The University aims to modernise its facilities and provide researchers and students with most advanced equipment, essential to reach world-class level in science and education. SUSU has built powerful, up-to-date facilities that include over 10 world-class research and educational centers and laboratories equipped with unique research equipment. SUSU produces 80% of all educational laboratory equipment made in Russia and boasts the country's most complete and advanced educational laboratory complex.
List of University facilities and equipment
Laboratory description
Equipment
Unique characteristics
Supercomputer simulation
Tornado SUSU
473.6 TFlops (trillion floating-point operations per second)
244 place in Top-500 supercomputers of the world, 6-th in the
Russian Federation
SKIF-Avrora SUSU
117 TFlops (trillion floating-point operations per second)
Research and Education
Center for Experimental
Mechanics and
Aerospace Engineering
LMS calculation-and-experimental
facility
The only one in the country complete complex used for
frequency-response analysis and virtual structural tests and
tests of aerospace engineering systems
Laboratory for testing of full size diesel engines
A set of HORIBA diesel engine hardware
The only facility in the country designed to test full-sized
diesel engines with a capacity of 90-1,800 kW at stationary
and transient cycles
Optical interferometry
laboratory
Femtosecond laser
The only femtosecond laser available in the Urals region
Interferential testing
infrastructure
Unique infrastructure for Russia. Lab’s groundwork is not
connected with the groundwork of the building and
surrounding area, which enables to use of interferential
methods for creating photonic structures and light fields with
complex distribution of parameters.
To increase the attractiveness of SUSU as a global research and educational center, the University will undertake the following efforts:
Building a 3,000-bed dormitory (the site has been allocated and the building plans drawn up)
Accommodating 20 research laboratories and technology clusters with premises of at least 40,000 sq. m by 2020
Constructing an Innovation Center
Developing a barrier-free environment across University
Improving utilities and enhancing the quality of property management mechanisms based on specific return from their use
The SUSU supercomputer ranks 349th in the TOP500 rating of the world's most powerful supercomputer systems. SUSU plans to make further investments worth more than RUB 1 billion in its supercomputer with the goal of breaking into the rating's top 100 supercomputers by 2020. Plans call for further upgrading the supercomputer's capacity in partnership with high-tech industrial companies. Estimated investment for this project totals RUB 250 million per year. Among SUSU's potential partners are Makeyev GRTs, Uralvagonzavod, KAMAZ, the Institute of Research and Development in Mechanical Engineering, RSC Technologies, and others. The University will raise the necessary funds either through direct investment or through the establishment of a target endowment fund for the supercomputer. If the University continues to develop its supercomputer further solely using its own funds, the results will not be so outstanding. It will only be sufficient to maintain the SUSU supercomputer in TOP500 ranking.
Investment in supercomputer and rank in Top500
The University HR strategy aims to enhance its staff members’ professional skills and boost their productivity, as well as recruit young, world-class academics and administrators.
The University focuses on three areas in developing its human resources:
International recruiting of faculty and administrators
Developing the professional skills of its staff
Improving organisational structure
To recruit world-class academics and administrators, the University is building an international recruitment system. The main recruitment tools will include:
keeping the target audience informed about job opportunities at the University
stepping up activities within the partnership network of leading global universities
offering flexible forms of cooperation, both in timing and level of engagement
putting together a competitive remuneration system that features world-level salaries and social bonuses
setting challenging research tasks and providing unique scientific equipment
As part of these measures, it will be extremely important to recruit a top-class foreign administrator with a wide network of contacts and to establish an International Scientific Advisory Council. Such measures are vital to success in attracting world-class academics according to the experience of higher educational institutions participating in the 5-100 program. The University seeks to form a critical mass of international researchers that will provide a wide range of contacts with global research centers and ensure its integration with the international academic community.
SUSU intends to organise its international recruitment efforts based on the experience of the selected benchmark universities. For example, Tsinghua University has had notable success in recruiting professionals to a leading emerging market. Research teams within priority research areas may issue grants that are earmarked exclusively for recruiting foreign professionals. As a rule, cooperation starts with short-term, one-year contracts that can be extended to longer periods.
Below is a list of world-class specialists who are partners of SUSU and whom the University intends to offer engagements in joint research projects or positions as leading researchers.
List of leading specialists to be engaged in joint research activities
Associate
Place of employment
Hirsch
index
Natural Sciences
Wolfgang Haase
TU Darmstadt
35
Oleg D. Lavrentovich
Kent State University
42
Maria Yzuel
Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona
23
Lyudmila I. Isaenko
Novosibirsk State University
23
Viktor V. Atuchin
Novosibirsk State University
25
R. Niewa
University of Stuttgart, Pfaffenwaldring 55, Stuttgart, Germany
18
Vladimir G. Tsirelson
D. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia
21
S. Ordóñez
Universidad de Oviedo, Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Oviedo, Spain
28
J. García
Universidad de Oviedo, Departamento de Química Orgánica e Inorgánica, Oviedo, Spain
19
V.A. Zibarev
Novosibirsk Institute of Organic Chemistry, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
17
Prof Derek Woollins
St Andrews University
37
Hugo Bronstein
Imperial College London
20
Bo Iversen
Aarhus Universitet, Department of Chemistry and INANO, Aarhus, Denmark
43
G. Desiraju
Indian Institute of Science, Solid Body and Structural Chemistry
66
Supercomputers
D. Abadi
Yale University
20
A. Andreyak
Heidelberg University
10
M. Gertz
Heidelberg University
10
V. Voevodin
Moscow State University
19
T. Ludwig
Technische Universität München
31
Human Sciences
Mohammed R. Milad
Harvard Medical School
29
H. Fred Downey
University of North Texas
21
Eiji Matsuura
Okayama University
39
Ron de Kloet
Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
90
Farid Chemat
Université d’Avignon et des Pays de Vaucluse
32
Sergey Nikitenko
Laboratoire de Sonochimie dans les Fluides Complexes (LSFC)
16
Muthupandian
Ashokkumar
University of Melbourne
42
Timothy J. Mason
Coventry University
41
Engineering
G. R. Desiraju
Indian Institute of Science, Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit, Bangalore, India
66
V.M. Fomin
Khristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics SB RAS
24
A.V. Fedorov
Khristianovich Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics SB RAS
16
Manus Henry
Oxford University
12
D.A. Novikov
Institute of Control Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences
43
F. Kloke
RWTH Aachen University
22
E. Brinksmeier
Universitat Bremen
28
Сr. Brecher
RWTH Aachen University
12
K. Patra
Indian Institute of Technology Patna
12
E. Dowell
Duke University
44
Another key area for developing talent pool is in enhancing the professional skills of staff members. The University will carry out this task by setting up a full-fledged HR function responsible for building individual career progress trajectories as well as developing a coaching system. The University will also intensify academic staff learning by using advanced coaching methods (including with the help of other universities’ employees), overseas short-term trips of staff to foreign university intended to observe the work of colleagues on similar positions (shadowing), staff secondments to different organisations, departments, structures for 6-12 months. The introduction of contracts based on current KPIs will also contribute to strengthening the professional skills of staff members.
The restructuring of the University is of no less importance. This process will include the following measures: improving the organisational structure; expanding authority delegation practices and consolidating units while removing boundaries between them. These measures will enable the University to increase the productivity of its staff and create a solid base for conducting cross-disciplinary research.
The University aims to strengthen its leadership among Russian universities by the use of cutting edge technologies in educational and scientific purposes.
SUSU will develop information technologies in the following key areas:
Establishing fully functional Intranet
Introducing comprehensive Learning management system
Scaling up of universal access-to-knowledge tool - Personal Virtual Desktop (PVD)
Maintaining free access to supercomputers for all students
SUSU Personal Virtual Desktop system leverages the facilities of the high-performance computing cluster. This system provides all students and staff with access to the data cloud, including access to specialised licensed software, and the University's educational services, as well as remote access to research laboratories.
Currently SUSU's Intranet system Univeris enables direct communication between the administration and staff. In particular, Univeris integrates faculty’s profiles and allow to track scientometric data to monitor their progress toward achieving KPIs. Besides that, automated project management system is used for complex research projects. The SUSU Admissions Office uses the Intranet to receive applications online, to monitor ratings, and to inform applicants of admissions decisions.
Personal virtual computer
R&D Market Strategy
At R&D market the University aims to hire and retain brightest researchers and increase University’s fundamental and applied research funding.
Research activities at SUSU can be grouped around four main disciplines, as depicted in the graph below. Research activities in these disciplines complement each other, nurturing a constant flow of fresh ideas and solutions to diverse scientific challenges. Furthermore, all of these fields of knowledge are inherently cross-disciplinary.
Areas of specialization and the University's research profile
The University will focus its efforts on developing cross-disciplinary breakthrough research areas. These areas of research will produce the greatest number of scientific publications and bring the largest part of the University’s research budget in 2016-2020. These research areas include:
Asteroid impact avoidance (Engineering)
Alternative energy sources (Natural Sciences)
Data mining (Supercomputing)
Molecular mechanisms in the development of chronic emotional stress (Human Sciences)
In concentrating its resources on developing cross-disciplinary breakthrough research areas, SUSU follows the example of the Technical University of Darmstadt, a participating university in the German Exelence Initiative. The University has built up a strong academic reputation across the selected focus areas. The Technical University of Darmstadt stands out for the exceptionally high quality of its publications compared to a relatively low volume.
In Engineering, a critical breakthrough initiative is Aeronautical Engineering, in particular – development of asteroid impact avoidance means. Asteroid impact avoidance is a global challenge for humanity which importance for Chelyabinsk and SUSU is highlighted by the recent large asteroid impact. SUSU is working on various space vehicles capable to change asteroid trajectory and prevent impact on the Earth, as well as the means to launch these vehicles into space. These research products rely on the University's unique experience in rocket science. This project is implemented together with Makeyev GRTs, a leading Russian rocket and missile manufacturer. Importance of this problem will also foster collaboration with other leading Russian and international organisations in this area, including the Central Research Institute of Machine Building (TsNIIMash), S.A. Khristianovich Institute of RAS, China National Space Administration (CNSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
The University prioritised the area of aerodynamics and supercomputer-aided modelling of aerodynamic problems. Currently, Russian rocket scientists make virtually no use of modelling, relying instead on a large number of real-life tests. This leads to overspending on R&D, delays in the development of new rockets and a large number of launch failures, which foster an unfavourable media image for the industry. Developing new technologies and bringing supercomputer modelling services to market will give new impetus to the industry and will turn SUSU into a leader in the field of rocketry and rocket design. To achieve the targeted market position the University engages in proactive marketing of its new modelling technologies, participates in high-profile industry projects and offers courses in modelling for rocket scientists. The target annual revenue in this market could potentially reach about RUB 100 million.
Funding for Aerospace Engineering
The University boasts substantial engineering competencies in instrument engineering, diesel engines, and the design of micro-electromechanical systems. Research in these areas is in high demand among Russia's leading heavy engineering enterprises. The University's customers include KAMAZ, Avtovaz, Uralvagonzavod, Urals Diesel Engine Plant, Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant, Urals Design Bureau of Transport Machinery, Automotive Plant Ural, Kurganmashzavod, and others. In 2014, the total volume of R&D for industry grew more than threefold compared to 2010, reaching a value of approximately RUB 500 million.
A major breakthrough research area in Natural Sciences lies in the field of materials science. The University is working on developing alternative energy sources. One of the workstreams in this area is materials for solar cells (photosensitizers) helping to enhance the efficiency of solar batteries and reduce cost of energy generation. Studies in this field are very popular now and more than 6000 scientific papers are published annually. The University's research team has already achieved valuable results with both scientific and practical applications. Among the University's key partners in this area are the University of St Andrews and Imperial College London. Potential customers for photosensitizers include Oxford Photovoltaics, Dyesol, Exeger Sweden AB, 3GSolar Photovoltaics, and Fujikura.
Other promising areas of research in materials science include additive manufacturing technology for composite materials (3D printing), sorbents, metal-oxide monocrystals and other materials that enjoy widespread market demand. One distinctive advantage setting the University apart from other research centers is its pioneering use of supercomputing for materials properties modelling.
Funding for alternative energy sources
Besides materials science, the University is also engaged in other Natural Sciences disciplines. The most productive areas in terms of high-quality scientific results are geology and optical information technology. In geological sciences, the University works closely with the Institute of Mineralogy of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Miass, Chelyabinsk Region, while in the field of optics its most significant partner is the Institute of Electrophysics of the Ural Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Research work at the University is funded by domestic and international scientific grants. The University is striving to boost the total volume of international grants through a newly adopted comprehensive system to facilitate grant applications and fundraising from international sources.
In the Supercomputing, the major breakthrough area is data mining, a technique particularly essential for the comprehensive analysis of Big Data. The research findings in this area has a potential to revolutionize business models of organisations processing large volumes of information, including mobile phone operators, social media networks, banks to name a few.
The supercomputer is at the very heart of the University's research activities, as it can be used to process highly complex calculations in engineering, natural sciences and IT. Supercomputer is also used to provide University’s partners with calculation on a commercial basis. Currently supercomputing revenues constitute 16% of the R&D budget.
Funding for Supercomputing
A major breakthrough research area in the Life Sciences is molecular mechanisms of chronic emotional stress development. In light of the high incidence of chronic stress-related diseases in major cities and the lack of effective ways for relieving stress, these studies are of great importance for modern society. Although this subject is relatively new for the University, SUSU researchers have already published on this topic in top-rated journals and have established meaningful ties within the academic community. Stress studies represent one of the University's cross-disciplinary research platforms, as they call for joint work among psychologists, biologists, and specialists in measurement and tool engineering. The University is collaborating with leading research organisations in this area, including the Harvard Medical School, Leiden University, Edinburg University и New York University.
The achievements of the University's research team in this field provide grounds for optimism, namely the discovery of a drug tolerance mechanism in cases of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to abnormal hepatic microsomal oxidation. This is a global priority; to date no other research center with a focus on PTSD has succeeded in obtaining similar data. This breakthrough opens up the possibility of developing holistic approaches to PTSD treatment, encompassing the following:
non-medical therapy impacting hepatic microsomal oxidation (hypoxic training, moderate physical activity, etc.);
development of special medicines that are made efficacious through bypassing the damaged liver and brain-blood barrier;
elaboration of functional nutrition and diets to heal PTSD and depression.
These R&D outcomes will become the basis for innovative products that can then be patented.
Funding of Molecular Stress
Short-term plans include the establishment of a University-based research center with a dedicated focus on studies in this field. Establishing the center will require an upfront investment of about RUB 30 million, after which recruiting international scientists will require expenditures of about RUB 25 million per year. Starting from 2018-2019, the center is expected to attain sustainable financial self-sufficiency due to grant awards from local and international sources, and the commercialisation of innovations.
Prospective Student Acquisition Strategy
The University aims to recruit best talent both for undergraduate and graduate programs and expand the geography of admissions.
Target model of the market for prospective students
Total amount of SUSU students will be 15000 in 2020, which means a 15% decrease from current numbers. Simultaneously the share of Master’s and PhD’s students will grow to 40% of the total student population.
The University preferred instruments of recruitment and target audiences differ depending on the region:
applicants from Chelyabinsk and the Chelyabinsk Region
applicants from the Southern Urals and Western Siberia macroregion
applicants from other regions of Russia
Russian-speaking foreign applicants
English-speaking foreign applicants
Applicants graduating from schools in the Chelyabinsk Region demonstrate a solid academic grounding and knowledge base, as shown by their average Unified State Examination (USE) scores (see table below). SUSU's home macroregion includes several Russian Federation constituent regions, including the Chelyabinsk, Kurgan, Orenburg, Tyumen and Amur regions, the Khanty-Mansiysk and Yamalo-Nenets autonomous districts, and the Republic of Bashkortostan. SUSU is highly competitive in the local education market in these regions. Applicants from other regions of Russia will be recruited to the University's elite academic programs.
Applicants for engineering and technical disciplines
Source: High School of Economics’s monitoring, University’s data
SUSU can capitalise on its proximity to Russia-Kazakhstan border location and expand the geography of its student admissions. The main international markets where prospective students have been recruited are Central Asia, the Persian Gulf, South-East Asia and China. The University admits foreign students for both Russian- and English-language programs. More than 200 students are already enrolled in Masters and Bachelor’s degree programs taught in English.
List of current joint and English-language study programs
№
Description of joint programme
Partner
1.
Innovation Studies
Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland
2.
Electrical and power engineering: renewable energy sources
3.
Fundamental informatics and information technology
4.
Management
Clark University, United States
5.
Business valuation and corporate finance
Zhejiang Ocean University, China
6.
Marketing
St Mary's University, United States
7.
Flight operation of aircrafts
ChelAvia Training Center
8.
Physical and chemical continuum mechanics
Zababakhin Scientific Research Institute of Technical Physics
English-language programs
Bachelor's degree programs
1.
Mechanical engineering automation, Electrical and mechanical engineering
2.
Chemical engineering
3.
Economics and finances, Economics, Financial management, Banking and financing
4.
Commodity science, Food technology, Food products of animal origin
5.
Linguistics
Master's degree programs
6.
Database Technology
7.
Economics
8.
Philology
New English-language Master’s degree programs are planned to be launched in the near future:
Computer science: Fundamental Computer Science and Information Technology: Database Technologies; Highload Systems Development; Computer Modelling of Technology and Processing of Composite Materials etc.;
Engineering: Information-Measuring Engineering and Technology in Innovative Industry Projects;
Natural Sciences: Applied Mathematics and Physics; Mathematics; Chemistry, etc.
As SUSU's survey of prospective students shows, the most important recruitment factors are the University’s prestige, quality of education, and the overall experience of studying at the University (academic, social life, sports, etc.). SUSU's marketing strategy is focused on leveraging the aspects of the University's value proposition, perceived to be most significant by prospective students.
SUSU's offering includes quality academic programs in engineering disciplines that are in demand by employers in the regional labour market. The overall experience of studying at SUSU includes a vibrant cultural life, sports events at the University's Olympic-grade athletic facilities, and the opportunity for students to get involved in research projects. Chelyabinsk is a tranquil, liveable city with over one million inhabitants, which boasts highly developed, accessible infrastructure. Adjacent to the SUSU building lies an old-growth forest that is a natural extension of the University campus.
In line with its marketing strategy, SUSU has organised the Zvezda (Star) National Competition and the Budushee Rossii (Future of Russia) National Engineering Competition organized along with several other academic competitions with more than 200,000 high school students participating. To further its marketing strategy, the University will deploy the following tools:
Differentiated scholarships for applicants with high USE scores
Selective recruitment of applicants from schools with high average USE scores through offering professional navigation and University classes
Partnerships with universities without master's degree programs
Development and promotion of massive open online courses (MOOC)
Currently, a shortage of dormitory space is hindering the University's marketing efforts. To resolve this issue, a new world-class dormitory will be opened by 2018.
Job Market Strategy
At job market the University aims to expand the potential employers pool for SUSU graduates, attract employers with international brand names to the campus.
Employment of SUSU graduates by industry
SUSU's engineering and IT graduates enjoy strong demand among national leaders in manufacturing, metals, and tool engineering sectors with major production capacities based in Chelyabinsk Region.
Target employers of SUSU graduates
26 ноября года в 15:00 в актовом зале университета состоится ежегодный информационный день для иностранных граждан, работающих и обучающихся в ЮУрГУ.
Центральной темой мероприятия станет презентация программы повышения конкурентоспособности университета на глобальном рынке образовательных программ и исследований в рамках проекта «5-100».
The reason for selection of a peer group is to pick up the best practices to enhance efficiency and improve University’ standing among the best world universities.
Peer universities and their positions in QS subject rankings
University
QS-WUR
QS-Materials Science
QS-Computer Science
QS- Aeronautical & Manufacturing
Best practices
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
51
19
39
26
Rapid growth in ranking
Tsinghua University
47
11
38
16
System for recruiting foreign academic staff
Integration of international students
University of Texas at Austin
79
31
22
51-100
Efficient operation of the world's eighth most powerful supercomputer
Darmstadt University of Technology
269
51-100
101-150
44
Interdisciplinary research
Concentrating resources on breakthrough technologies
University of Michigan
23
27
51-100
5
KKey role in regional development
Bachelor’s program organization model in Michigan Engineering: common admission, 2nd year specialization
The selected peer group includes leading world universities that are comparable to SUSU by size and have diversified research portfolios and strong positions in target rankings by subject. More details on the best practices at the benchmark universities are cited in the relevant sections.
SUSU Mission: creation and application of scientific knowledge and preparation of a new generation of leaders capable of solving global tasks on sustainable development and changing this world for better.
Key Characteristics of a SMART-University
The University is striving to reach its goals in a most efficient way by means of smart decisions. The concept of a SMART-University is based on the strong points of the SUSU’s corporate culture and acts as an integrating foundation of the University’s target model.
25 ноября 2015 г. в 16.00 в актовом зале ЮУрГУ состоится необычный концерт «Пришло время любить». Его примечательность заключается в том, что в этот день зрители услышат музыку разных направлений: джаз, обработки русских народных песен, классические мелодии, хиты эстрады и киномузыка прозвучат в исполнении Уральского духового оркестра и вокального квартета «DV-show».
Такой музыкальный микс не свойствен для духовых составов, однако благодаря изящным аранжировкам, совершенному исполнению и энергичным танцевальным ритмам оркестру удастся настроить слушателей на лирический лад.
To implement the target model, the University has adopted the 8xSMART Strategy, which integrates all Roadmap’s strategic initiatives and focuses on implementing the most efficient means of achieving university’s objectives.
The 8xSMART Strategy
For the first half of 2016, the University has prioritised the launch of SI5 and SI4 activities, i.e. rolling out the Program management system, transforming the University governance system, and concentrating resources on breakthrough areas while withdrawing from less effective areas. Also high on the agenda is SI7, aimed at building up the University's reputation, since the outcomes of this initiative will impact all activities incorporated in the Roadmap.
Strategic initiatives launch schedule
Notes to the Picture: The initiating stage comprises of the project manager appointment and project charter development for each major activity within the initiative. The planning and organizing stage encompasses the development of the project plan, the project's presentation at the Program Steering Committee and project team mobilizing for each major activity of the initiative.
In the second half of 2016 - first half of 2017, SUSU will launch the main strategic initiatives, SI1, SI2, and SI3, aimed at recruiting talent to the University (students, young faculty members, and leading faculty members), carrying out breakthrough research, and introducing competitive educational products. This stage will be followed by the launch of additional strategic initiatives SI6 and SI8, focused on innovation-driven activities in the region and new educational technologies implementation. Сertain activities of each initiative may be launched before the date shown in the Picture, provided a qualified project manager and well-thought-through project management plan are presented to the Programme Steering Committee. The launch dates of key activities are specified in the description of each initiative further in this section. A complete list of activities, featuring KPIs for each activity, is presented in Section II, the University Competitiveness Enhancement Programme Roadmap (the “Roadmap”).
SI1. Breakthroughs in Science and Education
SI1 aim: to achieve globally recognised breakthroughs in research and education in SUSU's fields of specialisation.
To achieve this goal, SUSU will focus on four knowledge areas, which lay the foundation of the four Strategic Academic Units (StrAUs). Each unit integrates research projects and educational programs.
Engineering. A leading breakthrough initiative is cross-disciplinary aerospace research, aimed at asteroid impact avoidance. To enhance research competencies, the University will promote an Aerospace Engineering Master's degree program to the national educational market.
Supercomputing. A major breakthrough area is represented by a research project focused on data mining, a technique that is particularly essential for the comprehensive analysis of Big Data. In the supercomputing area, the educational component is represented by the development of an English-language Master's degree programme in Data Mining, which will be intensively promoted domestically and internationally.
Natural Sciences. A major breakthrough research area is the development of alternative energy sources including materials for solar cells (photosensitisers), which will help enhance the efficiency of solar batteries and reduce the cost of power generation. As part of SI1 implementation, SUSU will introduce English-language programs in applied mathematics, physics, chemistry and materials science.
Life Sciences. A major breakthrough research area is the study of molecular mechanisms of chronic emotional stress development, which represents a health problem for residents of large modern urban centers.
Specific prospective research and educational projects will be selected by the independent international experts. To address this task, SUSU is establishing an International Academic Advisory Council, comprising of leading global scientists in the domains of natural and computer sciences, engineering and medicine (SI3).
The SUSU Board of Regents, comprising of industrial leaders, will be instrumental in overseeing the University's cooperation with the business community, i.e. by approving a roadmap for promoting SUSU's research capabilities in industrial markets (SI5).
All breakthrough projects leverage the University's supercomputing resources. Many projects will also utilize SUSU's competencies in instrumentation. To achieve higher effectiveness of SI1 implementation, SUSU will engage external partners to cooperate in breakthrough areas in research and education. A high return on investment in breakthrough initiatives will be supported by the University's existing research infrastructure.
Main actions for implementing SI1
SI1 is integrates a number of other initiatives included in the SUSU Roadmap. For instance, to deliver the priority projects the University will recruit talented researchers and students as part of SI2 and SI3. The concentration of resources on breakthrough areas will be achieved with the help of SI4 activities, in particular through carrying out scientific foresight and an international expert examination of research projects led by the SUSU International Academic Advisory Board.
The results of SI1 implementation include boost in the international academic reputation and in citation indices and publishing activity across all breakthrough areas.
SI2 Recruitment and development of talented staff
SI2 aim: To enhance staff members' professional skills and boost their productivity.
Key personnel recruitment
SUSU intends to accomplish this goal by recruiting academics and administrators from leading Russian and international universities, and through advanced training of its own staff members. The recruitment of qualified international staff members requires
better visibility for the University's leading academics and research activities;
research grants to ensure competitive compensation packages for international academics;
mandatory KPIs to measure academic units’ performance in recruiting international academics;
accelerated transition to a bilingual environment;
experienced top-level administrators with international reputation to enhance SUSU’s international network and credibility.
Main actions for implementing SI2
In personnel training and development within SI1, SUSU will focus on improving critically important skills, such as communication skills, publishing activity, English language skills, and the use of advanced educational technologies. SUSU will accomplish these objectives by implementing mechanisms involving micro grants and bonuses, career development for advanced training, non-financial incentives and KPI-based contracts. In late 2015, SUSU adopted a brief, universal list of KPIs for employment contracts with a focus on achieving Program 5-100’ major objectives.
The SI2 implementation will enable SUSU to achieve parity with the world's leading universities in terms of the diversity of its staff members and their productivity.
SI3 Recruiting talented students
SI3 aim: To ensure diversity of the SUSU’s student body.
Recruiting talented prospective students
SUSU will acquire talented prospective students by implementing a number of measures, including:
introducing a system of differentiated scholarships for Russian applicants with high USE scores and international prospective students;
active interaction with high schools in Russia and abroad;
organising joint (dual degree) programs with leading Russian and international universities;
development of a bilingual environment.
Main actions for implementing SI3
The SI3 implementation will enable SUSU to educate a new generation of leaders capable of addressing global challenges for sustainable development.
SI4 Concentration of resources
SI4 aim: To improve the overall performance of the University.
To achieve this goal, SUSU will focus on institutional redesign. The university will form a smaller number of unique academic units to ensure the highest levels of performance and productivity. SUSU's International Academic Advisory Council (IAAC) will play a key role in identifying areas of institutional redesign. It will coordinate research and educational activities at the University in line with global best practices. The IAAC will guide the implementation of scientific foresight to identify areas of the University's fast-track development for 2018-2020. As part of SI4, the University will introduce a regular educational programs review procedures to ensure that that SUSU’s graduates' expertise and competencies are in demand on the job market.
Governance framework and target structure
Main actions for implementing SI4
The implementation of SI4 will enable SUSU’s transition to a new structure made up of about 10 schools and with no underperforming units. The restructuring is expected to improve scientometric indicators per faculty member.
SI5 Effective university governance
SI5 aim: To establish a university governance system in line with world best practices.
To achieve this goal, SUSU will focus on building and developing a truly meritocratic environment. To build such a meritocratic environment, SUSU will need to determine the most appropriate level of autonomy for its structural units, promote the active engagement of talent and introduce efficient incentive system for all staff members.
Another SI5 priority measure is to improve the University's financial and economic model and to master an investment approach for financing University activities. For example, SUSU is contemplating of establishing an endowment fund to support the development of SUSU's supercomputer.
SUSU investment model
Within SI5 SUSU will introduce project management office and change management mechanisms for efficient 5-100 Program implementation. The management process will be based on clearly defined procedures of competitive resource allocation, collegiate decision-making and independent expertise in specific areas of science, education and management.
Program management chart
The main task of change management is to ensure support for the Program's implementation. In November-December 2015, SUSU conducted a set of activities to inform staff members about the Program, including:
the Program’s presentation at each SUSU faculty;
a special issue of the University newspaper;
an intensive coverage of the program by SUSU TV and radio stations;
a special page on the University's website;
installing information boards in key public gathering places on campus.
All University employees had the opportunity to submit their proposals and participate in the survey on the University's website. Based on the survey data and submitted proposals, area-specific working groups have compiled the Roadmap.
Main actions for implementing SI5
As a result of SI5 implementation, SUSU will establish a management system based on the principles of transparency, cooperation and entrepreneurship.
SI6 Innovations for sustainability of Ural region
SI6 aim: To achieve sustainable development of the Urals by developing a favourable intellectual, creative and business environment in the region.
Main actions for implementing SI6
To achieve the SI6 goal, SUSU intends to create an innovation-conducive environment at the University by implementing a number of measures:
introducing entrepreneurship development modules in educational programs;
encouraging entrepreneurship among staff members and students;
supporting the commercialisation of University's innovations;
building stronger relationships with the business community as well as local and regional authorities.
As a result of SI6 implementation, SUSU will become a central component in the region's innovation-driven economy and Chelyabinsk will take its place among global intellectual centers.
SI7 Reputation management
SI7 aims: To raise awareness of the University's brand and foster a positive image of SUSU among international academic community and prospective students.
Main actions for implementing SI7
As part of SI7 implementation, in late 2015 SUSU launched a new version of its website and developed a communications strategy for 2016. The next steps include building a social media space to promote the University in social networks, implementing a CRM system to ensure effective interaction with the University's key stakeholders, preparing a brand book, and initiating a re-branding campaign.
As a result of SI7 implementation, SUSU will ensure its competitiveness on the global market for research activities and educational services.
SI8 New technologies in education
SI8 aim: To improve the quality of education and enhance the educational process at SUSU.
Main actions for implementing SI8
To achieve this goal, SUSU will focus on mastering ting new educational technologies and advanced teaching methods. The SI8 priority action is to implement a system that will encourage faculty members to introduce new technologies and teaching methods in the educational process. It is expected that a pilot project will be launched in 2017 to introduce honors programs for talented undergraduate students. In 2016-2017, SUSU will continue to implement information technologies, including extending the LMS to all academic programs.
As a result of SI8 implementation, SUSU will narrow the gap in the quality of teaching against the world's leading universities and ensure a high level of student engagement and motivation.