EU-Russia Tempus project in neuroscience Katri Wegelius, PhD, Coordinator University of Helsinki 14/11/2014

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1 BioN EU-Russia Tempus project in neuroscience Katri Wegelius, PhD, Coordinator University of Helsinki 14/11/2014

2 BioN Postgraduate Training Network in Biotechnology of Neurosciences (BioN) Tempus IV 2 nd Call for Proposals EAC/01/2009 Proposal TEMPUS FI-TEMPUS-JPTC

3 BioN Postgraduate Training Network in Grant holder/coordinator University of Helsinki Director, professor Kai Kaila Coordinator Katri Wegelius Finnish Graduate School of Neuroscience (FGSN)

4 Finnish Graduate School of Neuroscience (FGSN) RESEARCH AND POSTGRADUATE TRAINING: Cellular and molecular neuroscience Biotechnology Membrane electrobiophysics Electrophysiology of cells and networks Developmental neurobiology Systems level neuroscience Neuronal modelling Computational neuroscience Brain imaging Neuropsychology Brain diseases University of Turku / Åbo Akademi University of Oulu: Aalto University (Helsinki University of Technology) University of Kuopio: University of Helsinki

5 Main goal: to establish the first Russian Nationwide Postgraduate Training Network with a focus on biotechnology of neurosciences

6 Biotechnology of neuroscience means a broad scope of brain technologies based on multidisciplinary developments that extend across different fields of the physical, computational and biomedical sciences and cover different levels of brain functions, from the genetic to the cognitive. Physiology Developmental biology Psychology Cognitive sciences Molecular biology Genetics Biotechnology Neuroscience Computational neuroscience Social sciences

7 National priority (Russia): Biotechnology/neuroscience Needs analysis: Necessity and innovation of creating a network of postgraduate training programs in Russia, using Finnish Graduate School of Neuroscience as a model Developing biotechnology in Russia Strengthening the interdisciplinary biotechnology/neuroscience community among Russian and European members Model for other future (PhD) networks

8 Previous experience and collaboration Finnish Graduate School of Neuroscience (Ministry of Education, Academy of Finland, ) Master s Program in Neuroscience Tempus JEP , Cortex Training Network (EU Marie Curie EST ) Joint Nordic-Russian Network of Neuroscience Graduate Schools (Nordic Council of Ministers) (co-financing via Umeå) PENS/Tempus School: Models in neuroscience: turning experiments into knowledge (FENS, 2008)

9 BioN Modernization of postgradute education in Russia Introducing the 3rd level of education European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) into postgraduate education English courses for students & teachers Postgraduate courses in biotechnology/neuroscience (in English) Guidelines for postgraduate education / PhD thesis: Common standards and good practices to improve the quality control of postgraduate training Increasing national and international networking/collaboration in education and research: Facilitating national and international information exchange Promoting coordinated activities Website (courses, materials, library) Students meetings Students and teachers mobility/practical training

10 St.Petersburg State University Nanotechnology Research and Education Centre RAS Nizhny Novgorod State University Lomonosov Moscow State University Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris Italian Institute of Technology, Genova

11 St.Petersburg State University Nanotechnology Research and Education Centre RAS Nizhny Novgorod State University Lomonosov Moscow State University Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris Moscow City Univ. for Psychology and Education Italian Institute of Technology, Genova

12 EU PARTNERS 1. University of Helsinki, Finland Finnish Graduate School of Neuroscience (FGSN) 2. Umeå University, Sweden Department of Integrative Medical Biology 3. Medical Research Council, Cambridge, UK Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit 4. Italian Institute of Technology, Genova, Italy Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies 5. Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris, France Group for Neural Theory + 3 Individual Experts in EU Institutes: Vasily Klutcharev Ivan Pavlov Elena Kushnerenko RUSSIAN PARTNERS 1. University of St. Petersburg Faculty of Biology and Soil Sciences 2. Nizhny Novgorod State University Dept. of Neurodynamics and Neurobiology 3. Southern Federal University Human and Animal Physiology 4. Lomonosov Moscow State University Higher Nervous Activity 5. Ioffe Physico-Technical Institute, St. Petersburg Computational Physics Laboratory 6. St. Petersburg Academic University Nanotechnology Research and Education Centre RAS Laboratory of Bionanotechnologies 7. BS Soft, St. Petersburg Computational biotechnology 8. Association of Classical Universities Centre for Networking and Academic Mobility

13 Strengths: Expertise in the thematic field (neuroscience/biotechnology) Participating staff fluent in both Russian and English Administrative and technical expertise: previous Tempus activities and other EU funding programs /networks High level of support from the respective university administrations

14 ion Management: Director and managing coordinator (Finland) Administrative coordinator (Russia) Executive board (ideas, suggestions, guidelines) Management board (decision-making) Student board (feedback, participation in decision-making) Advisory board (evaluation, recommendations) Important: Balanced distribution of tasks/responsibilities between partners

15 ion Management: Director and managing coordinator (Finland) Administrative coordinator (Russia) Executive board (ideas, suggestions, guidelines) Management board (decision-making) Student board (feedback, participation in decision-making) Advisory board (evaluation, recommendations) Important: Balanced distribution of tasks/responsibilities between partners

16 BioN Activities: English courses for students & teachers, postgraduate courses in neuroscience, website, implementation of ECTS, internal evaluation, students meetings, mobility/placements, guidelines for PhD thesis. Budget: Cost effectiveness in staff costs (administrative and scientific staff), equipment costs, mobility costs Dissemination: website, promotion at national and international level Sustainability: long-term impact and effect on Russian postgraduate education by program quality, networking, effective administration and accreditation by Russian Authorities

17 BioN Achieved outcomes during the BioN project Website ( communication, dissemination 16 new postgraduate training courses organized in English including e.g. scientific writing, neuroeconomics, methods in psychophysiology, neurophysics, neuronal plasticity (ECTS) Annual Schools: one week of intensive training on Neurotechnologies (1. Cognitive, 2. Computational, 3. Cellular and Genetic) Webinars: 44 (Moscow, St. Pet, Rostov, Nizhny) Practical training: 1-3 months (15 students from Russia to EU universities) Teacher training: EU lecturers to Russia and Russian teachers to EU universities Library: 79 books available for students and teachers Guidelines for PhD thesis

18 BioN Postgraduate training in Russia before BioN: Candidate of Science degree (no recognition of PhD degree) Postgraduate programmes run independently by different Russian universities or Research Institutes (Russian Academy of Sciences - RAS). Standard study plan : philosophy and history (100 hours), foreign language (100 hours), specialized courses (280 hours), optional courses (500 hours), pedagogical training (100 hours), scientific project (experiments 60 weeks, preparation of PhD thesis 52 weeks, preparation of thesis defence 8 weeks), State examination (10 weeks).

19 BioN Current situation in Russia: BioN BioN continued as network between universities: joint annual schools New funding from National Agency of Strategic Initiative New partner: Higher School of Economics (Centre for Cognition and Decision Making) PhD Degree New educational standards in PhD education from Sept 2013 Advanced courses were included as an obligatory part in the PhD curriculum Network education made possible PhD degree awarded in St. Petersburg State University (Moscow State University degree system under development)

20 BioN Michael Druzin, PhD Umeå University, Department of Integrative Medical Biology (IMB)

21 BioN More information from: Katri Wegelius, University of Helsinki Michael Druzin, Umeå University