Yana Volkova
The SPbGASU Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Municipal Services held the II National Scientific and Practical Seminar "Current Issues in Land Management, Cadastre, and Geodesy." The event brought together students, teachers, PhD students, and representatives of the professional community.
Current industry agenda
The key topics of the seminar were land management, cadastral support, land monitoring, and landscaping issues. As Yana Volkova, Acting Head of the Department of Geodesy, Land Management and Cadastre and PhD of Engineering Sciences, noted, specialists in this field are in demand across virtually all sectors today, from construction to the operation of infrastructure and industrial facilities.
Particular attention was paid to contemporary challenges: state land oversight, damage assessment when establishing zones with special conditions for land use, and practical aspects of cadastral support for projects. All case studies presented at the seminar were based on real-life examples, ranging from energy facilities to major transport arteries.
Exchange of experience and interaction with practitioners
One of the main goals of the event was the exchange of experience between the academic community and practicing specialists. Representatives of government agencies and businesses were among the invited experts.
Olga Golosnaya, Head of the State Land Supervision Department of the Rosreestr Administration for the Leningrad Region, presented a report on the implementation of federal land control in the region, touching on issues of legal regulation in the industry.
Svetlana Baida, CEO of Raiz LLC, highlighted the technological aspects of this area, discussing the importance of electronic digital signatures in modern cadastral activities.
Startup as a Diploma: a new format for training specialists
The seminar focused on the "Startup as a Diploma" program, which the department has been participating in for the second year. While last year only one project was presented, this year three projects with high scientific potential and commercialization prospects have already been presented.
According to Yana Volkova, this format allows students not only to earn a higher education degree but also to develop a product capable of generating income. Work on startups is conducted in interdisciplinary teams, bringing students closer to real-life professional conditions.
Professional business mentors play a key role in project development, helping to "package" a scientific development into a marketable product and prepare it for launch. Additional support is provided by the SPbGASU Center for Student Entrepreneurship and Career, which organizes meetings with business representatives.
Participation in startup projects allows students to develop a wide range of skills: from working with legislation and specialized software to effective team communication.
"This is a fundamentally different view of the profession – not only from a scientific perspective, but also from the perspective of commercialization and real-life application," Yana Aleksandrovna emphasized.
Prospects and recommendations
Although the program is still in its early stages of development, there are already initial signs of interest from businesses. Last year, negotiations were held to acquire one of the projects, but they were not finalized. This year, according to the organizers, the students are more ambitious and plan to develop their projects independently.
In conclusion, Yana Volkova encouraged students to actively participate in project activities: "It's more difficult and time-consuming, but it provides invaluable experience that is in demand in any professional field."
The seminar confirmed that the integration of science, education, and business is becoming a key factor in the training of modern specialists in the field of geodesy and land management.
