape of Olkhon Island and the surrounding areas. Special attention was given to metamorphic and igneous rock complexes, as well as to mineral crystallization processes that can best be studied in the field.
During the field classes, students will study the main geological features of the Baikal Rift Zone. They will also examine metaphoric rocks formed from sedimentary or igneous rocks as well as the Marble Road metamorphic complex and the Bayar ultramafic massif.
Along with the scientific program, the students will visit the village of Khuzhir and study Cenozoic rock complexes. They will also hike to the famous Vityaz and Idol rock formations, visit the Limnological Museum of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and explore the village of Listvyanka.
