'Science Knows No National Borders'
Foreign scientists successfully continue their work in HSE University laboratories, combining fundamental and applied research to achieve significant results. HSE News Service has spoken to Professor Panos Pardalos, Head of the Laboratory of Algorithms and Technologies for Networks Analysis at HSE University in Nizhny Novgorod, about its work.
— What brings you to HSE University in Nizhny Novgorod?
— Before joining HSE University, I had previously visited Nizhny Novgorod and thus have colleagues at Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, where I was appointed Honorary Professor in 2005. I therefore knew that many young researchers and reputable experts in mathematics and computer science worked in Nizhny Novgorod. When offered the opportunity to work there at the application stage in 2011, I agreed to participate as I already knew the city and its scientific environment.
I became the academic supervisor of the Laboratory of Algorithms and Technologies for Networks Analysis. The start of the mega-grants programme allowed us to attract many young researchers and employees of HSE University's Faculty of Business Informatics and Applied Mathematics and other research centres of Nizhny Novgorod.
— What are your key areas of research?
— We started with classical network optimisation problems, but now we pay significant attention to data mining and artificial intelligence. I recently gave a lecture on 'Artificial Intelligence and the Economics of Sustainable Development' as an invited speaker at the 25th Yasin Conference. We are constantly evolving and striving to be at the forefront of science by dealing with current topics. This is a natural progression for scientists who want to advance science and develop professionally.
The research we started with continues, although postgraduates and young employees are more interested in machine learning and artificial intelligence, as these subjects are in greater demand today. However, in science, everything is closely linked.
— How do fundamental and applied research combine?
— We began our applied research by studying the dynamics of networks in stock markets. In particular, we analysed the Russian stock market. We also studied networks of brain neurons and addressed the issue of transport routing for a large trading company. We strive to reach a balance between academic research and its real-life application. Our young employees have won numerous international and Russian competitions, including the Yandex scientific competition, IBM postgraduate grants, Yandex scholarships, and Moscow Government awards for young researchers. Many of our former employees have obtained senior positions in the IT departments of companies such as Sber, Yandex, Siemens, and Google, as well as in the research centres of other major corporations.
— Is it hard to combine scientific work in Russia and abroad?
— Not at all. Science knows no national borders. It makes no difference where you work. We publish everything we do, as we only do open research.
— One of your recent works focuses on the dynamics of natural and technogenic disasters. Can mathematical models help predict them?
— Conferences that discuss catastrophe dynamics and forecasting reflect the global nature of science. Last year's conference was held in Austria, the 2023 event took place in Greece, and this year's meeting will be held in China.
Studying dynamics involves trying to predict disasters and how to act when they occur. In China, for instance, landslides are common. We also study how to respond to tsunamis, earthquakes, epidemics, and massive power grid blackouts. More recently, we have started to forecast disasters related to the impact of space bodies, such as asteroids and comets.
—Which disasters are more difficult to forecast—natural or human-related?
—Both are difficult. Climate catastrophes and natural disasters caused by extreme weather and human activity are subject to certain cycles. Identifying, studying, and analysing their patterns is difficult.
— Have the global events of recent years affected your work?
— Scientists are more independent than politicians regarding their relationships with other countries. For example, Russia and the United States continue to collaborate on space exploration, and even during the Cold War, many Soviet scientific journals were translated in the USA. Science is a global legacy, and scientists should continue to collaborate for the benefit of humanity.
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