8 countries young scientists became participants of TSU "Aktru" school

TOMSK, Jul 10 - RIA Tomsk. The International summer scientific and educational school was launched at the Aktru high altitude research station of Tomsk State University (TSU) in the Altai Mountains; its participants will have excursions about formation of the landscape after a megaflood about 25 thousand years ago, the press service of the university reported on Wednesday.

It is specified that the traditional summer school has been held since 2011. From 10 to 19 July 2019, the participants of the next school will study the unique natural area of the Altai Mountains, the way of life and ways of adapting the population in a rapidly changing climate.

“The bus route of school passes along the Chuysky Trakt, which is included into the National Geographic's list of the ten most beautiful roads in the world. Students and scientists will see a wide range of landscapes: from mixed deciduous and dark coniferous forests in the foothills and humid lowlands to arid steppes and semi-deserts of the Kurai intermountain basin", - is said in the statement.

Then the group will transfer to the all-wheel drive former military vehicles "crew buses" and rise through the mountain coniferous forests to the "Aktru" station. It is located at the upper boundary of the forest, about 2.2 thousand meters above sea level. In walking distance from the station - alpine meadows, mountain tundra and glaciers. “There are few places on Earth where such a diverse environment space is available for viewing”, - notes the press service.

According to the university, students from such universities as Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), University of East Anglia and University of Manchester (United Kingdom), Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (Switzerland), National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece), University of Catania (Italy), University of Pretoria (South Africa) participate in the school.

"There are six Tomsk State University students participating in the Aktru-2019 summer school. These are two undergraduates of the program "Study of Siberia and the Arctic" and four students of the TSU Biological Institute. Students and teachers of Gorno-Altaisk State University and Altai State University also participate in the school", - is added in the message.