From mega installations to mega projects: SKIF as a platform for local projects and international cooperation.
APEC Analytics.
Part 1.
The Minister of Science and Higher Education Valeri Falkov announced his willingness to launch the "Great Science in Schools" program. The project will provide an opportunity for interested school students and their teachers to visit unique scientific facilities of a mega-science class (large research complexes where fundamental scientific work is carried out). A prominent example of such an installation is the SKIF (Siberian Ring Photon Source) synchrotron near Novosibirsk, the construction of which was completed in 2026. It is symbolic that the program for schoolchildren was announced at a symposium in Koltsovo, the development site of SKIF. This coincidence highlights the connection between the long-term support of the Ministry of Education and Science for the mega-facility project and the possibility of launching educational initiatives on its basis. The program for school students becomes the first step to ensure that the unique infrastructure will work not only for a limited circle of researchers, but also to create scientific interest among the younger generation.
The Ministry of Education and Science as a client and treasurer: the institutional base of SKIF. The Ministry of Education and Science served as the client and the main funder of the SKIF project. The facility was created within the framework of the federal scientific and technical program for the development of synchrotron and neutron research. The department provided coordination, allocated resources and monitored the progress of the work. The project was the focus of the department head's personal attention. The head of the Ministry of Education and Science, Valery Plekov, arrived at the construction site in the Koltsovo Science City near Novosibirsk. He assessed how the construction, installation and commissioning works were carried out, as well as how scientific equipment was installed at experimental stations. Consistent support from the Ministry at all stages created the institutional foundation on which all subsequent projects will be based, in particular "Great Science in Schools".