The XIVth International Conference and Competition of students and graduate students "The digital and information technologies in the electronic media industry"

The program committee of the scientific forum included Dr. Martin Salter – The Director of the Educational Foundation of the International Association of Broadcasting Manufacturers IABM, Honorary Doctor of SPSUFT. 

We publish an article written by Dr. Martin Salter.

IABM is the authoritative representative body of broadcast and media technology suppliers around the world whilst the IEEE is similarly a global body that represents the interests of all associated with the engineering aspects of the Broadcast Industry. Both organisations have identified the need to ensure that capable and innovative engineers and scientists are drawn into the industry and particularly have recognised the value of exposing potential engineers to the opportunities that are available within the industry.

To achieve this objective, the IABM established, some fourteen years ago, a series of sponsored opportunities that allow selected students to participate in the Amsterdam based InternationalBroadcasting Convention (IBC) exhibition and conference that serves the electronic media world. The St Petersburg University of Film and Televsion was the first and at that time the sole university to participate in this programme and has continued to participate to this day with two students attending IBC with full registration and all travel and accommodation expenses paid by the IABM. The success of these programmes, initially established in St Petersburg, has allowed the programme to be widened to include a three further European universities and more recently to include four students from North America to participate in the annual NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) convention held in Las Vegas.

To achieve this objective, the IABM established, some fourteen years ago, a series of sponsored opportunities that allow selected students to participate in the Amsterdam based InternationalBroadcasting Convention (IBC) exhibition and conference that serves the electronic media world. The St Petersburg University of Film and Televsion was the first and at that time the sole university to participate in this programme and has continued to participate to this day with two students attending IBC with full registration and all travel and accommodation expenses paid by the IABM. The success of these programmes, initially established in St Petersburg, has allowed the programme to be widened to include a three further European universities and more recently to include four students from North America to participate in the annual NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) convention held in Las Vegas.

A recent expansion of the programme has been provided by the added support of the IEEE/BTS (Broadcast Televsion Society) that ensures that further students from St. Petersburg are able to attend IBC.

Both organisations have their own training programmes that offer a wide range of subjects relevant to the requirements of the industry and at varying levels to accommodate both the newcomer and the long time professional practitioner and supported by relevant certification of achievement. The sponsored student bursary programme is seen as an essential part of the introduction and training activties.

St. Petersburg State University of Film and Television selects students on the basis of internal competition. This competition usually starts in October with the announcement of the annual Student Conference that provides the vehicle for final selection. Throughout the period up to the Conference, usually in late June or early July, applications are received and supported with written presentations of the individuals chosen topic. From what is usually a large field of candidates (48 in 2016) the internal review body within the University selects some 18 or so candidate who will participate in the conference.

The conference provided on the first day, the opportunity for each candidate to make a presentation of a topic of their choice, some related to the specifics of their studies whilst others chose to take a paper from last year’s IBC conference and to expand and analyse that topic. … This was a proposal introduced by Professor Konstantin Glasman to allow participation by students who were not yet undertaking post graduate research.  For this first round presentations could, if the student preferred, be made in the Russian language.  The primary intention of this first round was to assess the effort made by the candidates in preparing their presentations, their understanding of their chosen topic and their confidence in presentation and responding to questions. Essentially, an assessment of their ability to benefit from an IBC visit. From the eighteen candidates, nine were selected for the final round.

The final round took place two days later with the format of this second round comprisinga brief presentation from each student that highlighted their objectives and priorities of IBC participation, followed by group discussions moderated by Sebastian Moritz (Member of the board of trustees of the university). At the conclusion of the moderated discussion session the judging panel retired to make the final selection of those students who would travel to Amsterdam to participate in the IBC Convention sponsored by the IABM and the IEEE/BTS. Selection from the nine finalist candidates proved a challenging task for the judges as all had made excellent presentations and actively contributed to a challenging panel discussion. Congratulations are due to all who participated and particularly to those outstanding students who made it to the final selection to travel to IBC and in the process confirmed a continuing tradition of excellent candidates who have, since the very beginning of this programme, been presented by the St. Petersburg University of Film and Televsion.  

The selection panel comprised academic staff from the university, myself and representatives of the other sponsor of the Student Conference/Competition. These included in addition to the IEEE/BTS, Panasonic (Russia), DNK, the Russian Televsion Research Institute and the IABM, all of whom presented awards to the students participating in the final selection.

  Dr. Martin Salter