Selection for Master’s Degree Programs of TPU Petroleum Learning Center Starts

A selection for master’s degree programs of the TPU Petroleum Learning Center started on November 1, 2021. All entrance examinations can be passed online at any time. Upon completion of a degree, students will obtain diplomas from two universities: TPU and Heriot-Watt University (Great Britain), one of the leading world universities in petroleum engineering.

Enrollees can choose one out of three areas to study: a one-year MSc in Petroleum Engineering and MSc in Reservoir Evaluation and Management (the selection will be finished at the end of July 2022), as well as a two-year paired degree in Petroleum Engineering (the selection will be finished at the end of August 2022).

The educational process of all the degrees will be held face-to-face in Tomsk. The content and format of the educational process meet the standards accepted at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. All the students have an opportunity to receive a job offer from leading companies in petroleum engineering with which the TPU Petroleum Learning Center cooperates.

The selection includes an English test and interviews with teachers of the master’s degree programs. The enrollees of the paired degree also must pass a test on the fundamentals of petroleum engineering. All the entrance examinations will be held in a remote mode through an enrollee personal account on the Center website. Each step of the selection is available automatically after a successful pass of the previous step.

“For enrollees who choose a MSc in Reservoir Evaluation and Management, the grant selection will be extended. This year, in honor of the 20th anniversary of the Center opening, we have decided to support the most motivated enrollees and hold a competition for educational grants.

In case of keeping good academic progress at the same level, students, who passed the selection in the grant competition, will receive not only the Center support but also will have an unlimited choice of a future employee. There is one more essential and long-awaited change — age increment of candidates, who is eligible for funding from petroleum companies. From now on, the candidates under 30 are also eligible to win a grant,” Valery Rukavishnikov, Director of the TPU Petroleum Learning Center, says.

Other requirements to the enrollees have not changed, they include a degree diploma in any technical and natural science areas, transcript GPA of at least 3.8 out of 5.0, intermediate level of English and higher. Learn more about the terms of the selection following the link.

Feel free to ask any questions about the selection process to the staff of the TPU Admission Office via email: [email protected].

Leading art and design college LCCA opens its campus in London, Tower Hill with its “Wellness and Flourishing” event

London College of Contemporary Arts (LCCA) has opened its new campus in Sceptre Court, Tower Hill, London by hosting a discussion about the importance of “Wellness and Flourishing” in creative industries.

Leading creative professionals including copper artist Sadie Clayton, oil painter Elitsa Ristova and Tom Doust, social innovator and co-director of the Institute of Imagination took part in a lively and informative panel discussion alongside Judy Parkinson, Founder of “Drawling Life” Charity, Ross Wheeler, Creative Director and Head of Automotive Imagination and Aura Ingoldsby, Founder of Make Me a Comic.

Hosted and moderated by Dr Kate Armstrong, Head of College, the participants were invited to reflect on their personal and professional experiences and discussed the importance of communicating these issues through the lens of creativity and imagination.

The event concluded with the thought-provoking “Exhibition in Neurodiversity” by LCCA student and painter Elitsa Ristova, who explores the concept of being completely emotionally detached from others and finding themselves in emotional balance – or imbalance. The artist, who was diagnosed with epilepsy at a young age, wants to raise disability awareness, and increase the understanding of any type of long-term health condition.

The “Wellness and Flourishing” panel discussion was the first physical event of the N.i.C.E (Network in Creative Enterprise) group series, an initiative led by LCCA. The series will be held once a month until 2022 and is available to students and staff.

“It’s fantastic to have officially opened our new campus and be able to welcome brilliant creatives such as Sadie, Elitsa and Tom to take part in our “Wellness and Flourishing” panel,” says Dr Kate Armstrong, Head of College Management. “Like many areas, over the last 18 month or so, it has been particularly tough for the creative industries and here at LCCA we think it is important to reflect on the personal and professional experiences of creatives during this time and learn from them.”

LCCA has welcomed students back to its new campus in Tower Hill, which provides impressive state-of-the-art fashion and MAC studios as well as photography and media facilities. The rooms on campus are equipped with all the necessary equipment, including industrial sewing machines and overlock and buttonhole machines to provide students with practical industry skills.

As a specialist creative arts college, LCCA boasts industry-experienced academic staff, who ensure students are industry-ready at the end of their studies. They support students in developing the skills and knowledge required to access a range of career opportunities across a variety of disciplines. Located in the heart of London, providing easy access to museums, art galleries and flagship shopping venues, LCCA offers foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees to aspiring creatives.

If you are interested in a career in fashion, art or the creative industries, don’t hesitate to get in contact about the course you are interested in. Alternatively, book your place at the next LCCA open day on Saturday 15 January 2022 here.

LCCA is an associate college of the University for the Creative Arts (UCA).

Plumbing the Depths: Defect Distribution in Ion-Implanted SiC Diodes

Researchers reveal that aluminum implantation doping in p-type bipolar semiconductors creates defects many layers deeper than the implantation site

Introducing a vertical arrangement of n and p layers into the drift layer of semiconductors to enable bipolar operation is a way around the ‘unipolar limit’ problem in semiconductors. But defect generation during the fabrication of such devices is a matter of concern. Researchers have examined the depth and distribution of defects formed by aluminum ion implantation in silicon carbide bipolar diodes to identify ways to induce efficient conductivity modulation.

Silicon carbide (SiC) unipolar semiconductors are in wide commercial use, but their operations are limited by a trade-off relationship between breakdown voltage and specific resistance of the drift layer, or specific on-resistance. Including a super junction structure, which refers to an arrangement of n and p layers in trenches in the drift layer, or enabling bipolar operation in the device, provides a way to overcome this unipolar limit. Bipolar operation brings about a large decrease in on-resistance by inducing a conductivity modulation in the drift layer. But bipolar operation is not without its disadvantages. Conduction and switching losses in bipolar devices need to be carefully balanced.

P-type contact layers in semiconductors are generally formed via aluminum (Al) doping. Al doping can be achieved in two ways – epitaxial or ion implantation. Epitaxial growth involves the layer by layer deposition of semiconductor materials on a substrate, whereas ion implantation entails bombarding the semiconductor layers with high energy charged particles. But ion implantation leads to the formation of defects deep in the semiconductor layers, which could have a critical effect on conductivity modulation.

In a recent study published in Physica Status Solidi (b), researchers from Japan investigated the depth distribution of defects in SiC bipolar diodes that were formed by Al doping. “Our findings will help with the optimum design of SiC power devices, which will soon be employed in electric vehicles, trains etc. These results will ultimately help improve the performance, as well as the size and energy consumption of traction systems in vehicles and trains,” says Associate Professor Dr. Masashi Kato of Nagoya Institute of Technology, who led the study.

To study the depth distribution of defects, the research team fabricated two SiC PiN diodes with Al doped p-layers, one through epitaxial growth and the other through ion implantation. They then studied the distribution of defects in both diodes using conventional ‘deep level transient spectroscopy’ (DLTS) and characterized its properties using cathodoluminescence (CL). They found that p-type layer deposition by epitaxial growth did not cause damage in the adjacent n-type layers, but that the growth showed slight instability that led to the formation of deep level defects. The specific on-resistance of this diode was also low, thanks to the effects of conductivity modulation.

For the diode formed by ion implantation, however, the researchers found that Al doping achieved a high specific on-resistance without influencing conductivity modulation. Moreover, the researchers observed that the defects in the semiconductor device penetrated to a minimum of 20 µm from the implantation region. “Our study shows that the ion implantation in SiC bipolar devices need to be processed at least 20 µm away from the active regions,” explains Dr. Kato.

The low power consumption of SiC power devices mean that they will be essential in the future as climate change increases and the fossil fuel energy crisis worsens. Improving semiconductor technology rapidly so that it can take its rightful place on the world stage is of paramount importance. With strong results like this to inform future research and manufacturing, we may realize this future sooner than expected!

New Tool Can Detect a Precursor of Engine-Destroying Combustion Instability

Scientists develop a tool that uses machine learning and a dynamical systems-based approach to identify a precursor of combustion instability in engines

Combustion engines, like those in aircrafts, remain at risk of fatal damage by a phenomenon called “combustion oscillations,” where pressure fluctuations inside the engine become large. Now, researchers from Japan have developed a novel tool to detect a precursor to combustion oscillations using machine learning and a dynamical systems-based approach, opening doors to the prediction and prevention of related fatal damage to engines.

Combustion engines have been around since the late 18th century, although they did not gain popularity until over 50 years later. Now, they are practically ubiquitous, powering anything from cars and airplanes to turbines.

The part of the combustion engine in which the fuel is burnt (in the presence of oxygen) is called the combustor. The lifespan of a combustor can be limited by a phenomenon called “thermoacoustic combustion oscillations.” When thermoacoustic oscillations become too large or out of control, it causes fatal damage to combustors, which can have enormous financial and human consequences.

Detecting combustion oscillations and preventing damage is a key effort in the field of thermal engineering. Recently, a team of scientists from Japan—including Hiroshi Gotoda, Yuhei Shinichi, and Naohiro Takeda from Tokyo University of Science, as well as Seiji Yoshida and Takeshi Shoji from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)—have developed a promising tool for the detection of a precursor of thermoacoustic oscillations. The study was made available online on May 10, 2021 and published in volume 59 of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Journal on October 1, 2021.

“In our study, we have shown that the methodology combining dynamical systems theory and machine learning can be useful for detecting predictive combustion oscillations in multisector combustors, such as those in aircraft engines,” says Prof. Gotoda, who headed the study.

The team conducted combustion experiments with varying fuel flow rates in a staged multisector combustor developed by JAXA.

The scientists used the data from these experiments to train a machine learning algorithm called ‘support vector machine (SVM).’ The SVM allowed them to classify the combustion into three states—stable, transitional, and combustion oscillations. The pressure fluctuations in the transitional state are key to predicting future combustion oscillations. In the transitional state, pressure fluctuations transition from being small-amplitude and aperiodic to being large-amplitude and periodic. Amplitude represents the ‘largeness’ of the fluctuation, whereas periodicity describes the repetition of the fluctuation.

“The findings of this study will contribute greatly towards developing a method to detect combustion oscillations in advance in aircraft engines,” reveals Prof. Gotoda.

These findings could have far-reaching consequences, paving the way for confident and timely predictions of combustion oscillations, with the potential to save billions of dollars and human lives.

Leading Music College LCCM Announces the Winner of 2021 Full Scholarship Award

London music college LCCM has announced Kofi Otuo, a first year BMUS Commercial Music Technology Student, as the winner of its full scholarship competition for 2021.

Kofi auditioned for the scholarship at a multidisciplinary live event at the college’s state-of-the-art Music Box venue in front of an audience, and the judging panel – the singer-songwriter Carmody and LCCM academics Austin Milne and Pat Cotton. All were effusive in their praise of Kofi’s work with Milne, Programme Leader for Postgraduate, calling it, “some of the most original music that I’ve ever heard” and Carmody calling it “so slick.”

Pat Cotton, Programme Leader for Music, said of Kofi’s scholarship audition: “All the elements were familiar but the way you put them together was great. It didn’t set in the kind of grove I was expecting. It was very different, but still commercial at the same time. It was great!”

Kofi, who is from Ghana, was surprised and delighted to win the scholarship. Speaking on stage immediately after the result was announced, he said: Thank you to the judges for taking a look at my music and actually connecting with it. I’d also like to say congratulations to you all (other finalists). It’s not an easy job to bring your music forward as a musician so congratulations to you guys. With all the love and support that I’ve had since I’ve been here, I’m just grateful.”

The other student finalists where Katie Whiting, 1st year BMus Performance and Production; Annatoria Chitapa, 1st year BA Music Business Management (previous winner of ITV’s The Voice UK) and Masters students Leon Morris, MMus Production and Katie Roberts, MMus Performance.

“All the students at LCCM, not just our five finalists, are incredibly talented,” says Anthony Hamer-Hodges, Principal at LCCM. “We want them to enjoy themselves when they are with us but also learn and thrive, using the experience and knowledge we have given them to be a success in whatever part of the industry they want to go into.”

The applicants auditioned in late September and the Scholarship Day followed on from LCCM’s successful Music Industry Insiders Day in August.

Elsewhere, the first freshers’ event of the term saw platinum-selling indie-pop band, Amber Run, perform an intimate set for around 80 students and staff at the Music Box venue before embarking on their UK tour. The band has amassed a dedicated fanbase with over 800 million streams, a US platinum single and sold-out world tours.

LCCM continues to welcome a ‘who’s who’ of the UK music business to the college, with David Rodigan MBE, Dumi Oburota and GFrSH appearing at recent ‘Box Talks’ events; artists Novelist, Kara Marni and Kojey Radical using the studio facilities; and industry organisations and companies such as PPL, Good Soldier and BAFTA appearing as part of the ‘Music Industry Mondays’ conversation series.

The Rates of Unique Names Increased in Japan: More Rapidly for Girls than for Boys

A new study examined the historical changes in the rates of unique names in Japan between 2004 and 2018

An analysis of baby names between 2004 and 2018 by Assistant Professor Yuji Ogihara of Tokyo University of Science revealed that the rates of unique names increased for both boys and girls in Japan, corroborating the rise in uniqueness-seeking and individualism. The increase was more rapid for girls, indicating that parents have a stronger hope for uniqueness and independence in their daughters. His research provides interesting insights into changes in Japanese names and culture.

Previous research has indicated that the rates of common names decreased in Japan between 2004 and 2013, indicating an increase in the tendency to give unique names to babies. However, this finding was obtained by analyzing the separate rankings of common writings (spellings) and readings (pronunciations) of baby names published by private companies. These analyses were conducted because of a lack of comprehensive and systematic database on baby names in Japan, unlike in other nations such as the United States and China. Thus, writings and readings were not analyzed together, making it unclear whether the rates of unique names increased.

Examining directly whether the rates of unique names increased contributes to a better understanding of not only historical changes in names and naming practices, but also cultural changes toward greater individualism that emphasizes uniqueness and independence. To this end, Assistant Professor Yuji Ogihara from the Tokyo University of Science collected names whose writings and readings were both clear and directly investigated historical changes in the rates of unique names in Japan.

He analyzed 7,779 (boys: 3,762, girls: 4,017) names of babies born between 2004 and 2018 whose writings and readings are both available among the 152,995 (boys: 78,623, girls: 74,372) names collected by the Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company. The use of these names in insurance contracts indicated that these were real names of actual Japanese residents.

In this study, names with rates below the threshold criteria (0.05%, 0.10%, or 0.15%) were regarded as unique. Assistant Professor Ogihara calculated the total rates of unique names in each year between 2004 and 2018. Then, he analyzed their historical changes.

He found that the rates of unique names increased for both boys and girls. This result was consistent with the prior study that analyzed the rankings of common writings and readings separately. This result shows that parents increasingly gave unique names to their babies and that Japanese culture has increasingly emphasized uniqueness and independence, providing further evidence of the rise in uniqueness-seeking and individualism in Japan. This finding is also consistent with the prior studies showing the rise in individualism in other aspects such as family structure and values.

Interestingly, Assistant Professor Ogihara showed that the rates of unique names increased more rapidly for girls than for boys. This result may suggest that parents came to have stronger hope for their daughters than for their sons that they become unique and independent. This result also demonstrates that sex can be a moderating factor of sociocultural changes. Although the increase in the tendency to give unique names has been reported not only in Japan but also in the United States, Germany, and China, sex differences in these changes have not been examined sufficiently, which makes the present study internationally novel and important. These results were published online on September 14, 2021 and published in Volume 2 of the international journal Current Research in Behavioral Sciences on November 1, 2021.

This study reveals an increase in the rates of unique names in Japan via a direct analysis of actual names. It shows that Japanese culture has changed toward greater individualism that emphasizes uniqueness and independence. Therefore, this research contributes to the understanding of the changes in not only Japanese names and naming practices but also Japanese culture.

Assistant Professor Ogihara plans to continue investigating historical changes in names and naming practices in Japan. In the near future, he aims to examine whether these changes were also found before 2000s and whether there are regional differences in these changes in Japan.

Faculty of Humanities, President University, holds International Conference on Humanities and Social Science 2021

The Faculty of Humanities, President University (PresUniv), held the International Conference on Humanities and Social Science (ICHSS) 2021 from 26-27 October 2021.

The first international conference of the Faculty of Humanities PresUniv wanted to raise the theme “The Opportunities of Crisis: International Experiences and Best Practices in the Time of Covid-19 and Beyond in Society 5.0”.

There were five sub-themes discussed at this conference, namely International Relations and Other Social & Cultural Issues, Communication Science, Law, Education, and Biodiversity.

The conference was opened by Prof. Dr. Ir. Budi Susilo Soepandji, DEA, Chairman of the President’s University Education Foundation (YPUP). Prof. Budi expressed his wish that this conference would become an essential agenda for the entire humanities academic community at the global level to share views and knowledge with each other and could be held every year.

“I believe we share the same hope, which is that this conference can contribute to the improvement of research and practice in the Humanities Sciences.”

Meanwhile, in his keynote speech, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. (HC) Airlangga Hartarto, MBA, MMT, IPU, explained that the handling of Covid-19 cases in Indonesia is better than in other countries, thus making Indonesia’s economic growth reached 7.16% in the second quarter of 2021 or the highest for the last 16 years.

His message to all students was, “Indonesia’s digital economy is the largest in ASEAN. We will also experience a demographic bonus which is the key to Indonesia’s growth. This is an opportunity for students to do digital business because they are digital talents and future entrepreneurs.”

The conference also featured nine domestic and foreign speakers.

St Petersburg University chemists synthesise the smallest nano-sized particles to detect heavy metal ions in water

Scientists at St Petersburg University, Sirius University of Science and Technology, and St Petersburg Academic University have synthesised the smallest nano-sized metal-organic frameworks to detect heavy metal ions in water. The results and outcomes of the experiments and description of the properties of the crystals are published in Nanomaterials.

Metal-organic polymers, or metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), are crystals composed of metal ions interconnected by organic molecules, i.e. organic linkers. Various concentrations of the metal ions and organic linkers can be used to synthesise materials with different structures and properties. MOFs are widely used to design electrochemical sensors as reaction catalysts in the chemical industry or propellant additives.

Some of the MOFs are luminescent MOFs. They emit light caused by UV rays, electromagnetic fields, or other disturbances. Luminescent MOFs are actively used as LED components and luminescent thermometers. Additionally, they are used in the diagnosis of cancer. Luminescent MOFs are also used as luminescent sensors for pollutants.

St Petersburg University chemists synthesised the smallest nano-sized crystals by the ultrasound-assisted wet-chemical method. They were synthesised by a slow mixing of sodium terephthalate and europium chloride aqueous solutions by using the ultrasound-assisted wet-chemical method, precipitated in the form of a polycrystalline solid. Ultrasonication ensured a better mixing of solution, slowed growth of particles, prevented the aggregation of the microparticles, and resulted in the formation of individual microparticles.

The scientists synthesised particles of various sizes. The average particle size can be equal 8 nm up to hundreds of micrometres. Today, the reported europium(III) terephthalate tetrahydrate (Eu2bdc3·4H2O) metal-organic frameworks nanoparticles are the smallest nano-sized rare-earth-based MOF crystals.

‘We did not expect that a twofold decrease in the concentration of reagents could lead to size reduction for several orders. Presumably, this effect may be due to europium-terephthalate 1:1 complex. This can accelerate the growth process of the particles. Earlier, scientists could synthesise nano-sized particles of terephthalate that were equal to 40 nm or even more. We managed to synthesise particles with the fivefold smaller size,’ said the head of the research, Associate Professor in the Department of Laser Chemistry at St Petersburg University and Doctor of Chemistry Andrey Mereshchenko.

The developed method to synthesise nanoparticles can make a positive contribution to nanotechnology and coordination chemistry. By using this method, we can synthesise nanoparticles from other MOFs. The experiments also reported the selective luminescence quenching by heavy metal ions. As a result, the synthesised nanoparticles can be used as sensors to detect heavy metal ions in water.

‘This discovery has the potential to develop efficient sensors to monitor heavy metal ions in drinking water. Our luminescent MOFs demonstrate significantly lower limits of detection on heavy metal ions. This will ensure more accurate measurements of pollutants in water, even in small concentrations’, said Viktor Nosov, a co-author of the article and a student in Chemistry at St Petersburg University.

The reported nanoparticles can also be used as luminescent sensors to detect Cu2+, Cr3+, and Fe3+ ions in water. The presence of these metals in water poses a threat to human beings and animals. Heavy metal accumulation in the body can effect human metabolism and lead to nervous system diseases, vascular diseases, and digestive disorders. The chemists are planning to continue the research and develop an express test to detect heavy metal ions in drinking water and waste.

The research is supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project No 20-33-70025 ‘Effect of the solvent on the growth dynamics and structure of the metal-organic frameworks’). The research was carried out at the Department of Laser Chemistry at St Petersburg University using the resources and infrastructure of the University’s Research Park and Sirius University of Science and Technology.

Thammasat University’s Rector discusses the impact of COVID-19 on education at the annual EFMD Board Meeting

On October 3rd, Rector Gasinee Witoonchart, Thammasat University,  was welcomed by the EFMD Board of Trustees as the new board member at the annual EFMD board meeting. On the agenda were discussions on the impacts of COVID-19 on business education.

As the only representative from Thailand, Rector Gasinee shared how Thai universities are developing online platforms to ensure high-quality knowledge delivery.

“Virtual international exchanges and short programs represent remedies to curb declined mobility due to travel restrictions,” she said.

EFMD discussed how joint PhD programs are an avenue for future collaboration models in business education. In this regard, EFMD will be establishing a central platform for partners to join in grooming future business researchers. Although exchange agreements serve as an initial mean to internationalize institutions, dual degree and joint degree programs will bring partnerships to a whole new level.

On November 22nd, Thammasat University and EFMD will be holding the Thammasat & EFMD Seminars on Partnerships for SDGs where participants include top management from over 50 business schools in the ASEAN region and Southern China. This event will showcase how long-lasting collaborations among academic institutions and corporates promote sustainable learning models to achieve SDGs.

Chula researcher’s low-level laser therapy to end hereditary hair loss with promised results in six months

A world-renowned hair loss expert from Chulalongkorn University has discovered that low-level laser treatment can stimulate hair follicles and hair growth. Guaranteed by a world-class award, this treatment for thinning hair and hair loss can deliver results in 24 weeks.

Thinning hair, hair loss, and baldness can sabotage the self-confidence and quality of life of people of all genders and ages. Those who suffer these problems struggle to find the right treatments, like changing shampoos, cutting their hair short, taking supplements, avoiding using chemicals on the scalp, etc., to no avail.  One of the reasons for the failure is not tackling the problem at its root cause, especially in the case of genetic hair thinning, and hair loss.

Assoc. Prof. Ratchathorn Panchaprateep, M.D., Head of the Hair and Scalp Center, Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Thai Red Cross Society and lecturer of the Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, in her research on “Proteomic Analysis in Derma Papilla from Male Androgenetic Alopecia after Treatment with Low-Level Laser Therapy” that received an award from the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) proves that the use of low-level laser therapy can stimulate the scalp and hair growth in 24 weeks.

                                                    

                                                        Assoc. Prof. Ratchathorn Panchaprateep, M.D.

“This low-level laser therapy is suitable for patients with an early stage of hair loss i.e. with mild to moderate symptoms, but not suitable for those in an advanced stage, or already have baldness.  Patients should undergo the therapy continuously at least 5 – 10 times, every two weeks. They will start to see the result after the 5th treatment. Clearer results can be seen after three months. Patients will have new growth of stronger hair,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ratchathorn said.

This is the first research in Asia to confirm the efficacy of low-level laser therapy for genetic hair loss, making Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ratchathorn the first Thai female doctor to win the highest Platinum Follicle Award 2019 from the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) for her professional excellence and research on hair.

“Even though genetic hair loss cannot be cured, the current treatment can extend the hair’s life and scalp health. Most important is to keep your body strong with a healthy diet especially protein, get enough sleep and avoid stress,” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ratchathorn concluded.