A new Advanced Engineering School (AES) established to facilitate the efficient operation of the oil and gas industry and the energy complex of Russia has started work at the Far Eastern Federal University

The Asia-Pacific New Materials and Chemistry AES has been created to foster R&D collaborations with oil and gas and petrochemical companies which are faced with the challenge of supplying components and consumables essential for continuous production amid tightening sanctions. Industrial partners speak about a strong demand for domestic brands of coatings, rubbers, composites, special steels and alloys. The cutting-edge technologies for building infrastructure in the Arctic are also of great interest. To attain the envisioned goals, the Asia-Pacific AES scientists will team up with Asian, predominantly Chinese, research centers, universities and businesses.

“The Asia-Pacific AES is a unique educational center that will pool Russian and Asian talent and technology of the oil, gas and energy sectors. We will engage in education, research, engineering and innovation within a common information space: in collaboration with industry leaders, we will be developing technologies required for an effective partnership between Russian and Asian businesses. Asia-Pacific New Materials and Chemistry AES will focus on research in the oil and gas extraction and refining field, reinforcing the tech leadership of Russia,” said Boris Korobets, FEFU President, highlighting the new AES importance.

This new unit of FEFU will be led by a research engineer Maxim Kurakin whose area of expertise lies within collaboration with Russian producers in the research and development field. In his previous role as the project manager of the New Technologies and Materials Science Park at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, he had implemented more than 300 R&D projects with major partners such as Gazprom Neft, TMK, OMK, Severstal and others.

“FEFU is a leading university with an extensive expertise in engineering and materials science, especially regarding metal and composite materials and polymers. The university closely collaborates with industry partners on imports phase-out and advanced development in a variety of fields. The Asia-Pacific AES work will help increase the competitiveness of Russian businesses on the global market. And we will also do our best to strengthen the FEFU rankings in the international professional community”, said Maxim Kurakin, director of the Asia-Pacific New Materials and Chemistry AES.

The Advanced Engineering School will offer undergraduate, graduate and continuing professional education programs, with a focus on project work and academic exchange opportunities. The first programs launched in 2025 will be an oil & gas professional training course and a MSc in Subsea Engineering.

Researchers working at the AES will focus on promising areas such as development of technology for anti-corrosion, anti-friction, non-stick and other types of special coatings; creation of anti-icing and corrosion-resistant coatings for the Arctic; oil-resistant rubbers which can function at +110+150°C and in wet H2S environments; HNBR elastomer composites; bimetallic pipes to ensure accident-free transportation of oil and gas in extreme conditions.

The list of partners and clients of the Asia-Pacific New Materials and Chemistry AES already includes leading companies such as Gazprom, Gazprom Neft, SIBUR, KNGK, Severstal, OMK, Ural Steel, Almaz-Antey, Schlumberger, Weatherford, Sakhalin Energy, Neo Engineering, Tatneft-Presscomposite, and University of Tyumen.

FEFU plans to open four more Advanced Engineering Schools in 2025 for collaboration with Asia-Pacific countries in a range of fields, including underwater robotics, manufacturing and automation systems, biomedicine and health technology, artificial intelligence and big data.

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