On December 18-20, 2018 Polotsk State University held IX International Scientific and Technical Conference “Reliability and Safety of the Main Pipeline Transport”. The Department of Pipeline Transport and Hydraulics of the Faculty of Mechanics and Technology was the event organizer. More than 35 organizations from Belarus, Russia and Latvia came to the conference.
Event partners:
- Ministry of Emergency Situations (Belarus) Gospromnadzor,
- “Gazprom transgaz Belarus”,
- “Polotsktranspetrol Druzhba”,
- “Gomeltransneft Druzhba”,
- Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas (Moscow, Russian Federation).
The conference started with the welcoming speech of Polotsk State University Rector, PhD in Engineering, Professor Dmitry Lazovsky, who wished the participants fruitful work, informed them about the university’s history and highlighted the event importance: “Today’s conference is the last one dedicated to the 50th anniversary of contemporary history of PSU. Today there are nearly 8000 students. Moreover, there are 47 specialties within 7 Faculties. We have about 450 international students from 23 countries studying at our university. It should be noted that our scientists, lecturers and staff are closely connected with industry because we live in an industrial centre, and that is our university’s special feature. One more special feature is that PSU is a university of a classical type. Fundamental and applied research, technical and humanitarian sciences go together here. We have been developing the bachelor program “Design, Construction and Operating of Gas and Oil Pipelines”, which is the only one in Belarus, for more than 20 years. We feel responsibility for it. Vladimir Lipsky is responsible for the direction. Besides, he heads the scientific school there. We are grateful to V. Lipsky for training the specialists and maintaining close relationship with the industry branch.”
Welcoming speeches were also provided by:
- Nikolay Bogdan, First Deputy-Head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations (Belarus) Gospromnadzor;
- Gennady Vasilyev, Head of the Department of Gas and Oil Pipelines and Storage Facilities Construction and Repair at Gubkin Russian State University of Oil and Gas (Moscow, Russia);
- Vladimir Lipsky, Doctor of Engineering, Professor at the Department of Pipeline Transport and Hydraulics at Polotsk State University.
Vladimir Lipsky noted: “When I entered the room, I was happy to see familiar people. The people we have been working together for decades in the field of pipeline transport. I should say that the whole department feels proud and responsible for the international conferences we have been organizing since October 1996. Today we are holding the ninth conference. Every time I see more of my graduates, holding the senior positions, among the conference participants. Their high posts prove that our Department plays an important role in training specialists for the pipeline transport industry. Our department is proud of it. We should maintain this high preparation level. The basis for this is the work the Department has done for almost 40 years of its existence. The Department was founded in 1977 and started training specialists in the field of pipeline transport in 1995. We have trained over 500 engineers who now work at pipeline transport enterprises all over the country”.
Vladimir Ausev, Chief Engineer and First Deputy Director General at “Gazprom Transgaz Belarus” (Minsk, Belarus): “We take part in a conference dedicated to the questions of reliability and safety of the major pipeline transport. Firstly, we’ll try our best to get positive emotions. Secondly, to get enough experience. Thirdly, to communicate with our colleagues. I am at Polotsk State University for the second time. I know that it is the most ancient educational establishment in Belarus. Since ancient times it has a lot of traditions that are held up even nowadays. Here we can see an unusual studying environment for an educational establishment.”
Oleg Kiselyov, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at the unitary enterprise “Zapad-Transnefteproduct” (Mozyr, Belarus), a PSU graduate of 2001: “We participate in this conference not for the first time. And we come here with great pleasure and enthusiasm because we get a lot of knowledge from the reports we listen to. We are happy to communicate with our colleagues and we always leave in a good mood. I graduated from PSU in 2001. According to professor Lipsky, I was a good student and that’s why, when I came to the enterprise as an engineer, I managed to build a career. Now I’m a Deputy Chief Operating Officer. Without any doubt, the knowledge I had acquired at PSU was of use at the start.”
The conference program included: various thematic scientific meetings, Interagency Council meeting on pipeline transport, a workshop on the questions of reliability and safety of gas distribution networks, “Gazprom Transgaz Belarus” meeting and excursions around Polotsk and Polotsk College.
The results were discussed and recommendations were accepted at the end of the conference.
Irina Shipko
Photos: Polina Kosarevskaya