VYZOV Prize Roadshow Starts in Novosibirsk

Usually, actors and musicians travel across the country, but this time, scientists are on tour. The project aims to showcase scientific breakthroughs not only in Moscow but also in other Russian cities, demonstrating that scientists are the heroes of our time and deserve public attention, recognition, and admiration.

Novosibirsk became the first city on the map of the VYZOV Prize Roadshow. On April 14, Evgeny Antipov, a laureate of the VYZOV Prize for Future Technologies, delivered a lecture in the Great Hall of the Government of the Novosibirsk Region. Evgeny Antipov is Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Department of Electrochemistry of Chemistry Faculty at Lomonosov Moscow State University, and Professor at Skoltech. His research is focused on developing materials for next generation metal-ion batteries, including sodium, potassium, and lithium-ion batteries. These batteries are known for their high energy density, significantly exceeding that of conventional batteries. During his lecture, Evgeny Antipov spoke about his work and answered questions from the audience.

"The VYZOV Prize Roadshow is a new format, and it is both an honor and great responsibility to be the first person to give a lecture on this unique tour of scientists across Russia. I am delighted to have the opportunity to share my research with a large number of people who are passionate about science. It is a great idea to have winners of the VYZOV Prize give lectures in different Russian cities. I hope that the geographical scope of the project will expand further," said Evgeny Antipov, laureate of the VYZOV Prize for Future Technologies.

Photobank of the Vyzov Foundation

The event was attended by Irina Manuylova, Deputy Governor of the Novosibirsk Region, and Dmitry Zauers, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Gazprombank and Board Member of the Vyzov Foundation.

"We are proud that Novosibirsk has become the first city to host a new format of science promotion events in support of the VYZOV Prize. We are one of the leading regions in achieving the objectives of the Decade of Science and Technology. Each year, we hold approximately 200 events aimed at popularizing and communicating science and technology. Scientists and engineers from the Siberian Federal District have submitted numerous applications for the VYZOV Prize. When it comes to the Novosibirsk Region, the interest in the award is increasing each year. We are particularly excited that in 2024, a scientist from Novosibirsk, Sergey Taskaev, won the award in the Engineering Solution category," said Irina Manuylova, Deputy Governor of the Novosibirsk Region.

Photobank of the Vyzov Foundation

Scientists and engineers from the Siberian Federal District have a strong track record of actively submitting applications for the VYZOV Prize. Last year, a total of 594 applications were received from 34 countries, with 55 coming from the Siberian Federal District – in other words, the district accounted for roughly one tenth of all applications. The Novosibirsk Region was one of the leading regions in terms of the number of applications submitted, ranking behind only Moscow, the Moscow Region and St. Petersburg. Sergey Taskaev, a scientist from Novosibirsk, head of the Laboratory of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy at Novosibirsk State University, Chief Researcher at Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, became the winner in the Engineering Solution category. He was awarded the prize for the development of a compact accelerator neutron source suitable for a wide range of research applications, including neutron capture therapy.

"Today, the nation's top priority is to transfer knowledge into the economy. Gazprombank is committed to creating a comprehensive ecosystem for knowledge transfer in technology, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Science, universities, National Technological Initiative, Sirius University, and industrial partners. Last year, we launched several funds with a total value of approximately 13 billion rubles. Together with the Ministry of Education and Science, we are relaunching the Priority 2030 program to facilitate the involvement of universities. Moreover, we co-founded the VYZOV Prize, which will be held for the third time this year. We firmly believe that talents play a key role in technological leadership, and we need to believe and invest in them. In our view, the expertise required to build new industries is becoming critically important, and we are making this part of Gazprombank's strategy," said Dmitry Zauers, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Gazprombank and Board Member of the Vyzov Foundation.  

Photobank of the Vyzov Foundation

In 2025, the Roadshow is expected to visit four Russian cities: Novosibirsk, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, and Saratov.

"The VYZOV Prize supports the most important scientific research and researchers, shows groundbreaking developments in modern science. We believe that the VYZOV Prize Roadshow will be especially interesting for professional scientists. However, if we could also spark interest in science among kids and teenagers through this initiative, it would be a priceless achievement," says Artem Oganov, Chairman of the Scientific Committee of the VYZOV Prize.

Nauka Mail is information partner of the VYZOV Prize.