University students from across Russia become Primorsky Aquarium interns
The Primorsky Aquarium provides young scientists and university students with ample opportunities for scientific investigation.
The institution houses state-of-the art labs and a large collection of biological specimens, which allow specialists to perform their work efficiently and enable successful internship completion. Here, young scientists can enhance their research careers through the use of cutting-edge equipment. University students can apply the experience gained and knowledge of the ins and outs of scientific and professional processes when writing a research paper, term paper or thesis.
The most ambitious young people from across Russia are interested in the opportunity to become professionally connected with the Primorsky Aquarium. One of them is Valeriya Brevskaya, a graduate from Murmansk Arctic State University where she studied Aquatic Bioresources and Aquaculture in the Arctic. During her internship she worked under the guidance of Ekaterina Osipova, Head of the Animal Food Supply Department.
In total, her research conducted at the Aquarium lasted two months, resulting in a vast amount of material for her diploma thesis, entitled “A Case Study of Live Food Culture and Use at the Primorsky Aquarium”. Last summer Valeriya completed the thesis with honors.
“My thesis was the best in my group!” said Valeriya, sharing her experience of the pre-graduation internship with us. “My professors were delighted! It was really such an amazing opportunity! I was able to apply my knowledge in practice. I tried my hand at highly advanced, complex equipment, and specialists who passed their skills on to me were true professionals.”
Valeriya also mentioned that she was pleased to realize that her internship took place in Russia’s most innovative aquarium, which is a branch of the A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology FEB RAS.
“Live food culture is a promising area of development,” said Ekaterina Osipova, Head of the Animal Food Supply Department. “That is why we create favorable conditions for university students wishing to undertake an internship at our department. This is not the first year we have provided them with practical training in the section responsible for rearing live foods. Over this time period, seven students specializing in such areas as food technology, aquatic bioresources and aquaculture did their work experience and pre-graduation internships.”
The material obtained in the course of the internships and on-site research has been used in a Bachelor's thesis and a Master's dissertation, which have been successfully defended, and in a number of scientific papers later published as journal articles.
The internship at the Primorsky Aquarium lets university students become familiar with jobs they have never heard of before and get valuable experience, and certainly gives them a chance to join the Aquarium team as employees in future.