The department was established in 2018 by combining two departments: information technology and natural sciences
The Department of Information Technologies of the IPNK NAS of Belarus (until 01.03.2014 – the Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering, KIVT) was established at the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR on June 24, 1987 on November 3, 1987 in connection with the introduction since 1987 of a differentiated candidate’s credit in computer science and computer engineering for graduate students and applicants of scientific institutions of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
The first head of the KIVT was Anatoly Nikolaevich Morozevich, who gathered the first staff of the department.
The teachers of the KIVT were Candidate of Technical Sciences A.N. Dmitriev and Candidate of Technical Sciences A.A. Butov.
The engineering staff of the department included B.B. Tribukhovsky, V.A. Fedosenko, I.F. Bogdanova, A.A. Denisov. In subsequent years, in addition to these specialists, V.M. Galetsky, I.G. Oreshko, A.A. Denisov, Yu.A. Smanzer, A.E. Penyaz and S.S. Golanov worked as engineers of the KIVT.
The first candidate’s minimum in the discipline “Computer Science and Computer Engineering” was accepted at the Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering on October 8, 1987.
Leading specialists in the field of computer science and computer engineering from various scientific organizations of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR were invited to conduct training sessions. Among them were N.N. Anishkevich and B.A. Zhelezko from the Institute of Electronics; M.I. Ovseets, N.S. Kovalenko, A.S. Chernushevich, G.S. Ermakov, I.M. Galkin, V.I. Senkevich from the Institute of Mathematics, V.I. Romanov, A.K. Sannikova, P.N. Bibilo, V.B. Kitsis, V.F. Weber from the Institute of Technical Cybernetics, S.R. Matz from the Institute of Genetics and Cytology.
The history of postgraduate studies of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences at the Department of Computer Science and Computer Engineering completely coincides with the history of the creation and development of domestic computer technology of the corresponding period. In the first years of work, training was conducted in computing centers (VC) of scientific institutes of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR, which had large computers (mainframes) and a sufficient number of terminals.
In 1987/1988 and 1988/1989 academic years, graduate students studied on large computers EC-1035, EC-1046 and EC-1060, small computers CM 4, as well as on PCs Iskra-226, MEASURE-125 in the computing centers of five institutes of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR: Institute of Electronics (IE), Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry (IBOH), The Institute of Technical Cybernetics (ITC), the Institute of Genetics and Cytology (IGiC) and the Institute of Problems of Reliability and Durability of Machines (INDMASH). In the following 1989/1990 academic year, the VC of the Institute of Mathematics (IM) was added to them.
At IBOH, graduate students and applicants studied the programming languages FORTRAN and BASIC, as well as attended a course of lectures “Computers and mathematical modeling”, worked with the DVK-2, MERA-125, SM-2420, ERA-KAMAK computers.
At the ITC, they studied FORTRAN and worked with the EU-1035 and EU-1060 computers.
BASIC programming language was studied in IE and skills of working with CM4 computers, MEASURE-125 were acquired.
BASIC programming language was studied at IGIC, a course of lectures “Computer application in biological statistics” was given, DVK-2, CM4 computers were mastered.
At INDMASH, graduate students and applicants studied the FORTRAN programming language and acquired skills in working with computers EU 1035, EU-1840, ROBOTRON, DVK-2.
Since December 6, 1989, the Department of Computer Science became part of the newly formed Training Center for Scientific Personnel of the Academy of Sciences of the BSSR.
In addition to training graduate students at the department from 1992 to 1996, there were also courses for PC users for employees of the Academy of Sciences of Belarus. During this time, more than 200 people have been trained.
In 1996, the candidate’s minimum in Computer Science and Computer Engineering was transformed by the Higher Attestation Committee (HAC) of the Republic of Belarus into a candidate’s minimum in the Basics of Information Technology.
Since July 1, 1998 Bogdanova Irina Feliksovna was appointed to the post of head of the department.
In 1998, the training Center at the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, which included the Department, was abolished, and the KIVT became a part of the Institute of Technical Cybernetics (ITC) of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus as a training unit.
Since May 31, 2002, KIVT has been a part of the Institute for Training Scientific Personnel of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus (IPNK).
On March 1, 2014, the department was renamed the Department of Information Technology.
In 2007, with the opening of the Master’s degree, the second department was formed in IPNK – the Department of Natural Sciences (Founded on October 15, 2007 by order of the Rector No. 53 of 12.10.2007 on the basis of the decision of the Academic Council of the Institute as the Department of Natural Sciences). The first head was part–time rector of IPNK – Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, associate Professor Shkurko Vladimir Valentinovich. In 2018 the department is united with the Department of Information Technology and was named the Department of Natural Sciences and Information Technology (Rector’s Order No. 217 dated 06.11.2018).
Since 2018, with the formation of a single department, the head was appointed Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Dromashko Sergey Evgenievich.
The department has two sections: 1) natural sciences and 2) information technology. Information about the activities of the Information Technology Section of the Department is provided on a separate page of the IPNC website. The Natural Sciences Section of the Department trains undergraduates of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus in the following specialties:
- 1-31 80 01 Biology
- 1-30 80 05 Physics
- 1-31 80 06 Chemistry
- 1-36 80 03 Mechanical engineering and Machine science.
Leading specialists from the research institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus are involved in conducting classes in the disciplines of professional training. In accordance with the orientation of the preparation of masters in the future for scientific activities, this approach provides students with the most effective knowledge and information about the latest and promising scientific research, developments and achievements of domestic science.
The research work of students is conducted on the basis of the IPNC, as well as in the institutes of the NAS of Belarus of the departments of Physics, mathematics and computer Science, physical and technical Sciences, biological sciences, chemistry and Earth sciences, humanities, with which cooperation agreements have been concluded in the field of staffing scientific and educational activities. Among them:
- “Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry”
- “Institute of Biophysics and Cell Engineering”
- “Institute of Genetics and Cytology”
- “Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry”
- “Institute of Problems of Use of Natural Resources and Ecology”
- “Institute of Heat and Mass Transfer named after A.V. Lykov”
- “Institute of Physics named after B.I. Stepanov”
- “Institute of Physical and Organic Chemistry”
- “Institute of Chemistry of New Materials”
- “V.F. Kuprevich Institute of Experimental Botany”
- “S.N. Vyshelessky Institute of Experimental Veterinary Medicine”
- “Scientific and Practical Center for Bioresources”
- “Joint Institute for Energy and Nuclear Research “Sosny”
- “Central Botanical Garden”, etc.
The topics of master’s theses correspond to promising areas of research in the Republic of Belarus. Directors and deputy directors of institutes, heads of centers, heads of laboratories, departments and sectors, and other leading specialists of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus manage research work and master’s theses.
The main purpose of the scientific and methodological work of the Department is to organize the educational process and coordinate the educational and organizational and methodological work of the teaching staff.
The main areas of work of the Department are:
- methodically based planning and organization of the educational process;
- maintenance of basic educational documentation.