Veronika Asaul

Head of the SPbGASU Department of Construction Economics and Housing and Utility Infrastructure, Professor Veronika Asaul has been working at the university for 20 years. Veronika Viktorovna has an impressive list of achievements: she is the author of more than 120 scientific papers; has supervised 11 PhD theses; and for two dissertations for the degree of DSc in Economics, the professor was the academic adviser.

While still a novice scientist, Veronika Asaul won a grant for young candidates from universities and academic institutions located on the territory of St Petersburg "Scientific foundations of the concept of economic innovation strategy of construction organizations based on integration processes” (2004) and a grant for young scientists and specialists of the Russian Academy of Architecture and Building Sciences “Scientific foundations for the prospective development of the territory on the example of creating special economic zones” (2006).

In 2017, Veronika Asaul founded the scientific school "Ensuring the competitiveness of entrepreneurial structures in construction on an innovative basis." In 2018, she became the winner of the competition for the right to receive grants from the President of the Russian Federation for state support of leading scientific schools in the field of knowledge "Social and Human Sciences (SS-4028.2018.6)" as a leader. The topic of the study, which was applied for a grant: "Intensification of Russia's economic growth through the formation of developed competitive advantages in the construction industry based on elements of the digital economy." Veronika Viktorovna is also the holder of an honorary diploma of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation and the title of "Honorary Worker of Education".

We asked Veronika Viktorovna to tell us about her scientific work and what inspires her.

– My father, Viktor Ivanovich Krishtal, was a physicist. Together with his colleagues, he assembled a laser installation for studying processes in an internal combustion engine. As a child, I saw the laser and was indescribably delighted. Needless to say, after reading the science fiction novel by Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy "The Hyperboloid of Engineer Garin", the laser seemed to me the height of engineering, and my father - a hero. After graduating with honors from the university, at the insistence of my father, I entered the graduate school.

– Who do you consider to be your mentor?

– I have always been lucky with mentors and leaders. The head of my graduation project, Boris Leonidovich Kuznetsov, DSc, Professor, was seriously interested in synergetics - an interdisciplinary science, conducted research, wrote books. He literally charged everyone around him with the energy of an indefatigable scientific search for new "blank spots" on the synergetic map of the world. My PhD supervisor, Mikhail Leonidovich Novozhilov, at that time a candidate of sciences, never restrained me in my scientific search, he got rare books by Western authors on the theory of branch markets, market structures. Sometimes he dictated whole sentences to me if he did not like what I was writing. He loved to philosophize and always supported me in everything. I have the warmest memories of our collaboration.

Yuri Pavlovich Panibratov, the supervisor of my doctoral thesis, has been my mentor since then to this day. He always inspires, supports, delights with deep erudition, subtle artistry and absolute decency. His human and scientific authority in our team is enormous. Long life to him, health and happiness!

– At what scientific topic are you focused now?

– My scientific interests are related to the development of theory and the formation of methodological foundations for construction management, increasing the competitiveness and innovative activity of construction organizations based on integration processes, digitalization, and the theory of self-organization.

The theme of competitiveness is eternal. As long as individuals, companies, and countries compete for any kind of scarce resources, there will be competition. At the same time, the level of development of advanced technologies, primarily digital ones, is of great importance for the competitiveness of states in our time.

Therefore, our team is engaged in the intensification of growth in the Russian economy by activating construction, increasing the competitiveness of the construction industry in the context of digitalization. “Always choose the most difficult path,-there you will not meet competitors,” said Charles de Gaulle.

– Please tell us about your scientific school.

– My main professional achievement can be called the creation of a young scientific school, which included my students and friends, almost all remained to work at the university after their studies. They make up a friendly, creative and professional team that we would like to lead to new horizons. Today it consists of 12 people: four doctors and eight candidates of economic sciences.

As part of the grant research, members of the scientific school took an active part in the life of the Russian and international scientific community, made presentations at conferences and seminars in Germany, Spain, Italy and Russia, published more than 50 scientific papers in two years, including 24 articles in journals indexed in Web Of Science and Scopus.

The results of our study will help in the formation of state programs that determine the technological development of the economy in the construction industry. The study was fundamental, so its results can be used by the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities in developing strategies for the long-term sustainable development of organizations in the investment and construction sector, as well as guidelines that determine the organizational and economic aspects of the formation and development of the technological order. In addition, our results can be used in the educational process for the training of qualified personnel in the construction industry.

– What are your future plans?

– As you get older, you become a bit of a fatalist. As the American actor and director Woody Allen said: "If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans." I hope that we will do many more interesting things with our friendly team. The main thing is that everyone is healthy and happy.