Vice-Rector of St Petersburg University Sergey Mikushev named Russia’s top vice-rector for research
Sergey Mikushev, Acting Vice-Rector for Research at St Petersburg University, has won the national award ‘Vice-Rector of the Year for Research’ in the category ‘Classical Higher Education Institutions’. The award ceremony was held as part of the Scientific Professorial Forum in Moscow.
Throughout its 300-year history, the University has played a pivotal role in advancing Russian science. Today, St Petersburg University conducts cutting-edge scientific research that addresses the state’s key objectives and contributes to the scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation. Researchers from St Petersburg University have consistently been recognised among the top most cited scientists in the world, a distinction awarded to only the top 2% of researchers across the globe, whose work is the most searched for and frequently cited. Last year, 35 of the University’s researchers were included in Elsevier’s Annual List of Most Cited Scientists.
The Scientific Professorial Forum is held within the framework of the Decade of Science and Technology. The event is co-organised by the All-Russian public organisation ‘Russian Professorial Assembly’; the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation; and the Russian Academy of Education.
For several consecutive years, St Petersburg University has been a leader in securing grants from the Russian Science Foundation (RSF). In 2022, scholars from the University received 112 research grants, representing 5.5% of all awarded projects and marking the highest number of grants received by any single organisation. Notably, 25% of these supported projects were led by early-career researchers. In 2023, St Petersburg University maintained its leadership position in the RSF grant competition, securing 70 grants, which accounted for 5% of the total winning projects. St Petersburg University submitted 214 applications for the 2023 RSF competition, with nearly one-third receiving support.
In December 2023, St Petersburg University won a nationwide competition for state support to establish an industry research centre focused on artificial intelligence technologies. Currently, the St Petersburg University Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science is developing a solution builder for embedded AI — a strong AI platform for the Internet of Things. The project was presented to Eduard Sheremettsev, Deputy Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation, and received his commendation.
One of St Petersburg University’s priority research areas is the development and application of artificial intelligence across various fields, including education, medicine, linguistics, physics, chemistry, and more. Among the developments by St Petersburg University researchers is the world’s first AI-powered electricity meter, designed to combat illegal mining and energy fraud. This meter reading software, developed by the University’s researchers, automatically detects abnormal electricity consumption patterns and prevents misuse. In collaboration with LLC ‘Lartekh Telecom’, the University has also developed a hardware and software solution to protect drones from cyber threats. The security module created at the University enables the prompt detection and elimination of various cyber threats that could disrupt the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
St Petersburg University was recognised as a winner in the competition held under the federal project ‘Advanced Engineering Schools’. In 2024, the University established the Advanced Engineering School ‘Interdisciplinary Research, Technologies, and Business Processes for the Mineral Resources and Raw Materials Sector of Russia’, with the goal of training highly skilled engineering professionals and conducting relevant research. In its first year of operation, the Advanced Engineering School at St Petersburg University surpassed all key indicators for attracting funding. The total volume of research services provided to businesses in 2024 amounted to 207 million roubles.
St Petersburg University is a major centre for research, featuring the state-of-the-art St Petersburg University Research Park, one of the largest shared-use research facilities in Russia and, in some areas, the world, in terms of equipment. The Research Park comprises 22 resource centres spanning over 30,000 square metres, with equipment valued at more than 7.5 billion roubles. Since 2014, when the University administration decided to grant employees of any state organisation free access to these high-tech facilities and equipment for advanced research, the Research Park has operated on the principle of equal access.
The Scientific Professorial Forum also included the awarding ceremony for the national award ‘Textbook of the Year’. The winners are: Alexander Bastrykin, Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, Honoured Lawyer of Russia, Professor and Honorary Doctor of St Petersburg University; and Taliya Khabrieva, Director of the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation, Honoured Lawyer of Russia, and Honorary Doctor of St Petersburg University.
The full list of awardees is available on the website of the Russian Academy of Education.