A large-scale project to popularize science for schoolchildren “Science Around” of the Adyghe State University started with an event at the “Russia” exhibition

Nikolay Andreev, a researcher at the Caucasian Mathematical Center of Adyghe State University and head of the Laboratory of Popularization and Propaganda of Mathematics at the V.A. Steklov Mathematical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, participated in the "Science Around" project, delivering a lecture on the mathematical aspects of the world around us to schoolchildren visiting the "Russia" exhibition at VDNKh in Moscow.
 
The lecture was held in the "Decade of Science and Technology" hall at Pavilion 57, where students from a physics and mathematics class at a Kostroma school gathered to learn from Nikolai Andreev. In his engaging presentation, Nikolai demonstrated to the students how mathematics is the foundation for various services that modern smartphone users often take for granted. One fascinating example was the principle behind automatic language translation, which he explored with the students. Another example was the algorithm used by the T9 autocorrect service to suggest corrections for misspelled words. Through these interactive examples, Nikolai helped the students understand the mathematical concepts underlying these everyday technologies.

 "If you think that a computer or artificial intelligence, a service or a virtual assistant - Alice or Marusya, understands you, understands the meaning, then stop thinking so. A computer or system does everything according to an algorithm that a person has laid down, based on mathematical laws" Nikolai Andreev said at the lecture.
 
Nikolai Andreev's impressive credentials include being a laureate of the prestigious President of the Russian Federation Prize in the field of science and innovation for young scientists (2010), a recipient of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) Gold Medal for outstanding achievements in promoting scientific knowledge (2017), and a recent winner of the Lilavati Prize from the International Mathematical Union (2022). In addition to his individual achievements, Andreev collaborates with prominent scientists and science popularizers in Russia through the "Science Around" project, which is being implemented by Adyghe State University with funding from a grant from the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. This initiative aims to promote Russian science within the framework of the federal project "Popularization of Science and Technology." Notably, the university's application was selected from among 18 large-scale projects designed to engage a broad audience in the popularization of science.
 
The "Science Around" project aims to showcase the remarkable achievements of Russian scientists in the fields of natural sciences, mathematics, and information technology. The project's primary objectives are to foster a scientific worldview and information literacy in schoolchildren, making the profession of scientist and Russian science more appealing and relatable to young minds. To achieve this, the project will utilize grant funds to organize on-site science festivals at the All-Russian Children's Center "Orlyonok", record online lectures by renowned Russian scientists and science popularizers, and deliver a series of interactive online lessons on natural science and mathematics for schoolchildren. The events will be co-organized with the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and supported by the Steklov Mathematical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences at the Orlyonok All-Russia Children's Center. 
 
The project is scheduled to run from June to November 2024, with an expected participation of over 240,000 schoolchildren from the following regions:
 
-The Southern and North Caucasus Federal Districts
-Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics
-The Republic of Tyva
-The Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District
-Zaporozhye, Kherson, and Yaroslavl regions
-Other regions across the country.