b'Education matters Education mattersand applied problems. I was doingand sequestration, and a bit of energy my masters in high-pressure physicalstorage. We needed a different set chemistry and then moved to analyticalof tools from those that I had used chemistry, which is more physics thanpreviously. We had to compile a large chemistry. It may look like a subjectamount of information, digest it, and change, but I dont consider it a subjectanalyse the emerging trends and the change. I applied the basic fundamentalthings behind them. Oddly enough, skills I had learnt to a slightly new area. whilst there, I used not just my technical expertise but also my knowledge of You can do fundamental science,philosophy and political economy. That knowledge allowed me to see but you still always have tothe pictures and connections where challenge yourself - whats theyou dont see them at first sight. Then Marina Pervukhinarelevance of your research? I founded a start-up to develop and Associate Editor for Educationcommercialise a new generation of Marina.Pervukhina@csiro.au In 1993 I moved to Australia, where Iorganic and organo-mineral fertilisers.continued work in electron microscopy.Finally, I recently re-joined CSIRO Although it was slightly different thisin the position of the Lead for the Career development in a rapidlytimerather than developing theHydrogen Energy Systems Future changing world. method in general, I was using it as aScience Platform, which you can call an tool for solving a particular problem:internal start-up for science projects, In this issue of Preview we continueunderstanding the mechanism ofbut not in terms of commercialising a series of interviews on educationalhydrogen embrittlement of high- outputs but transferring them to CSIRO needs in the field of geoscience withstrength steel. So, again, did I feel like Ipractice and science. It is about setting leaders working in governmental andchanged fields No, I just used my basicup high-risk high-impact projects industrial organisations. Our specialskills. Ive got a strong foundation thatwith the results that the industry will guest today is Dr Nikolai Kinaev, the Leadallows me to quickly take the toolsrequire in five - tenfifteen years. of the Hydrogen Systems Future Sciencethat I had and apply them to newAnd the biggest challenge is not to Platform in CSIRO. problems. Then I went back to chemistryfind projects with great science. In the and worked for a couple of years incurrent environment there is plenty pyrometallurgy, looking at the kineticsof outstanding science. The problem of lead reduction. And then, I went intois finding and choosing the projects a completely new area - developingrelevant to the industry in five - tenand commercialising the wastewaterfifteen years. And this is where you need treatment technology for beneficial reusea combination of both understanding in other areas. Again, this is chemistrythe science and understanding how the with a bit of chemical engineering.industry works. You have to look at the Although it seems like a different area,same thing simultaneously from various it is just applying basic knowledge tosides: from the science perspective, but another topic. Then I returned to thealso you have to look at this from the energy sector and material science andindustry side as well. And I keep telling started working on mineral matters inthe industry guys: were not looking Dr Nikolai Kinaev coal gasification on slag viscosity issuesfor your moneywe are looking for at CSIRO. Again, did I ever consideryour guidance because that is what MP: Can you tell our readers about yourthis as a change in the topic? Changewe need to be really mindful of. You background and current position, please? in the specialty? Not really. Change incan do fundamental science, but you NK: Okay, my career is an excellentthe subject? Yes, but not a change ofstill always have to challenge yourself - example of a career forged in a rapidlyspeciality because I was still using thewhats the relevance of your research? changing world. I keep telling peoplesame toolbox that I had while developingIt doesnt matter that it may be relevant that I used to be a chemist. I graduatedsome new toolboxes. only in 50 years. But it must be relevant.and got my masters degree fromThen I joined a large industrial company,MP: What is it in your extensive Moscow State University. I did mythe energy technology group. Thatbackground - the classic education, masters in hydrogen storage withwas a different kind of work - analysingthe hydrogen-related topics of your metal hydrides. After that, I workedthe current status and emergingmasters and PhD theses, your company at the Russian Academy of Sciencetrends in energy technology fromexperience, your consultancy or start-up in instrumental analytical chemistry,different point-of-view: technical- that brought you to your current high-such as mass spectrometry, electronaspects, technology, maturity level, andlevel position at CSIRO?microscopy, and X-Ray fluorescenceeconomics of those emerging trends. analysis. I was involved in developingIt was a wide span of technologies:NK: All of the above. Its essentially the these technologies and methods andfossil fuel power generation, renewablealloy or the amalgam of the fundamental applying them to fundamental scienceenergy, nuclear energy, carbon captureunderstanding of things, of the 39 PREVIEW FEBRUARY 2023'