June 22 - July 3.
The International summer school on recent problems in theoretical and mathematical physics for young scientists "Volga-N" (Petrov school) has been held every year since 1987 under the aegis of Kazan State University. The aim of the school is to create auspicious conditions for scientific promotion and involvement of gifted young people from NIS in modern physics, helping them better integrate into international scientific community.
Traditionally, the school lasts about two weeks in summer months (June-July) and is attended by approximately 150 people, prevailingly Ph.D. students and young scientists from Russia's, Belorussia's, Ukraine's and other NIS' cities and regional centers (Siberia, Ural, Altai Territory, Bashkortstan, Tatarstan, Republic of Mariy-El, Moscow and Moscow Region, Yaroslavl Region, Vladimir, Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, Nizhni Novgorod, Penza, Smolensk, Sterlitamak, Omsk, Tomsk, Ulyanovsk, Ufa, and others), from INTAS member states (Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, The Netherlands, Romania, the United Kingdom etc.) as well as from the rest of the world ( Japan, India, Iran, Mexico, USA etc.).
The scientific programme of the school includes a wide range of topics, providing up-to-date coverage of fast-developing fields of theoretical physics such as gauge theory, string and superstring theory, supersymmetry theories, quantum gravity, black holes, cosmology, quantum computings and others. Students are delivered teaching and training courses and taught contemporary theoretical methods of research by invited acknowledged scientists from leading NIS and foreign scientific and educational centers (Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhni Novgorod, Tomsk, Omsk, LPI of RAS, In-te for Physical Problems of RAS, ITEP, JINR (Dubna), BITP of NAS, ICTP (Trieste), Un- ty of Aberdeen, Max Plank In-te, Olomoutz Un-ty,Timisoara Un-ty, Un-ty of Maryland, Tsukuva Un-ty, Yamagata Un-ty, Chiba Tech. In-te and others).
At the 2001 school there were many lecturers and young scientists from various teams holding, in all, 14 INTAS grants (97-0103, OPEN 97-01312, YNS No. 98-152, YNS No. 98-153, 99-0590, 99-1705, 99-01782, 55-2000, 00-00334, 00-00561, 00- 00254, 00-00334, 00-00262, 00-00055).
Contacts established at the school have evolved into international collaboration between its participants, which makes it possible to organize for school students visits to and traineeships in scientific organisations represented at the school.
The case in point are close connections between ITEP and Kazan, Omsk, Ukraine, Belorussia universities, collaboration between the Bashkortstan team and colleagues from the United Kingdom, Italy, France and others.
In addition to conventional forms of education the school programme includes students' seminars (organizers Prof. A. Yu. Morozov and Prof. A.D. Mironov).
Evening interviews, conducted in an informal setting, are organised to promote contacts between Ph.D. students and newly graduated Ph.D. scientists as well as their teachers. Much significance is also attached to aesthetic education of participants and sports programs.
The school holds in a picturesque site on the bank of great Russian river Volga, in pine forest. The place of accommodation is about 25 km distance from the city of Kazan. Cultural program includes specially organised concerts of classical and ecclesiastical music, sight-seeing, excursions to museums, concert halls and theatres as well as boat trips down the Volga to historical places.
School transactions are published in three categories: Lecture Notes, Recent Problems In Field Theory (YS Proceedings volumes) and Abstracts. The Petrov school has gained a good international reputation in the scientific community, it draws the public attention and is covered in the press and on television. The school programme and the opportunities of participation are published on Petrov school web page and are announced via internet sites of physical societies of Europe, NIS etc., thus being open to all eligible countries.