December 1 is the 60th anniversary from the foundation day of the Instrumentation Engineering Faculty. Nowadays its successor is the SUSU School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Today the School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science includes 10 departments which perform training of bachelors, specialists, masters and postgraduates in the fields of instrument engineering and automated control, radio electronics and computer science.
One of the leading subdivisions of the Instrumentation Engineering Faculty is the Department of Automated Control Systems which includes such areas as Motion Control Systems and Navigation and Aircraft Control Systems. The Department performs training of specialists in the sphere of developing highly accurate systems for controlling aircrafts, mobile objects, technological processes and systems for information processing and control of various purposes under conditions of lack of information about the external environment, disturbances and noise waves.
One of the Department’s graduates is President of the Cheltec Research and Development Holding Company, Valeriy Bodrov. His holding company is the largest Ural’s engineering center which unites project, research, manufacturing, service and educational subdivisions. Valeriy Vladimirovich told us about his studying at the university and how he managed to create his own group of companies.
— What brought you to the SUSU Instrumentation Engineering Faculty?
— When I graduated high school, I faced the question of where to go for further studying. I have always liked mathematics and physics as they are the foundation of practically every science. So after a thorough consideration I decided toget enrolled to the SUSU Instrumentation Engineering Faculty. Choosing between Automation and Telemechanics and Automated Control Systems I preferred the second one because I liked the fact the study would take a year longer and the number of subjects related to mathematics and physics were 30% more, so I realized that I can learn more.
— Was it difficult for you to study at the Instrumentation Engineering Faculty?
— I think, for me as for many other students the most difficult were fist two years of studying. This is the period of time when a high school student becomes more grown-up and, what’s more important, “free” person, and of course it significantly affected my studying. There were new hobbies, new friends, and it seemed that everything in life will come just as easily. During the two years, a half of our student group got expelled. For me, it was also not easy, but I corrected my attitude to study, started treating it more seriously, and I guess that is what helped me in my subsequent years – to finish postgraduate studies, defend a dissertation, work according to the specialty and try to completely fulfill myself.
— How did you create the Cheltec Company group?
— I intended to establish a company that I would like and where it would be interesting for me to work, so that it would bring not only material satisfaction but also emotional one. To me, material side is surely important, but it might lead to the endless changing of available resources for more expensive stuff, and there is no end to this. Therefore, you need to stop at some point and really realize your attitude to life. You need to be able to find harmony with the surrounding world. I understood this and tried to create a company which would comply with my material and emotional needs.
— So… did it work? What does you Company do?
— Of course it worked. We started from development and modernization of hydraulic and hydraulic and pneumatic control systems in metallurgy. And now our work covers various spheres of industry. For example, we have a task to develop a stand for vibration testing of a satellite, its transportation tests and simulation of flight loads. And, of course, we continue our cooperation with many large machine-building and metallurgical enterprises of the region and the whole Russia.
— What criteria are you based on when hiring new employees?
— As a rule, we create new technological “turn-key ready” objects. And we need specialists on technological processes, for example, in metallurgy, in the sphere of control systems and programming, structure development and manufacturing, etc. The most important thing is that a person was motivated to evolve, learn new things and finish what he started. It is necessary to be able to achieve the set goal. Speaking about personal qualities, we value determination and persistence. With these qualities, you can obtain the knowledge necessary for reaching your goal. This should be your own desire, because nobody will take you by the hand and lead you to success.
— What would you like to wish to the Instrumentation Engineering Faculty on the occasion of its 60th anniversary?
— Being a graduate of the Instrumentation Engineering Faculty, I am very proud of having studied at the Department of Automated Control Systems. Back then, the Head of the Department was an excellent scientist, Professor Georgiy Sevirovich Chernorutskiy. I wish the Faculty to stay on the edge of science, perform training of knowledgeable students, and I wish for the teaching staff to achieve new high results in both research and educational activity.