Oleg Solyakov: MSAWT to become a leading research and education complex in Russia’s water transport sector
Moscow State Academy of Water Transport welcomes a new and young Prorector. In his interview with IAA PortNews, Prorector for Research Oleg Solyakov shares his plans on further development of the Academy.
- Mr. Solyakov, you took the office of MSAWT Prorector for Research in April 2015. What is you mission in this position?
- The Academy stands a good chance of becoming the leading research and education complex in the water transport sector of Russia. For me, the key mission of MSAWT is to train high quality personnel for the fleet and infrastructure of water transport, federal executive authorities in the sector of maritime and inland water transport as well as subordinate authorities and organizations based on efficient scientific and education activities.
Amid the current state of transport education and science in Russia, my efforts are aimed at the development of innovative approach to training and at introduction of state-of-the-art methods into scientific research and technological developments in water transport sector.
I also look into the development of cooperation with scientific, designing and technological organizations for joint handling of applied problems, holding of seminars, forums and conferences.
The Academy should sign agreements with state, legal and international organizations for joint R&D in difficult sectors.
Besides, I suggest setting up our own scientific and research centers, laboratories and a test basin within the framework of MSAWT.
- Could you, please tell about the scientific activities of MSAWT.
- MSAWT is engaged in large-scale scientific work related to the industry’s challenging issues. The Academy is developing the innovative laser navigation in water transport sector. The first laser blind-type beacon in Russia was placed on the Ladoga lake near Shlisselburg with the port of Tuapse and Kaliningrad seaway canal to follow. Pilots say such systems enhance safety of navigation due to visibility in bad weather and unrivalled accuracy of course alignment. So, permanent accuracy of course alignment along the entire fairway has been achieved for the first time ever.
Besides, the design bureau of the Academy (Rechport bureau) has developed a design of a buoy tender for lake Baikal and a floating landing stage for the search and rescue service of the Emergencies Ministry.
The scientific laboratory is working on the modernization of marine engines operating on LNG.
More over, design and development work is to be carried out on creation of an environmentally friendly passenger ship with an alkaline fuel cell power plant, energy storage unit and high pressure electrolyzer.
As a member of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR) I take part in its activities. MSAWT is set to take an active part in further work of IMO Committees and Sub-Committees.
- What about additional training?
- Annually, the Academy provides advanced training and retraining courses and programmes for up to 3,000 specialists.
The Academy’s simulation center provides training on GMDSS, ECNIS, radar/ARPA, ISPS, transport safety and ship damage control.
- What do you think about the quality of MSAWT education?
- Our graduates are much-in-demand at different water transport organizations. The work at the Ministry of Transport, at the Federal Marine and River Transport Agency, in international forwarding and shipping companies.
Interviewed by Margarita Babkova.
About the Academy:
Moscow State Academy of Water Transport trains shipboard personnel for marine and river transport, management for Rosmorrechflot (Federal Marine and River Transport Agency) and leading organizations of the industry, as well as specialists for shore authorities of the Moscow-Oka Basin. The Academy’s scientific resources let it carry out the research in the sphere of IT, logistics, economics and law in transport, shipbuilding, port development and water transport operation.
