, SeptemberSepSeptember 1616 HAT SSOO THAT’STHAT’S WWHAT , MEPHI! YYOU’REOU’RE LIKE,LIKE MEPHI! 2 WORLD of MEPhI September 2016 THAT’S WHAT YOU ARE LIKE, MEPhI! On September, 1 MEPhI has held a festive matriculation It should be mentioned that ceremony of freshmen. this year festive events was or- An intensive program was awaiting for new MEPhI students in ganized not only for bachelors the museum-reserve “Kolomenskoe”. The weather perfectly but also for Master’s degree stu- matched the festive mood. dents and post-graduates. MEPhI rector M.N. Strikhanov MEPhI rector M.N. Strikhanov won the World Choir Games in said that the university offers congratulated freshmen on the Sochi. large opportunities for Master’s Knowledge Day, saying that it Freshmen also had an oppor- degree students and post-grad- is a great honor to be a MEPhI tunity to listen to songs of our uates on getting scientifi c expe- student. “You have successfully rock laboratory, Quanto di Stella rience as a part of participation passed one of the most impor- vocal studio and chamber choir in the Program of competitive- tant exams in your life when you of our university, watch the ness enhancement. This com- entered our university, which is dancing of the Ballroom dance prises participation in large in- one of the best in Russia. MEPhI ensemble ESTA, have fun at a ternational projects, internships is always in the top 5 of the best humorous performance, watch in leading scientifi c educational universities of our country, and MEPhI sports and cultural uni- centres, dual diplomas and the- in the past years – in the top ties’ shows. ses defenses. 40 of the best universities of the Traditionally new students Vice-rector V.V. Uzhva spoke world in physical sciences. You were congratulated from the about peculiarities of organiza- will be given good education; depths of the centuries by the tion of the educational process your student years will be full of Emperor Peter the Great, Gen- for them. The main difference is hard work, sports competitions, eralissimo Alexander D. Men- in the curricular: the higher the participation in creative unities.” shikov, Kolomna boyars and stage of education, the more Then the fl oor was given to mathematician Leonty Mag- time is paid to the independent the honorary guests. nitsky. They admonished the research work. The offi cial part was followed freshmen, and Museum’s fal- by the performance of the most coners set a proud falcon free We congratulate the freshmen famous creative group of the as a symbol of high-flying to and wish them good studying, university – MEPhI Academic the heights of science of the bright student life and success- male choir. This year the choir future bachelors. ful passing of the fi rst exams! September 2016 WORLD of MEPhI 3 Every year student family of MEPhI becomes more and more international. For So that foreign first-year students will be able to quickly example, over the past three years the number of foreign students has increased adapt, we asked Abeer Abu Dan from Palestine, which is three times and now the university has about a thousand of citizens from 34 already studying in MEPhI for two years, to give a few tips countries. So this year, on the fi rst day of the academic year there are new faces, for beginners: foreign freshmen become part of the friendly student group. Of course, it will not – The main thing is to attend be easy because most of them don’t speak Russian. At fi rst the guys from other all classes. Lecturers remem- countries have to learn Russian language and only then they will begin to study ber those, who always attend classes. He knows that you in the chosen specialty. come, listen to lectures, home- Foreign students gladly shared fi rst impressions with a correspondent of the work is always done. So he will newspaper “World of MEPhI” Anastasia Balakireva. be able to help a student both if there is a problem and at the Koffi Abdoulaye, Togo: end of the semester, when you – Why did you choose have to pass the exams. Russia and why MEPhI? So, attend classes, always do What are you going to homework – this is the fi rst! study? Second, don’t be ashamed of – I have entered training the poor knowledge of the lan- program “Applied mathemat- guage. My fi rst semester was ics and physics”. I think that very diffi cult. I cried due to the Russia has advanced science, fact that I wanted to speak Russian, but couldn’t. I worried that and it is better to learn it here people would have laughed if I had said something wrong. And then so that to become a good sci- a friend supported me, she was very helpful. Now I can speak and entist. I heard that in MEPhI answer in classes. there are professors who You should watch movies in Russian, it will also help to learn the teach very well. So I entered language. MEPhI. – What do you do be- Bagganim Zeinadilova, Kazakhstan: sides study? – Why did you decide to – Play football with friends study in Russia? – foreigners and Russians. – I just came to the Admissions offi ce of MEPhI and decided to Vu Duc Dung, Quach Van Tien, Le Huynh Duc, Vietnam: try my hand, see the tasks. And I passed with fl ying colors. At fi rst – Why are you studying here, in Russia? I had thought about the Moscow – We are here upon the programme of interstate relations be- State University, I applied to sev- tween Russia and Vietnam. eral universities but in the end I’m – What do you think of Russia? What do you like? – It’s cool in Russia. People are very kind and friendly. here. Parents are happy that I’ve – We are in Moscow for two weeks, there are many places for been enrolled in this University be- walking, but Moscow is an expensive city. We managed to see little, cause they wanted it too. most of the time was spent on the registration. – What fi eld of study did you – What do you do except study? choose? – I would like to play football. – Nuclear physics and technol- – I only study. ogy, undergraduate study. – I run, but so far only around a dormitory. – How long have you been in – How do you like the dormitory? Do you live together? Moscow? Do you like it? – Yes, the three of us in one room. It’s comfortable, the neighbors – I arrived on August, 25, so it’s almost two weeks. It’s nice here, are pleasant, also Vietnamese. lots of buildings. In Almaty we have mountains, you can get into na- – Have you already make friends? ture, arrange a hike. But in Moscow there are museums, galleries, – Yes, with students from Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. historical heritage – all this is very interesting. 4 WORLD of MEPhI September 2016 STUDENT OF MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY: NEW KNOWLEDGE AND NEW EXPERIENCE In the framework of the MIT- I’m writing a code, that’s analyzing one semester, so I knew our Nuclear Russia program students of these images that the interferometer science Professors. the Massachusetts Institute of produces. I’m hoping that what I’m – Was it your choice to go to technology (MIT) are trained doing now, would help others, not Russia? in various educational and like I was only just looking at my – Well, Russia because I’ve studied commercial organizations of screen [smiling]. And the second, Russian since January. It’s not very Russia, including MEPhI. I’m building a GUE – graphical good but I can order a coffee in A 3rd year student of the faculty user interface, around the more Russian or have a short conversation. “Electrical Engineering & Computer mathematical part. That’s been very I’m interested in nuclear fusion, Science” MIT Leah Goggin is fun, I’ve never done that before. things like that, so that’s what undergoing an internship at the That part’s working reasonably well. brought me in this lab. Laboratory of Laser Diagnostics, Unfortunately, the results are not – What’s your impression of Institute for Laser and Plasma fi nal now, but there is still time. Russia in general and MEPhI? Technologies (LAPLAS). – What do you hope to achieve – I had a tour to the neutrino Under the guidance of the LAPLAS by the end of your program? detector facility, that was really cool, head Professor A.P. Kuznetsov – It would be great to make a very hardcore, very impressive- and Candidate of Physical and working program. It’s not total looking. As for the academic life, Mathematical Sciences K.L. Gubskiy nonsense; it works sometimes, just I think over the summer there are she develops software for the only sometimes. It’s such a shame to not many students around. At fi rst I analysis of experimental results in have 2000 lines of code, that are not had 6 weeks of Russian lessons and will come in 15 minutes, whereas out of 3 classes you have to take one, studies of powerful shock waves totally useless, but are not reliable I was introduced to your Professors here, if you miss it, the next one but you can take them whenever you generated by the laser pulse. enough to really serve their purpose, and some Turkish students. I don’t will be there in 30 seconds. People want whereas there, as I understand Leah agreed to answer several our so I’m working on it. think I’ve got to know many Russian there dress a lot more nicely.