25-Year Jubilee of Higher Chemical College
On December 3rd, the Higher Chemical College of the Russian Academy of Sciences (HCC RAS) celebrated its 25th birthday in Zelinsky Institute.
The HCC was founded in 1990 by the initiative of RAS Full Member O.M. Nefedov, RAS Associate Member A.B. Yaroslavtsev, and Dr. I.V. Svitan’ko. Administratively, it constitutes a part of the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia and was organized by analogy with the Imperial College London. Prof. Oleg M. Nefedov was the author of this concept based on the combination of education and hands-on lab work in RAS institutes, primarily in ZIOC RAS. Involvement in academic research is an integral part of curriculum, with increasing credit load starting from the second year of study. After 5 to 5.5 years, College students defend a thesis and receive a diploma in Chemistry, equivalent to a M.Sc. degree.
The College exhibits best practices in all aspects – high-level education and research, a diversity of research approaches and methods, a large number of publications, and high general erudition and professionalism of HCC students. Their researches are placed high at competitions of young chemists in Russia and abroad. College students regularly work as trainees in leading universities globally.
Recognized scientists from Zelinsky Institute deliver various courses in RAS HCC: Profs. S. Joffe, V. Ananikov, A. Stakheev, A. Dilman, and others. A lot of HCC graduates work in ZIOC.
ZIOC Director Mikhail Egorov said in his opening speech at the jubilee ceremony: “The Higher Chemical College today is one of Russian universities that fuel Russian basic science with young talented chemists and, in particular, deliver highly professional young researchers to ZIOC RAS. We greatly appreciate the longstanding cooperation between this Institute and the College. We are certain that our comprehensive contacts will only be strengthening and maturing in the future.”
In his opening address, Prof. Oleg Nefedov marked that the RAS HCC and the Moscow Chemical Lyceum are links in the continuous chemical education chain established on the basis of ZIOC RAS. Also, he pinpointed that HCC students have so far published more than 1500 papers in high-rating journals, received 12 gold medal awards from RAS for the best research projects, many of them have received PhD and DSc degrees and are heads of leading research teams. Prof. Oleg Nefedov wished the HCC faculty and students, graduates and academic supervisors further success for the good of Russian chemical science.