St Petersburg University hosts Roscongress Day

In her welcoming address, Marina Lavrikova, Vice-Rector for Academic Activities at St Petersburg University, emphasised the University’s active engagement in supporting student and graduate employment and organising career events for students across all areas of study. At present, the University offers hundreds of bachelor’s, specialist’s, master’s, and clinical residency programmes, attracting students with diverse professional interests. Roscongress Day provided students with an opportunity to learn more about the Foundation’s work, and those considering a career at Roscongress were able to explore potential roles within its team of professionals.

The Roscongress Foundation is widely recognised across the country: it is responsible for organising the most significant international forums and events held in Russia and, often, abroad. The Foundation’s staff are known for their exceptional professionalism, and the opportunity for students and graduates of St Petersburg University to join such a team and contribute to large-scale events is truly unique.

Marina Lavrikova, Vice-Rector for Academic Activities at St Petersburg University

Alexey Valkov is Deputy Director of the Roscongress Foundation, Director of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, and a graduate of St Petersburg University. He noted that today the Foundation is the largest organiser of business, cultural, and sporting events, including major international forums such as the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Eastern Economic Forum, and the Russia—Africa Economic and Humanitarian Forum. The Roscongress Foundation has over 200 partners in more than 80 countries, and the geography of its events spans the whole of Russia—from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok—as well as the Middle East, Latin America, and other friendly nations. 

"Our cooperation with the University has a long-standing history. Among our employees and members of the volunteer corps are many graduates and students of St Petersburg University. We are delighted that our organisation provides young people with the opportunity to realise their potential, develop professionally, gain valuable experience, and become familiar with the events and ecosystem of the Roscongress Foundation," said Alexey Valkov, Deputy Director of the Roscongress Foundation, Director of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum. 

Mariia Dorokhina, Director of the Career Centre at St Petersburg University, emphasised that company days serve as a bridge between students and their professional futures. They give future professionals a chance to engage with graduates who were once students themselves, get answers to questions that matter to them, and find inspiration in their stories to shape their own career paths. Graduates from a wide range of disciplines can find opportunities within the Roscongress Foundation team due to the diversity of its activities, which encompass Asian and African studies, linguistics, translation and interpreting, international relations, economics, communication, and more.

Alexey Rodionov, Senior Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Asian and African Studies of St Petersburg University, noted that graduates of academic programmes in the main field of study ‘Asian and African Studies’, which is one of the many fields offered at the University, have always been in high demand at the Roscongress Foundation. He highlighted that 63 Asian and African languages are currently taught at St Petersburg University. Kazakh and Somali were introduced this academic year, and Uyghur was added last year.

Today, as the significance of the East in Russia’s international relations continues to grow, there is an increasing demand for experts in Asian and African studies. We are grateful to Roscongress for being one of our most important employers. The Foundation’s events provide students with a unique opportunity to gain experience by engaging with world-class processes and observing how international events are organised at the highest level.

Alexey Rodionov, Senior Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Asian and African Studies of St Petersburg University

As part of Roscongress Day, Alexey Valkov spoke to the University’s students, staff and graduates about the Foundation’s project ecosystem, its youth policy, and its flagship events. He explained that the congress and exhibition industry provides an accessible entry point to the labour market for students and graduates, as extensive professional experience is not required for entry-level positions. The responsibilities of Roscongress employees vary widely: they may include handling documentation, translating texts, liaising with event participants, drafting technical specifications, setting up equipment, and more. There are several ways for young people to become involved in the Foundation’s work—through volunteering at events, doing internships, or securing employment in different departments of the organisation. Notably, following the presentation, students who participated in the event immediately asked questions about volunteering opportunities at Foundation events, as well as the conditions for employment in the Foundation. 

Roscongress Day at St Petersburg University also featured a presentation on the Roscongress International platform and the ecosystem of social, professional, and youth projects under the Foundation’s initiative ‘Country’s Potential’. Additionally, there was a workshop and a discussion for students on the specific challenges faced by interpreters working with Asian or African languages at international events organised by the Roscongress Foundation.