The company "August" begins work on the selection and training of young personnel for its own research center (R&D Center) under construction in Chernogolovka near Moscow for the development of plant protection products. The center will be the largest in the country and is tentatively scheduled to open in 2025. Students interested in research activities in the field of plant biology and striving to gain the necessary skills to work at the NRC will be offered a variety of opportunities - from targeted scholarships to internships at the company and leading Russian research institutes.
“By the opening of the center, we should have formed a core of personnel, which will include not only candidates of sciences and other accomplished specialists, but also young capable employees,” says Ruslan Zotov, R&D Director of JSC Firma August. - And here our main task is to keep students interested in science, who study in specialized areas of training and at the same time are inclined to research activities. It is no secret that many of those still studying at the university begin to earn extra money in the field of management, sales, catering, etc. As a result, by the time of graduation, they are already "sharpened" for other areas of activity and they have formed other professional priorities. We strive to ensure that the future young specialist, research agronomist or research chemist, does not lose his motivation, seeing the prospects of working in a leading company on the site of a modern research center with a decent salary. And instead of part-time jobs, he acquired the necessary skills for conducting tests, which will be required by the employees of our center.
The R&D director emphasizes that when the Augusta Research Center is built, the issue of a base for practice and internships for research students will be resolved by itself. Moreover, the company intends to help universities in this direction on a regular basis in one way or another. Now there is no single optimal platform for training specialists in the field of pesticide development, and this issue will have to be addressed by August in a differentiated way. Thus, the internship is partly planned in Moscow on the basis of the recently formed department of biological testing "Augusta". The department has its own artificial climate laboratory, where plant samples are grown and tested. In addition, the agricultural consulting laboratories of "Augusta" are already accepting trainees, working at large regional representative offices of the company. Also, "August" expects to send students on internships and business trips to the country's leading research institutes, such as the All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Protection (VIZR) in St. Petersburg.
At the moment, in order to establish cooperation, meetings were held at Moscow State University. Lomonosov. Traditionally, one of the most important partners of "August" is Timiryazev RGAU-MSHA. On the basis of the Department of Plant Protection, the company's specialists have already begun work with masters and bachelors. In addition to nominal scholarships, which "August" has been paying out for many years to promising Timiryazev students, the possibility of employing the best students is being considered as an additional incentive so that they can develop in the field of biological research and at the same time do their theses. St. Petersburg State Agrarian University (SPbGAU) is also expected to become a key platform in the training of young employees of the SIC, where it is planned to open the target master's program "Augusta". The company is interested in attracting students from all over the country - in particular, from the subjects of the federation with a traditionally developed agricultural sector and, accordingly, strong training in specialized universities. Various forms of work with talented young people are envisaged, including relocation and admission to the target master's program at St. Petersburg State Agrarian University with a professional internship on the basis of VIZR.
“We want as many students of Russian universities as possible to learn about our project,” says Roza Sukhorukova, HR Director at JSC Firma August. “Therefore, we are already sending presentation materials about the company's R&D Center to educational institutions, as well as questionnaires for students, which should help us identify the most enthusiastic and capable children. We recommend all those who are interested to contact the deans of universities for information, and if it turns out to be insufficient, then you can call or write directly to August. The Human Resources department will be happy to tell you everything you need and answer questions, as we are really looking forward to young highly motivated employees.”