A scientific and educational seminar on physical experiments and the basics of project activity in physics classes took place in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia. The event was attended by students of Vitus Bering Kamchatka State University (KamSU), along with physics teachers from Kamchatka and Primorsky Krai. The organizers were the KamSU Information Centre (IC) of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research and the JINR University Centre.

The aim of the event was to test the educational environment model designed to improve the quality of teaching physics and mathematics in schools and help increase the number of applicants and students of engineering, technology, and physics faculties of universities. In addition, the successful implementation of this model will aid in students’ professional guidance, helping them make an informed choice in favour of teaching at schools.

The organizers set a wide range of tasks. The key task for teachers was to conduct physics workshops that will help them work with the Engineers of the Future educational and methodological complex, developed under the leadership of Yuri Panebrattsev (UC JINR). The main objective for students who either already teach at school or participated in the Teachers of the Future school and seminar in February was to continue the activities they started in Dubna by taking part in the preparation of individual points of the regional programme for Kamchatka Krai schoolchildren, similar to the Days of Physics festival in Dubna.

The first working meeting took place before the opening of the seminar. Head of the KamSU JINR Information Centre Rodoslav Izrapil made a presentation on the centre’s work in 2024. In particular, he noted that the IC organized more than 30 different events, among which over twenty focused on career guidance. About 800 people took part in these events, including 650 schoolchildren, 100 students, as well as teachers and school principals.

KamSU Senior Vice-Rector Oleg Sulitsa and Rector of the Kamchatka Institute of Educational Development Alexey Yatsyna spoke about the priorities in education for the Kamchatka Krai, drawing attention to the issues of teaching physics. Head of the Department of Education of the Yelizovsky Municipal District (Kamchatka Krai) Sergey Vorushilov informed the event’s participants about the significant shortage of physics teachers. JINR University Centre Director Dmitry Kamanin pointed out that the resources of the Kamchatka university IC can play an important role in the development of education in the region.

The discussion of partnership between the Joint Institute and KamSU continued at a meeting with the university’s Acting Rector Olga Rebkovets. She outlined key areas for further cooperation development, particularly data analysis and international collaboration. According to Olga Rebkovets, along with promoting higher and school education in physics and mathematics, these areas are highly promising for fruitful JINR–KamSU cooperation.

The first lecture of the scientific and educational seminar was delivered by an UC JINR leading researcher Ivan Lomachenkov. It was dedicated to the Engineers of the Future set of textbooks, the educational initiatives of the Joint Institute, and the project activities in education developed by the University Centre. The presentation sparked a lively discussion among the participants. Teachers who had previously visited Dubna emphasised that such events improve professional skills and deepen the understanding of modern physics of participants.

The seminar continued in two locations of the G. F. Kirdishchev Secondary School No. 28 simultaneously. Ivan Lomachenkov curated an experimental workshop for teachers, while a JINR University Centre leading methodologist Petr Shirkov introduced the participants to project activities and the basics of organizing educational programmes for students.

The seminar was attended by students of the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU): those already working as teachers and those who took part in the recent Teachers of the Future school and seminar organized by the JINR University Centre in Dubna. They acted as assistants in the workshop for Kamchatka teachers. The experience gained in Dubna and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky will allow the participants to further implement similar educational programmes for teachers and students in Primorsky Krai and consult their colleagues on the methodology of using Engineers of the Future textbooks in schools.

The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research was represented by Dmitry Kamanin, Ivan Lomachenkov, Mariya Pilipenko, Petr Shirkov, and Nikolay Voytishin.