On February 2 the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Joint Stock Company «Donaerodorstroy» Aleksey Knyshov was in Shakhty, where he took part in the opening of Shakhty Road Institute — the branch of Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University (NPI) and the Interregional conference «Transport Safety and Staffing of the Road Industry of the South of Russia.»

Joint Stock Company «Donaerodorstroy» acted as the strategic partner of the Conference, the start of which was proceeded with the solemn ceremony of opening the board with the name «Shakhty Road Institute.»

The honorary right to start a new institution of higher education in the mining city of the Rostov region was granted to the rector of SRSPU (NPI) v. G. Perederiy, Deputy Plenipotentiary of the President of the Russian Federation in the Southern Federal District A. A. Safronov, Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation v. V. Gutenev, the Minister of General and Professional Education of the Rostov region, L.v. Balina, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Joint Stock Company «Donaerodorstroy» A.v. Knyshov, First Deputy of Transport Minister of the Rostov region v. L. Goyda,

Speaking before the participants of the ceremony, Aleksay Knyshov noted that «the establishment of a new specialized road institute is an important step towards the renewal and qualitative improvement of workforce capacity of the road industry in Don region, and in the future in the South of Russia.»

Anatoly Safronov addressed with welcome speech on behalf of the Office of Plenipotentiary of the President of the Russian Federation in the Southern Federal District. He emphasized that «the opening of an institution of higher education with such profile will help the applicants get quality education, turn professionals that is very important for modern Russia.»

According to the rector of SRSPU (NPI) Vladimir Perederiy, «today’s realities lay down new rules of development. According to them, and for the sake of quality education, not to lose a strong school of science, it was decided to establish promising vectors of development of the road industry on the basis of the Polytechnic Institute.

In September 2018 more than 160 first-year government-subsidized students will be enrolled to new departments. There will be student spaces on a paid basis too. The students will be taught in several fields of study, including highway design and construction, mechanization and automation of the road industry, transport safety and management of road infrastructure, materials, technologies and technical regulation of road construction, and also human resources management and economics.»

Another important event of the Conference was the opening of the laboratory «Transport safety», the activity of which is directly connected with the protection of transportation facilities and vehicles from unlawful interference.

The laboratory is equipped with virtual simulators developed on the basis of unique hardware and software complexes. As the guests could make sure this equipment allows the students to simulate a situation in transport on a real-time basis, to create large transportation networks, elements of space, transportation vehicles and facilities in order to ensure transport safety.
The plenary meeting of the Conference became the highlight of the day.

It was attended by the representatives of the Office of Plenipotentiary of the President of the Russian Federation in the Southern Federal District, the Government of the Rostov, Volgograd and Astrakhan regions, the Republics of Adygea, Kalmykia, Crimea, the Krasnodar Krai and the Stavropol Krai.

The Conference was opened by Deputy Plenipotentiary of the President of the Russian Federation in the Southern Federal District Anatoly Safronov. In his report he noted that in recent years the significant and quality changes had been in the transport industry of the South of Russia.

In the district a number of important transport projects were being successfully implemented, the transport crossing across Kerch Strait was under active construction, the transport infrastructure was being prepared for the forthcoming World Football Championship.

In his turn Aleksey Knyshev told about joint cooperation of the enterprise and the new institution of higher education. He particularly noted that the problem related to staffing of modern construction company could be solved only upon the establishment of educational complex uniting the institution of high education and the company actually operating.

For that reason in 2017 they signed the agreement for development of strategic partnership for advanced staff training on the basis of SRSPU (NPI) for Joint Stock Company «Donaerodorstroy». This means that on the basis of the enterprise the students will be trained according to target assignment, receive work experience and training on probation.

General top priority for the institution of higher education and the road company is the preparation of highly proficient specialists not only for Joint Stock Company «Donaerodorstroy» but also for the road and transport industry of the region and the country as a whole.

The key result of Interregional conference was the official execution of the agreement for establishment of innovation and production cluster of the road industry in the Rostov region.

The participants of the new association are: the Ministry of Transport of the Rostov region, the Ministry of General and Professional Education of the Rostov region, Joint Stock Company «Donaerodorstroy» and Platov South-Russian State Polytechnic University (NPI).