“NUST MISIS has been cooperating with Kenya since 2014. During this time, students from Kenyatta University, Multimedia University of Kenya, and the Technical University of Mombasa have completed master’s degree programs in Russia. This new agreement expands the university’s partnership network across Africa. The meeting also supports the objectives of NUST MISIS under the Priority 2030 program, which promotes international academic mobility for students and academic staff to enhance professional development, facilitate the exchange of expertise, and implement best practices in education and research,” said Masamba Kah.

During the meeting, the parties discussed mechanisms for academic mobility, the adaptation of educational programs, and support for students from African countries. They also agreed to launch a multilateral workforce development program for Kenya’s industrial enterprises. The program will cover several key areas:

• Mining Engineering
• Metallurgy
• Materials Science
• Solar Energy
• Information Technology
• Industrial Economics

“Partnership with NUST MISIS is of strategic importance to us. The Russian university’s strong integration with industry aligns with the priorities facing Kenya and the African region as a whole: transitioning from a resource-based economy to a manufacturing economy and increasing domestic value creation,” said Professor Kiplagat Kotut.

The parties will continue discussions on the implementation of joint projects at the Russia—Africa Summit, which is scheduled to take place in October 2026.

The NCUT delegation included President Zhang Lifeng, Dean of the School of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Han Fei, Dean of the School of Civil Engineering Ji Yingbo, and Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchanges Xu Mei.

The guests were welcomed by Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation Mikhail Filonov: “The continuous expansion of cooperation with China’s leading universities is aligned with the objectives of MISIS under the Priority 2030 program, which focuses on developing international academic mobility for students, researchers, and faculty members in order to enhance qualifications, exchange experience, and implement best educational and research practices. I am confident that this agreement will open up new opportunities for both sides.”

Vladimir Pirozhkov, Director of the Engineering Center of High-Complexity Prototyping “Kinetica” at MISIS, presented the center’s key projects and spoke about its capabilities in industrial design, digital engineering, and the development of high-tech products.

At the Laboratory of Hybrid Nanostructured Materials, the Chinese colleagues were introduced to the university’s promising developments in advanced materials and additive manufacturing.

Alexander Komissarov, Director of the College of Materials Science, Additive and Scalable Technologies, presented modern educational programs and approaches to training engineering professionals for high-tech industries.

The discussion on future cooperation was attended by Dmitry Vasilyev, Director for International Affairs; Andrey Travyanov, Director of the College of Technologies; Konstantin Grigorovich, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Professor of the Department of Steel Metallurgy, New Production Technologies and Metal Protection; Evgeny Levashov, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Department of Powder Metallurgy and Functional Coatings, and Director of the MISIS—ISMAN Scientific and Educational Center for Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis (SHS); Natalia Korotchenko, Director of the Information and Marketing Center; and Yury Rishko, Head of the Academic Affairs Office.

The parties discussed the development of joint research projects in areas of mutual interest and explored opportunities for representatives of both universities to participate in joint seminars, scientific conferences, and other academic events.

The signed memorandum supports the objectives of the Russia—China Cross Years of Education initiative, aimed at promoting academic mobility, developing joint educational projects, and strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

Rector Alevtina Chernikova commented: “NUST MISIS is Russia’s leading research and educational center in the development, implementation, and application of advanced technologies and materials. Its history encompasses key milestones of industrialization, the development of nuclear and space programs, and the establishment of world-class scientific schools. MISIS was among the first Russian universities selected, in accordance with a decree of the President of the Russian Federation, to participate in the pilot project aimed at improving the higher education system. We view participation in this pilot project as the next stage in the development of the university’s educational model, which is based on the integration of education and research, personalized learning, a practice-oriented approach, and the strengthening of employers’ role in education.”

Employer-sponsored education remains one of the most in-demand training formats. After enrollment, students may sign an agreement with a sponsoring company and receive guaranteed opportunities for internships and subsequent employment. The mandatory employment period under such agreements ranges from three to five years.

Applicants can also gain additional admission advantages through individual achievements. NUST MISIS regularly expands the list of achievements eligible for bonus points, such as winning or placing in academic competitions, contests, research and practical conferences, case championships, and other events.

Additional opportunities are provided through named scholarships and grant programs supported by the MISIS Endowment Fund. These programs are open to both state-funded and tuition-paying students. Each year, the university holds its “Student of the Year” competition, with winners receiving cash awards ranging from 50,000 to 150,000 rubles.

The university continues to develop its multi-track educational model, enabling students to build individualized learning pathways aligned with their professional interests and labor market demands. A comfortable learning environment remains one of the key advantages of NUST MISIS. Students have access to modern laboratories, multimedia classrooms, libraries, coworking spaces, and collaborative work areas.

All student residences are located close to the university’s main campus. The dormitories provide conditions conducive to both study and recreation, featuring computer labs, high-speed internet access, cafés, shops, and laundry facilities. The Metallurg residence hall also includes its own sports complex with a swimming pool.

Detailed information on admissions regulations, academic programs, and application deadlines is available on the university website.

UESTC is a participant in China’s national Double First Class initiative aimed at developing the country’s leading universities.

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will receive a Master’s degree from NUST MISIS. Students will also have the opportunity to obtain a degree from the Chinese partner university.

The project has received support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. The program is the result of extensive collaboration between the two universities and marks an important step in strengthening educational cooperation between the two countries. The new Master’s program will expand opportunities for training highly qualified specialists in materials science and create additional conditions for international academic exchange.

The launch of the program aligns with the objectives of the Russia—China Years of Education, which aim to promote academic mobility, develop joint educational initiatives, and strengthen cooperation between the two nations.

Nickel—titanium alloy is notoriously difficult to machine, and manufacturing components from it typically requires numerous additional processing steps. As a result, increasing attention is being paid to additive manufacturing technologies, particularly laser-based 3D printing using metal powders.

Researchers from NUST MISIS and the P. N. Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences investigated how laser-printing parameters affect the properties of nickel—titanium alloy. To do this, they produced thin-walled specimens using the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process, in which a laser selectively melts metal powder layer by layer. The team varied laser power and scanning speed to determine how these parameters influence the material’s structure and functional behavior.

“For several decades, NUST MISIS has been advancing research in shape memory alloys. The materials and technologies developed by our scientists are now widely used across various sectors of Russian industry and have been successfully implemented in production. In this study, NUST MISIS researchers examined how 3D-printing parameters affect the properties of a nickel—titanium-based alloy. Owing to its unique combination of strength, flexibility, and ability to return to its original shape, this material is widely used in medicine, aerospace engineering, robotics, and microelectronics. It is the alloy used, for example, in vascular stents, orthodontic archwires, and certain types of implants. The results of this research pave the way for the development of improved medical devices, miniature actuators, and components for 4D printing,” said Alevtina Chernikova, Rector of NUST MISIS.

The study also showed that under less intensive printing conditions the alloy retains high superelasticity, which is the ability to undergo deformation and fully recover without damage. Under more intense laser exposure, the material exhibits a stronger shape memory effect.

This approach is particularly important for 4D printing, an emerging field in which printed objects can change their shape or properties over time in response to temperature, mechanical load, or other external stimuli. The ability to predetermine material behavior opens the door to a new generation of smart structures.

“The key outcome of this work is the confirmation that the alloy’s properties can be tuned directly during the printing process, without additional heat treatment. We found that changing the printing parameters can shift the phase transformation temperature by nearly 45°C. In other words, we gained the ability to control the point at which the material begins to recover its shape or display superelasticity,” said PhD Stanislav Chernyshikhin, Head of the Laboratory of Additive Manufacturing at NUST MISIS.

The findings may prove valuable for the production of personalized medical implants, miniature mechanisms, flexible joints, and robotic devices. In addition, the study could serve as a foundation for developing industrial printing protocols for nickel—titanium alloys with predefined characteristics tailored to specific applications and operating conditions.

The research findings were published in the scientific journal Journal of Manufacturing and Materials Processing (Q1). The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (Project No. 25-29-00954).

“CASE-IN is a format where students face not academic exercises, but real industry challenges. For companies, it is an opportunity to see young professionals in action, while for participants it is a chance to test themselves in conditions as close as possible to a real professional environment. As a participant in the pilot project for improving the higher education system, NUST MISIS designs its academic programs in close cooperation with business partners, based on one of its key principles — practice-oriented education,” Elena Shaforostova, Director of the Career and Practical Training Center at NUST MISIS.

Results:

Metallurgy. RUSAL Case Study: Environmental Modernization of the Krasnoyarsk Aluminum Plant (KrAZ): Transition to the Innovative RA-550 Technology — Reducing Fluoride Emissions by 70%, Completely Eliminating Benzopyrene, and Achieving Target Energy Efficiency Indicators by 2030.

Second place and the special award for “Most Creative Video Presentation” got the students from College of Materials Science, Additive and Scalable Technologies and College of New Materials: Yulia Sadykova, Ruslan Gizatulin, Egor Ivanov, and Anna Kamerilova.

Mining Engineering. ALROSA Case Study: Eliminating Ore and Rock Hang-Ups in the Mined-Out Areas of the Udachny Mine — Innovative Solutions for Improving Safety and Reducing Production Losses

Third place was awarded to the “Underground” team from College of Mining, consisting of Kirill Pigolkin, Natalia Zhukova, Irina Koreshkova, and Nikolai Fyodorov.

Electric Power Engineering. FSK Rosseti Case Study: Comprehensive Protection of Power Grid Infrastructure Against Cyber and Information Threats — Technological and Organizational Measures for a 330 kV Substation Serving Category I Reliability Consumers

Third place was won by students from College of Mining, team “Council Without a Market”: Mikhail Lobanov, Vladimir Karabaktsiev, Polina Ovcharenko, and Fyodor Ovcharenko.

The winners and prize winners received preferential admission terms for master’s and doctoral programs at 36 partner universities, as well as opportunities to undertake paid internships with energy-sector companies, with prospects for future employment.

The International Engineering Championship CASE-IN is one of the largest intellectual competitions for students and young professionals in the energy and mining sectors. Since 2013, the championship has been held with the support of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation and the country’s leading industrial companies. Its mission is to revive and develop the Russian engineering school as a foundation for the country’s technological sovereignty. The championship is organized by the Reliable Shift Foundation, the Youth Forum of Mining Industry Leaders, Astralogika, and the presidential platform “Russia — Land of Opportunity.” The competition is held as part of the “Science to Win” initiative and the Russian Decade of Science and Technology program.

The Russian delegation at the meeting was headed by Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin. He noted that the priority areas of cooperation remain energy, transport, logistics, industry, agriculture, and digitalization.

“In accordance with the decision of the CIS Council of Heads of Government dated November 21, 2014, our university serves as the core organization for training and retraining specialists for the mining and metallurgical industry and advanced materials science. At the extended session, we presented a report on our activities and the concept for the digital transformation of the mining and metallurgical industries of the CIS member states. Together with our academic and industrial partners, NUST MISIS is focused on addressing such tasks as supporting early career guidance for school students, training and professional development of specialists, and educating highly qualified personnel,” Alevtina Chernikova.

The mining and metallurgical sector is closely interconnected through cross-border production chains and shared technological standards. Today, the industry is actively implementing digital solutions, many of which have been developed by major international companies operating in CIS markets and are used for automating, managing, and securing industrial processes.

The diversity of technologies, as well as concerns regarding their reliability, security, and economic efficiency, require unified approaches and standards. To address this, a concept has been developed that establishes requirements and evaluation criteria for digital systems, along with an implementation roadmap featuring practical industry solutions. Their adoption will enable a coordinated digital transformation of the mining and metallurgical complex, strengthen cooperation among CIS countries, and support the development of a shared digital infrastructure. The initiative also implies active exchange of expertise in digital technologies and cybersecurity, which will contribute to the development of domestic solutions within CIS member states and enhance the technological resilience of the industry.

Following the meeting, several agreements were signed, including:

• on implementing a cooperation program in geodesy, cartography, and spatial data through 2026;
• on the CIS strategy for congress and exhibition activities aimed at supporting the socio-economic and innovative development of national economies;
• on the concept for integrating the main transport corridors passing through CIS member states;
• on the Interstate Radionavigation Program for 2027–2030.

Organic dyes are among the most widespread classes of water pollutants. They enter wastewater from textile, pharmaceutical, and chemical manufacturing and are difficult to remove using conventional treatment methods. Existing magnetic nano-adsorbents typically require chemical surface treatment of the nanoparticles to effectively bind pollutants. Such coatings limit the range of substances that can be captured, complicate the operation of purification systems, and make regeneration of the sorbent more difficult.

Scientists from NUST MISIS and Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University demonstrated that surface modification of nanoparticles is not necessary. Instead, the key is in designing their internal structure correctly, since it determines which dye will be absorbed and by what mechanism.

The researchers synthesized rod-shaped cobalt ferrite nanoparticles — tiny magnetic rods permeated with two types of pores: small pores (up to 10 nm) and large pores (up to 50 nm). The ratio of pore sizes was controlled by adjusting the heating rate during calcination of the matrix from which the nanoparticles were later formed: the slower the heating, the greater the number of small pores. After water purification, the nanoparticles can be instantly removed from the water using an ordinary magnet.

To understand how the pores affect absorption, the researchers added the nanoparticles to solutions containing three dyes: methylene blue, methyl orange, and eriochrome blue.

“These three dyes were chosen deliberately — all of them are widely used in industry and regularly end up in wastewater. Methylene blue is used in medicine as well as for dyeing cotton, wool, and silk. As a byproduct of aniline production, it can heavily contaminate water resources in regions with chemical industries. Methyl orange is used in the chemical and textile industries. It is a toxic substance that is hazardous if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin. Eriochrome blue is used in the textile industry for fabric dyeing. What all of them have in common is that they decompose extremely slowly in the natural environment and are poorly removed by standard purification methods. That is why, once they enter water systems, they remain there for a very long time. However, our development successfully dealt with each of them,” Alexey Nikitin, Candidate of Chemical Sciences and Associate Professor at the Department of Physical Materials Science at NUST MISIS.

Eriochrome blue produced an unexpected result: upon contact with the nanoparticles, it clumped together into large aggregates measuring several hundred nanometers. At low concentrations, the dye was absorbed effectively, but at high concentrations the aggregates returned to the solution. Such behavior has never before been documented for this class of dyes. The detailed findings were published in Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (Q1).

“This development changes the conventional view that surface chemistry is the most important feature of a sorbent. Pore architecture plays an equally important role. In the future, industries will be able to use sorbents tailored to specific pollutants, making them simpler, cheaper, and more reliable under real production conditions. In addition, dyes have different molecular structures and acquire different charges when dissolved in water, making them a convenient platform for studying adsorption processes,” Maxim Abakumov, Doctor of Chemical Sciences and Head of the “Biomedical Nanomaterials” Laboratory at NUST MISIS.

The study was carried out as part of the strategic technological project “Biomedical Engineering and Biomaterials” at NUST MISIS under the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education’s “Priority 2030” program.

Retinal diseases, including age-related macular degeneration, are often diagnosed at late stages, when vision can no longer be restored. One reason is the limitations of existing diagnostic methods: they detect structural changes but miss early functional disturbances in cells.

“Researchers at NUST MISIS have been engaged for several years in developing innovative technologies that in the future will simplify diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. The diagnostic method for retinal pathologies developed at the university based on the ‘glow’ of cells will become an important tool for detecting diseases and assessing the effectiveness of ongoing therapy,” said Rector of NUST MISIS Alevtina Chernikova.

Scientists from MISIS University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow State Pedagogical University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, and the Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry studied lipofuscin, which is a pigment that accumulates with age in retinal pigment epithelial cells. It can luminesce under light exposure, and its properties can be used to assess the condition of the eye. A key feature of lipofuscin is its phototoxicity: when irradiated with visible light, it can generate reactive oxygen species and toxic oxidation products that cause pronounced oxidative stress. Studying these processes is important for understanding mechanisms of retinal damage and diagnosing age-related degenerative changes. A major role here is played by lipofuscin’s autofluorescence. Measuring its “glow” parameters is an important tool for early diagnosis of eye diseases.

Until now, there has been insufficient data on how exactly the composition of lipofuscin changes under photodamage and how this is reflected in its “glow” signal. For the first time, Russian researchers used fluorescence lifetime imaging to track at the cellular level how lipofuscin changes during photooxidation inside pigment epithelial cells.

Experiments showed that as photooxidation progresses, not only does the composition of lipofuscin change, but also the nature of its “glow”: in particular, the fluorescence lifetime increases. This is presumably due to the fact that the original molecular components of lipofuscin are oxidized and partially broken down, while the products of their transformation have different fluorescent properties.

“What is important is that we were able to record these changes without introducing additional labels or interfering with the cell. Such measurements became possible thanks to fluorescence lifetime imaging. This is a modern microscopy method based on measuring the lifetime of excited molecular states, which allows us to obtain additional diagnostic information about tissue condition,” said Alexey Semenov, Candidate of Biological Sciences, researcher at the Laboratory of Photonic Gas Sensors at MISIS.

The scientists also studied the role of antioxidants in suppressing the phototoxic effects of lipofuscin. In the experiment, they investigated the carotenoid protein AstaP, isolated from the microalgae Coelastrella astaxanthina, which can deliver zeaxanthin, which is a natural substance that protects cells from oxidative stress. It was found that the AstaP—zeaxanthin complex slows down lipofuscin degradation: the formation of oxidized products is reduced, and complete pigment damage does not occur. Details of the study are published in the Journal of Physical Chemistry B (Q1).

“To increase the sensitivity and speed of measurements, in the next stage we plan to use quantum sensors we have developed — superconducting single-photon detectors,” said Grigory Goltsman, leading researcher at the Laboratory of Quantum Information Technologies at MISIS.

The work was carried out under the program for attracting talented young scientists under the age of 39 (postdocs) within the framework of Priority 2030 (grant No. K4-2024-3).

“NUST MISIS has a long and productive history of cooperation with Chinese educational institutions. Back in the 1950s, our scientists actively contributed to the establishment of University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB). For decades, our university has trained engineers and researchers, many of whom have made significant contributions to the development of China. Today, we cooperate with the country’s leading scientific and educational centers, creating new opportunities for students from both nations. The international summer school became the first educational project implemented under the cooperation agreement signed in 2025 between NUST MISIS and Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology,” said Alevtina Chernikova, Rector of NUST MISIS.

The school program combined academic and cultural tracks. Throughout the week, participants explored the infrastructure of NUST MISIS, visited research laboratories, and attended a series of lectures and practical classes on advanced technological topics. The academic program included lectures such as “Mathematics in Data Science” and “Applied Data Science in Digital Projects,” an interactive session titled “Natural & Artificial Intelligence,” as well as laboratory workshops, Russian language classes, and meetings with international students of the university. A separate part of the program was dedicated to project presentations, held in the format of presentation sessions with discussions and expert feedback.

Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology is one of the leading technical universities in the region, with strong expertise in metallurgy, materials science, mechanical engineering, and mining, while also actively developing international scientific and educational cooperation.

In addition to the academic program, participants enjoyed an extensive cultural agenda. Students explored the campus and history of NUST MISIS, visited Red Square, VDNKh, and the Kolomenskoye Museum-Reserve, took part in guided tours around central Moscow and the Moscow Metro, and joined field sessions dedicated to urban culture and intercultural communication.

International summer and winter schools at NUST MISIS are organized jointly with partner universities abroad. To participate, universities are required to form a student group and submit an application via email: international@misis.ru. One of the mandatory requirements is an English proficiency level of at least B1, as the program is conducted in English.

More information about international schools and international cooperation programs is available here.

One of the key topics of the meeting was academic mobility. The Chinese delegation, headed by AIIT President Wu Min, expressed interest in sending AIIT graduates to pursue master’s and doctoral studies at NUST MISIS. In the future, the parties plan to join efforts to implement joint scientific initiatives, including projects involving the Chinese university’s industrial partners.

“NUST MISIS is building multifaceted cooperation with Chinese universities. Anhui Institute of Information Technology is a vivid example of a young and ambitious university deeply integrated into an industry driven by advanced artificial intelligence technologies. The partnership between MISIS and AIIT brings together our strong фундаментальной engineering school and China’s advanced experience in implementing artificial intelligence,” said Andrey Voronin, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at MISIS.

AIIT is a private university established with the participation of iFlytek, one of China’s leaders in the field of artificial intelligence. The university collaborates with the country’s leading technology companies, which provide the institution with modern equipment for research, testing, and workforce training. AIIT also participates in projects focused on industrial digitalization and the integration of AI into education.

“Our team at MISIS University, a national leader in materials science, has developed and patented an innovative aluminum-based alloy that combines strength, ductility, thermal conductivity, and corrosion resistance. By varying the ratio of alloying additions (scandium and zirconium) we can design materials with properties tailored to specific applications,” said NUST MISIS Rector Alevtina Chernikova.

Modern electronics and electric vehicles require lightweight materials capable of efficiently dissipating heat. Emerging trends in automotive manufacturing involve producing a single large, complex-shaped casting instead of assembling numerous smaller components, significantly accelerating production. This technology has already been successfully adopted by Tesla, which manufactures aluminum parts weighing up to 150 kg using Giga Press machines. However, conventional casting alloys are unsuitable for such applications because they do not provide sufficient thermal conductivity.

The researchers based their work on an aluminum alloy containing zinc and calcium. Previous studies had demonstrated its high thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, and suitability for casting technologies. The alloy enables the production of complex-shaped components in large volumes, but its relatively low strength limited its range of applications.

“To address this issue, we added small amounts of scandium and zirconium, elements capable of increasing strength without reducing thermal conductivity. During the study, we varied their ratio and investigated how this affected the material’s properties,” said Anastasia Lyskovich, a postgraduate researcher at the Department of Foundry Technologies and Artistic Processing of Materials at MISIS.

“The challenge in developing a material that is both suitable for casting and highly thermally conductive lies in the fact that most casting alloys contain large amounts of alloying elements that reduce heat conductivity. In our alloy, calcium and zinc provide the necessary casting properties while having minimal impact on aluminum’s ability to dissipate heat. The high mechanical performance is achieved through scandium and zirconium, which are added in very small quantities and effectively strengthen the alloy during heat treatment,” explained Andrey Koltygin, Head of the Department of Foundry Technologies and Artistic Processing of Materials and Director of the Engineering Center for Foundry Technologies and Materials at MISIS.

The study showed that increasing the zirconium content slightly reduces strength and thermal conductivity but improves ductility, significantly enhances corrosion resistance, and lowers the material’s cost.

The findings open new opportunities for developing advanced aluminum alloys for electronics, energy systems, and transportation applications, where complex-shaped components must simultaneously provide efficient heat dissipation and withstand mechanical loads.

The research results were published in the journals Materials (Q2) and Transactions of Nonferrous Metals Society of China (Q1). The study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation (Project No. 24-29-00682).

Rector Alevtina Chernikova: “Today, NUST MISIS educates students from all regions of Russia and more than 80 countries worldwide. One in five students is an international citizen. The university places special emphasis on creating comfortable conditions for high-quality education, research activities, creative pursuits, and sports. The International Friendship Community actively operates at the university, organizing cultural days and international youth conferences and participating in the implementation of our comprehensive program for the adaptation of international students.”

As part of the event, a solidarity campaign was held in support of residents of Dagestan affected by a natural disaster. A parade of nationalities and a flash mob took place, where participants performed national dances and presented traditional costumes and symbols of their peoples. At the “Culture Without Borders” exhibition, students showcased everyday items, national attributes, and cultural elements from various countries and regions. Participants included student associations from Russia, CIS countries, and beyond — from Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan to China, Vietnam, India, Iran, Pakistan, as well as countries in Africa and Latin America.

The concert program featured creative groups and solo performers from different countries, including national dance ensembles, vocalists, and musicians. The stage presented performances reflecting the world’s cultural diversity: dances of the peoples of the Caucasus, Central Asia, and the Middle East, as well as vocal compositions and instrumental pieces. The festival concluded with a joint performance by representatives of all student associations.

“At the University of MISIS, the strategic technological project Materials Energy is being carried out under the Priority 2030 national program. A research team led by the talented young Doctor of Engineering Danila Saranin is developing technologies and materials for alternative energy, focusing on extending the service life and improving the efficiency of next-generation solar cells. The researchers enhanced the thermal stability of perovskites by introducing triphenylamine-pyridine molecules into the material structure, which nearly tripled the devices’ effective operating lifetime. The proposed method could become one of the key approaches for the future large-scale production of solar panels,” MISIS University Rector Alevtina Chernikova.

Today, perovskite solar cells significantly outperform silicon-based counterparts in cloudy conditions and under artificial lighting. However, the widespread adoption of these panels remains limited because the thin films rapidly degrade when exposed to adverse environmental factors.

One of the key challenges facing materials scientists is extending the operational lifetime of perovskite modules at high temperatures, which greatly accelerate corrosion of metal contacts and the formation of structural defects. Existing stabilization methods, such as surface passivation, often work only under mild, near-room-temperature conditions and prove insufficient at the standard operating temperatures of solar panels — 80—100°C.

To address this issue, researchers from MISIS University, together with colleagues from the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Synthetic Polymeric Materials, proposed an effective way to protect perovskite modules from heat-induced degradation. The team introduced special organic molecules into the material that form thin films directly within the perovskite structure. These molecules stabilize the material from within, protect the interfaces between the device layers, and slow down defect formation.

“The triphenylamine-pyridine molecules we introduced are designed so that one part donates electrons while the other attracts them. This allows them to interact efficiently with the perovskite and create localized electric fields inside the material, altering the energy levels at crystal grain boundaries. This reduces energy losses and increases the open-circuit voltage to 1.14 V. The molecules also increase the activation energy required for the diffusion of critical defects, which extended the solar cell’s effective operating lifetime by more than three times at 80°C,” Ekaterina Ilyicheva, engineer at the Advanced Solar Energy Laboratory of MISIS University.

The new molecules block ion migration within the material — one of the main causes of perovskite degradation over time. Thanks to this, the stable operating lifetime at 80°C increased nearly threefold. Full details of the study are available in the journal Solar RRL (Q1).

“Thermal degradation has remained the main barrier to the commercialization of perovskite solar cells. Our bulk passivation strategy using the TPA-Py molecule not only preserves high efficiency but also dramatically improves device stability under real operating conditions,” Lev Luchnikov, research engineer at the Advanced Solar Energy Laboratory of MISIS University.

The work was carried out as part of the MISIS University strategic technological project Materials Energy under the Priority 2030 program and was also supported by Russian Science Foundation grant No. 22-19-00812-P.

Many complex metal components are produced from powders. For this purpose, hot isostatic pressing technology is used: powder is placed into a sealed metal shell—a mold—which is then compressed and heated under high pressure. As a result, the particles are sintered, forming a dense material.

“The mold is a key element of this process. It must be strong, airtight, ductile at high temperatures, and at the same time easily removable after processing. Typically, such shells are made from metal blanks welded together. However, this method is not suitable for complex shapes. An alternative can be 3D printing, but it is expensive and limited by equipment size,” said Andrey Travyanov, Director of the College of Technologies at NUST MISIS.

Scientists from NUST MISIS and the University of Lyon proposed a different approach—using cold spray deposition. This is a technology in which metal powder is deposited at high velocity onto a surface, forming a dense coating. This method makes it possible to create thick metal layers without significant internal stresses.

First, a model of the future part is created, for example from aluminum. Then a steel layer is applied onto it using cold spray deposition. After that, the aluminum base is removed, leaving a metal shell of the required shape. To strengthen the temporary coating, the scientists carried out heat treatment. As a result, the material properties improved significantly: strength increased by about 4 times, while ductility rose from 1% to 20%.

Afterwards, the researchers assembled a full capsule, filled it with nickel alloy powder, and performed pressing. The shell withstood the entire process: no cracks formed, and the joints remained strong. Details of the study were published in Journal of Thermal Spray Technology (Q2).

“We demonstrated the possibility of creating complex-shaped shells without welding and expensive printing. In the future, the technology may be applied not only to powders but also in additive manufacturing. For example, it may be used to densify parts produced by cold spray deposition, opening new opportunities for creating strong metallic components of complex shape,” said PhD (Tech.) Maxim Khomutov, Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Hybrid Additive Technologies, NUST MISIS.