HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS AND MODELING DEPARTMENT
Mathematics and Modeling Department was founded in September 1, 2005 by the order of the Rector from May 17, 2005, when the Higher Mathematics Department was reorganized.
Since 2005 the head of the department is doctor of Engineering Science, professor of International Higher Education Academy, Valentin A. Khodakovsky. In 2009 Petersburg State Transport University was given the right to prepare specialists on the specialization Applied Mathematics and the same year the study was initiated. Later this specialization was transformed into Applied Mathematics and Informatics specialization, then years 2004 and 2005 saw first two graduations. These graduates are employed in departments of Russian Railway and other organizations of St.Petersburg and North-West of Russia, some of them decided to stay by the department as lecturers, and others intend making PhD. All in all, the experience turned out to be successful.
Since January 12, 2009 Mathematics and Modeling Department began the preparation on the direction System Analysis and Management. The core of the Mathematics and Modeling Department teaching personnel is represented by the professors, who prepared specialists on this specialization on main courses and mathematical subjects.
Mathematics and Modeling Department is the methodical center of Mathematics departments in different universities of Russia North-West. The president of Scientific-Methodical Council (SMC) on mathematics of North-West universities and the president of Universities Mathematicians Association (UMA), the public organization which was established on the base of universities mathematical departments, is the professor of the department Valentin G. Degtyarev, and the department’s assistant professor L.A. Kukharenko is the SMC academic secretary and UMA presidium member.
SMC and UMA annually organize international scientific-methodical conferences on mathematics in different universities of North-West. Three conferences – in 1998, 1999, and 2000 took place in PSTU. Collected papers are published according to the conferences results. UMA has a web page in Internet through the server of Mathematical University of Russian Academy of Science. During all these years the professors membership, which can be observed now, has been forming: specialists from outside were invited to the department, both on regular basis and on part-time, best department’s professionals were involved in different activities, postgraduate preparation was also organized. At the moment there are two honored workers of Science of Russian Federation (it is sensible to mention that there are no professors of this high title at other mathematical departments of universities), 5 professors, doctors of Science (one of the highest rates in St.Petersburg) and recently three young graduates appeared in the department, one master thesis is already presented for the defense, and two are expected in the nearest future.