FUTURE DIRECTIONS

MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING

PROBLEM LABORATORY

FUTURE DIRECTIONS

As a result of the reduction of available finances (3.3 times less in 1993 in comparison to 1990) a modification of the structure of the research has become unavoidable.

It is now impossible to perform expensive field experiments and maintain the experimental fields and energy-hungry laboratory devices. It is therefore reasonable to use less energy consuming and less expensive technologies. One such direction is active implementation of IT.

Such implementation sets the following orientations of research:
1. Development and creation of systems for collecting, processing and storing information (databases) on natural and anthropogenic characteristics of Water Management objects.
2. Development and creation of knowledge-bases in block-structured form, which allows construction of complex modelling systems from simple elements (blocks) for modeling of processes on water collectors and ameliorated lands.
3. Mastering the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) providing the source data, mathematical models of interaction of elements, structures of formation of conclusions in the subject areas.

Realization of the mentioned orientations of scientific research can allow the PC-based solutions of the following problems:
1. Creation of an automated work place of the researcher.

2. Creation of an automated work place of the designer of projects:
- "Rational nature-use";
- "Evaluation of the effects on the environment;
- "Protection of the environment".

3. Creation of a system of automated expertise of projects (technical, economical, ecological).

4. Creation of teaching systems for students and specialists at different levels.

5. Creation of games on nature-use for university and high-school students and even pre-school children.

The solution of these problems would allow MSUEE to rise to a new level of education and research.

For example, availability of databases and knowledge-bases could allow the creation of a "Fund of new ideas in the area of nature-use". The main purpose of the fund is registration of the priority or of an idea or a method, which will have moral rather than judicial character, but will nevertheless fill the gap in the system of protection of intellectual property existing in Russia. The fund could also have commercial orientation, or the Research Institutes could apply preliminary expertise on technical solutions testing their technological, economical, ecological feasibilities. This would increase the quality of project design and would reduce the number of negative conclusions.

Systems of Automation of research work would allow making the work of PhD students more structural and unified, simplify some of the archaic methods of processing and presentation (writing of synopses, presentation of graphics, tables and other material, printing of theses etc.) and would give the student more time for the creative aspects of their research. The overall time of the preparation and presentation of theses could be reduced, the number of presented dissertation increased.

Existence of online teaching systems could allow the increase in quality of teaching and improve the activities in the area of Professional Development.

The Game systems would allow the Environmental Engineering College the wide use of IT. But the main result of work in the mentioned directions would be the significant increase of quality of research and teaching in MSUEE.

Such an optimistic view is based on the world wide experience. For example, according to Toshiba, by using the expert systems the productivity of the programmers is increased 5 times while the cost on training is decreased, without any loss in quality, 8-12 times.

The existence of the above mentioned systems would be very useful to the Water Management Committee.