News in Press-centre

An unusual experiment is being launched by Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) and Sumotori Group of Companies. FEFU students will be offered to assemble an electric car on their own, and the best of them will go on training for the first in Russia plant for the production of electric cars, which will be built in Primorsky Krai in 2018. The representatives of FEFU and Sumotori agreed this at the Days of the Far East in Moscow Exhibition.

According to Mikhail Sivtsev, Director, FEFU Department of Secondary Vocational Education and Professional Competency Development, the students of several areas of training, mostly engineering ones, will take part in the training experiment. They will be asked to assemble the electric car from the car major components under the supervision of the Sumotori experts.

“Engineering competencies are very much in demand in many sectors of the economy today: in industrial robotics, shipbuilding, aircraft and mechanical engineering, and FEFU should provide them with qualified specialists. Our experiment with Sumotori is aimed at preparing a new generation of engineering personnel for modern production, improving practical skills of students,” said Mikhail Sivtsev.

According to him, the involvement of employers in the educational process, joint projects and internships contribute, above all, to the growth of the competitiveness of the regional economy.

“Training, science, and production should be integrated for the development of the economy. Many large enterprises have already assessed the advantages of such approach to the educational process and are actively working with universities, promoting the training in the necessary disciplines: they invite students and faculty for internships, actively participate in WorldSkills competitions as experts. Sumotori Group of Companies is among them; the company understands that such approach is the future of our economy,” Mikhail Sivtsev said.

EV-technologies in the automotive industry are actively developing in many countries of the world, especially in Japan, China, and EU countries, but the list of electric cars that can be bought in Russia, is still modest. Mass production of electric vehicles will begin in Primorye at the Prometheus Plant — a joint project of Sumotori and Arai Shoii Co., Ltd., Japan. It is planned that the first electric cars will leave the assembly line in Nadezhdinskaya Advanced Social Economic Zone in 2019. The new production will require about 100 qualified workers.