Doctor of Technical Sciences, Honored Worker of the Higher School of the Russian Federation, Head of the Department of Computer-Aided Design and Control Systems, Chairman of the Primary Trade Union Organization of Workers of the St. Petersburg State Technological Institute (Technical University) – this is not a complete list of titles and positions of Tamara Chistyakova. At the beginning of December, Tamara Balabekovna’s treasury of achievements was replenished with a victory in the competition of the national award of the Russian Professorial Assembly and the title of “Professor of the Year” in the Northwestern Federal District in the “Chemical Sciences” nomination. The event was an excellent opportunity to talk with one of the brightest leaders of the trade union movement in St. Petersburg. First of all, we wanted to formulate the rules of life and the principles of work of Tamara Chistyakova, a person who proves that you can be an excellent student in everything.
– Tamara Balabekovna, how unexpected was the award for you? What does the title “Professor of the Year” mean to you?
– The nationwide award is, first of all, recognition of my social, scientific and educational activities. The selection committee had numerous criteria that apply to all of the named areas. Therefore, this decision is precisely the comprehensive recognition of the results of my work, the functioning of our scientific schools, the entire Institute of Technology – the oldest technological university in the country, founded back in 1828.
In addition, this award is important for me as a representative of a scientific dynasty, it is an indicator that I am acting correctly and with dignity.
What do you think made you stand out from other colleagues?
– Being the chairman of the trade union organization, working in the Professors’ Assembly, I understand that there are a lot of worthy professors in the country, our intellectual potential is great. Lots of people who are dedicated to their work. But it was a difficult competitive selection with numerous criteria that were put forward by the Professors’ Assembly and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. We collected various materials, including a video about the nominee. Therefore, only teams united around their professors could cope with the nomination and presentation of candidates.
– What principles do you follow in your professional activities, do you have your own rules?
“I have always believed that you have to love what you do. If you ask a mother who is raising a child what principle she is guided by, then, probably, her main principle is love for this child. Based on this principle, all activities will be joyful, happy, will bring satisfaction.
In each of my students, and these are students, and graduate students, and doctoral students, I try to see the strong side, their creativity, and then develop it to the best of my ability and strength. And, of course, I try to learn from young people myself, because, working in the field of information technologies, and even applied ones, for industry, I understand that only young people can keep up with IT technologies, but they do not have a systematic approach inherent in senior, and without him it is impossible to realize all the ideas.
If we talk about social work, then my main principle is to form a team and decent working conditions for it. As you understand, there are a lot of these conditions: comfort, a decent salary, a close-knit team, a scientific school.
To implement all the principles I have named, you need to work hard, and this is perhaps the main rule. The area that I have chosen for my activity makes me constantly learn. Of course, there must be some luck in life, you will not implement any principles if there is no luck.
I think that I was lucky in many things in my life, but most importantly, I was lucky with the teachers. I remember their instructions. For example, Professor Vladimir Vasilyevich Sotnikov, who boldly took on those scientific ideas that, in his opinion, could be brought to practical implementation. He fascinated us, we took on the most complex tasks and introduced modern management and design systems.
This, of course, is also my teachers associated with social activities, first of all Anatoly Sergeevich Dudyrev, the president of our university, the rector, with whom we have worked for more than 20 years. He considered the caring attitude to the team to be the key. At the same time, the team includes a cleaning lady, a security guard, teaching and support staff, an associate professor, and a professor … He appreciated this very much, and we managed to keep the staff of the scientific school of the Institute of Technology. I try to adhere to these principles in my work.
I would also like to thank the people who founded the Professors’ Assembly of St. Petersburg: Viktor Egorovich Romanov, Stanislav Germanovich Eremeev, Alexander Alekseevich Matveev, Vladimir Nikolaevich Kuznetsov, Alexander Nikolaevich Grebenkin, Elvira Dmitrievna Tkacheva. They helped to make public work professional, legally literate. Now there is something to learn from our young chairman of the Interregional Organization of the Trade Union of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, Ivan Vasilyevich Kainov.
My teachers and students are my main support, my social connections that have grown all over the world.
Sergey VYUNKOV, Assistant to the Chairman of the Interregional Organization of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region of the All-Russian Trade Union of Education
