On the second day of the event young scientists from universities and scientific organizations of the Volga Federal District found out lots of useful information, too. The first expert discussion, which was moderated by SSU Vice-Rector for Research Work of SSU Aleksei Koronovskii, was focused on complex technologies for assessing the competencies of young scientists based on scientometric indicators and personal characteristics. The experts were Senior Research Fellow of the SSU Clinical Decision Support System Laboratory Leonid Bessonov, Ph.D.; Deputy Dean of the MSU Faculty of Psychology Artyom Kovalyov, Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Deputy Chair of the Young Researcher and Specialist Council of Nizhny Novgorod Region, a member of the Coordination Council Anton Konakov, Ph.D.

The speakers offered their views on how basic scientometric indicators affect the competitiveness of young scientists, gave practical recommendations on working with the scientometric systems Web of Science, Scopus and RSCI, discussed what indicators a young researcher should focus on today in order to become a leading researcher in the future. scientists. Another important topic of discussion was the discussion of a new comprehensive system for evaluating scientists, which is now being tested and implemented on the Science-ID portal, and will also be used in the new launch of the All-Russian competition "Leaders of Russia" - the track "Science", which starts in spring.

For representatives of natural and technical sciences, such a report was prepared by Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. D., Head of the Department of Scientific Activity of SSU Olga Moskalenko; Director of the SSU Institute of Chemistry Irina Goryacheva, and Professor of the Center for Photonics and Quantum Materials of the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology D.A. Gorin. They analyzed in detail the rules by which key scientific foundations operate today, providing support to young scientists in various formats - RFBR, RSF, grants of the President of the Russian Federation for young scientists, mega-grants, foreign foundations and exchange programs. Scientists shared their successful grant experience, talked about the key secrets of the success of a good grant application and drew attention to the most important subtleties when writing it and submitting it to different foundations. In addition, the listeners received a step-by-step algorithm for preparing a high-quality scientific article and report, as well as practical recommendations on how to publish their material in a high-ranking scientific journal or speak at a high-profile scientific conference.

Practical interdisciplinary section for young humanitarians was conducted by D. Philos. Sci., Professor of the Department of Theoretical and Social Philosophy, SSU, Sofia Tikhonova, Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department of Social Communications, SSU Denis Artamonov, Ph.D., Head of the Laboratory of Historical and Political Culture, Associate Professor of the Department of History and Theory of Politics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Associate Professor of the Department of Theoretical and Social Philosophy, SSU, Daniil Anikin, Ph.D. The section was moderated by Head of the SSU Priority Projects and Programs Office Maria Erokhina, Ph.D. Young university humanities scholars dwelt in detail on all sources of financial support for modern humanitarian research, answered questions from the audience about what principle is better to build high-quality scientific communication and interdisciplinary collaboration today, and shared their own experience of working on scientific articles for highly cited Russian and foreign journals.

Within the framework of the Strategic Session, the second expert discussion "Postgraduate study programs as the main tool for the formation of basic research competencies" took place. The need for such a conversation is dictated by significant amendments that were made to the Law "On Education in the Russian Federation" on the eve of 2021. The innovations come into effect on September 1 of the current year. That is why vice-rectors of leading universities of Russia, heads of departments and departments of postgraduate studies, chairmen of dissertation councils, specialists of Rosobrnadzor were invited to the discussion as experts. At the meeting, moderated by the Executive Director of the Association of Classical Universities of Russia E.V. Karavaeva and the head of SSU priority projects and programs Elena Yelina, there were ACUR experts, members of the Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs in the Scientific and Educational Spheres of the Council for Science and Education under the President of the Russian Federation, chairmen of SSU dissertation council.

The meeting was preceded by a two-day work of experts within the walls of the Saratov University. The experts brought up for discussion issues related to the transition of Russian postgraduate studies with training in federal state educational standards to training in accordance with federal state requirements. During the discussion, we are talking about a radical change in the paradigm of training scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel in graduate school, about the need to develop an adapter indicating the connection between educational areas and scientific specialties, about what the final certification of a graduate student is. How to make postgraduate studies become a direct path to defending a Ph.D. thesis - this question was at the center of the discussion.

The question of granting graduate students, who completed their dissertation work on time and did not manage to get their defense, an additional year, turned out to be debatable. In this case, as the legislator believes, a post-graduate year appears, which can be used to bring the dissertation to defense: where the graduate student will spend this year - in the organization where the dissertation was prepared, in the organization where the work will be presented, by whom and how this year will be provided financially - all this requires the development of special regulatory documents. The discussion was attended by: deputy. Head of Rosobrnadzor S.M. Kochetova, S.V. Mikushev (Vice-Rector, St. Petersburg State University), S.A. Bushev (Vice-Rector, Moscow State University), B.I. Bedny (Director of the Institute of Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies, Nizhny Novgorod State University), E.V. Karavaeva (Moscow State University), O.A. Kostenko (Moscow State University), A.I. Kovalev (Moscow State University), A.M. Makurenkov (Moscow State University), A.I. Kim (Moscow State University), V.M. Anikin (SSU), M.Yu. Rakhmanova, Yu.V. Gogolev (IBPRM RAS). Based on the results of the discussion in the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, recommendations will be drawn up on the regulatory and methodological support for the development and implementation of programs for the training of scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel in graduate school in the context of the entry into force of Law No. 517-FZ of December 30, 2020.

In the closing speech of E.V. Karavaeva expressed her gratitude to Rector of the university Aleksei Chumachenko, the organizational group of the Strategic Session and young scientists of the university. Thanks to their efforts, it became possible to gather about 500 young scientists of the Volga Federal District at university face-to-face and virtual platforms and acquaint them with the current mechanisms that contribute to the effectiveness of scientific work and the effective presentation of its results.