February 18 – the day when the whole world celebrated the 270th anniversary of the birth of Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist, chemist and a pioneer of electrical science, in the Center for Energy Systems of Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology the First Scientific Seminar was held with the participation of 20 professors, researchers and students of the Institute. First, Janus
z Bialek, Professor, director of Skoltech Center for Energy Systems greeted the colleagues. At the opening of the meeting he highlighted the importance of workshops for all research institutions: this form of interaction and exchange of ideas is very useful both for scientists and for young scholars. To the speakers it’s a great opportunity to prepare for participation in major international conferences: they should speak exciting and understandable for any listener, be able to answer questions and support the discussion. To the listeners it’s a chance to get new knowledge and information on the research projects led in the Institute, to find like-minded people. The director of the Centre wished everyone good luck and advised to ask questions and not to be afraid to answer them! The next speaker was Anna Sharova, Junior Research Scientist of the Centre, moderator and coordinator of the Seminar. She outlined the main goals and objectives of the meeting, defined plans for the future. On the Seminar two young scientists presented their reports: Andrii Omelianovych “Application of ultrathin WS2 2D flakes in Photovoltaics and Electronics” and Maxim Glagolev “Actual Conditions of the Heating Supply Systems, Future Prospects and the Smart House Technologies”. 
After both presentations the audience applauded, the speakers were asked a lot of questions, then a fruitful discussion on the presented topics was developed. Definitely the Seminar was a success, its main objectives were achieved. In the future these seminars will be held on a regular basis and will create a new and stable platform for scientific discussions, exchange of knowledge and ideas. 
The following scientific seminar of Skoltech Center for Energy Systems will be held on February 26, 2015. Janusz Bialek will give a lecture on “Wide-area power blackouts: how they happen and how to prevent them”. Best regards, Skoltech Center for Energy Systems