From theory to practice: how master students of the Faculty of Photonics and Optoinformatics study and work

A master's degree is a logical format for continuing studies at a university for those who have completed a bachelor's degree. However, it is not always clear to students where to go after graduation and, most importantly, how to move from theory to practice - to work and develop in their specialty - especially if it is not marketing or programming, but, for example, photonics.

We talked with the heads of laboratories International Institute Photonics and Optoinformatics and alumni Faculty of Photonics and Optoinformaticsto find out how they combine work and study, where they can get a job after graduation (or in the process of studying), and what interests their future employers.

Photo ITMO University

First job in the specialty

Undergraduates have the opportunity to try themselves in their chosen profession while still studying - and without being torn between study and work. According to Anton Nikolayevich Tsypkin, Head of the Laboratory of Femtosecond Optics and Femtotechnologies at the International Institute of Photonics and Optoinformatics, students start with practice in laboratories, while undergraduates continue to work at the institute.

In our case, students work where they do their thesis. This helps them a lot in terms of preparing a master's thesis. The schedule is arranged in such a way that students spend approximately half of the week studying. The rest of the time is spent on the development of their scientific projects in companies or scientific groups.

— Anton Nikolaevich Tsypkin

Ksenia Volkova, who graduated from ITMO University this year, told us about how to work while studying. Ksenia notes that during her studies she worked as an engineer in the laboratory of quantum informatics and participated in a university project:

Work was carried out on the projectCreation of new technological components of control systems for geographically distributed data centers, including virtualization of resources (memory, communication lines, computing power, engineering infrastructure) using quantum technologies to protect communication lines».

In our laboratory, we were engaged in the study of quantum communication in an atmospheric communication channel. Specifically, my task was to study the spectral multiplexing of optical signals in one atmospheric communication channel. This research eventually became my final qualifying work, which I defended in June.

It is nice to realize that my research in the magistracy was not some kind of abstract, but was used in the project (it is being carried out by the University on the order of SMARTS JSC).

— Ksenia Volkova

Ksenia notes that while studying at the university, working "on the side" is, of course, more difficult - not always the schedule of couples can be convenient for combining. If you look for work within the walls of ITMO University itself, then there are much fewer problems with combining:

It is possible to study and work at ITMO University at the same time, especially if you managed to get into a research group that is working on some interesting project. Approximately 30% of students combined work outside the university and study. If we take into account those who worked at ITMO University, the percentage is much higher.

— Ksenia Volkova

Photo ITMO University

Another graduate of this faculty, Maxim Melnyk, has a similar experience. He completed his master’s degree in 2015, defended his Ph.D. thesis in 2019, and at the same time combined work and study: “I work in Laboratories of Femtosecond Optics and Femtotechnologies since 2011, when he was in his third year of undergraduate studies. In the undergraduate and graduate programs, I worked exclusively in science, starting from the first year of graduate school, administrative duties were added.” As Maksim emphasizes, such an approach only helps learning - this way you can put into practice the skills that are acquired in the learning process: “Almost all of my classmates worked in one way or another in the process of studying at the magistracy.”

Practice and work in companies

You can practice while studying at the magistracy not only in university structures, but also in companies that cooperate with Faculty of Photonics and Optoinformatics.

I know for sure that several of my classmates had scientific supervisors from companies (for example, TYDEX, Peter-Service) and, accordingly, worked there or had an internship. Several of them stayed to work there after graduation.

— Maxim Melnik

Interested in students and graduates of the faculty and other companies.

• "Krylovsky State Scientific Center"
• "Center for preclinical and translational studies" med. center them. Almazova
• "Laser Technologies"
• "Ural-GOI"
• "Proteus"
• "Special delivery"
• "Quantum Communications"

Incidentally, one of thesequantum communications” was opened by ITMO University graduates. About the company's projects, we repeatedly told on Habré.

Photo ITMO University

Another example of building a career in science is Yuri Kapoiko: “This is our graduate. He started as an engineer at NPP "Digital Radio Engineering Systems", now he is the head and chief designer of the multi-position aircraft surveillance system "Almanakh". This system has already been launched at Pulkovo, and they plan to introduce it at airports in other cities of Russia,” says head of laboratory "Femtomedicine" of the International Institute of Photonics and Optoinformatics Olga Alekseevna Smolyanskaya.

Photo ITMO University

By the way, teachers also support the desire to combine work and study - moreover, they note that for this it is not necessary to be a graduate student:

Several of my students combine work and study. These were students working as programmers, engineers or draftsmen. For my part, I offered students the topics of graduation theses, which corresponded to the profile of work at the enterprise. The guys work in different courses of study.

— Olga Alekseevna Smolyanskaya

According to graduates and teachers, employers especially appreciate in employees the ability to work with optical equipment and use software packages for calculating the optical properties of objects; resolution of the measuring system; for measuring system control, data processing and analysis. Employers also note the ability to use machine learning methods in their work.

The laboratory facilities of the university and the Faculty of Photonics and Optoinformatics are impressive. Students, graduate students and staff have at their disposal optical and measuring equipment: from simple fiber components to complex high-frequency oscilloscopes and systems for recording ultraweak single-photon light fields.

— Ksenia Volkova

PhD and scientific career

Working in the specialty after graduation from the university is not the only scenario for the development of events for undergraduates. Some continue their scientific careers at the University - for example, Maxim Melnik did this. He works as an engineer at the Faculty of Photonics and Optoinformatics, is a Deputy Executive Officer and is engaged in international cooperation International Institute of Photonics and Optoinformatics:

In my work I am engaged in both science (in the fields of nonlinear optics, terahertz optics and ultrashort pulse optics), as well as administration and supervision of projects.

I am the organizer of the annual international summer intensive research school on Photonics "Research Summer Camp in Photonics" at ITMO University, and I am also a member of the organizing committee of the conference "Fundamental Problems of Optics" held by ITMO University.

I participate as a performer in 4 grants, competitions, FTPs, held by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, the Russian Science Foundation and other scientific organizations of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation.

— Maxim Melnik

Photo ITMO University

ITMO University laboratories are interested in students who want to make a career in science. Among them, for example laboratory of digital and visual holography:

We do not focus on companies, in our laboratory we try to work with guys who have decided to devote themselves to science. And smart young people are now in great demand all over the world - both in the USA and in Europe. This spring, for example, our collaborator from Shenzhen (China) was looking for postdocs with a salary of 230 thousand rubles. per month.

— Head of the Digital and Image Holography Laboratory at ITMO University Nikolai Petrov

Master’s degree graduates can build a career in science not only at their home university, but also abroad — ITMO University is well known in the scientific field. “A large number of acquaintances work at foreign universities or have joint international research grants,” Maxim Melnik notes. Ksenia Volkova also decided to follow this path - now she is entering graduate school in Switzerland.

As the experience of the faculty shows, in order to combine study and work, it is not necessary to sacrifice something - and after graduating from the university, it is quite possible to get a job in your specialty, already having profile work experience. This approach only helps in learning, and ITMO University teachers and staff are ready to meet those who want to combine theory, practice and the first steps in the profession.

Now there are two master's programs at the Faculty of Photonics and Optoinformatics:

• Quantum communications and femtotechnologies
• Physics and technology of nanostructures

Admission to them continues - you can apply 5 to August.

Source: habr.com