St Petersburg University named among winners in Top Data Science selection

St Petersburg University has been recognised as one of the flagship universities in the Top Data Science selection, which represents the highest qualification category for specialists in artificial intelligence. The Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, along with the Analytical Centre under the Government of the Russian Federation, have highly commended the University’s contributions to advancing education in AI.

Only six leading Russian universities in the field of IT technologies were selected as winners: St Petersburg University; National Research University Higher School of Economics; ITMO University; Innopolis University; Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT); and Southern Federal University. From 2025 to 2030, these universities will educate highly qualified professionals in artificial intelligence, supported by the federal project ‘Artificial Intelligence’ under the national project ‘Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State’.

Marina Lavrikova, Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities at St Petersburg University, underlined the University’s strategic focus on integrating education, fundamental science, and technological practice.

‘At St Petersburg University, we are developing not just academic programmes, but a comprehensive environment where future AI professionals cultivate a researcher’s mindset, acquire skills in handling big data, and understanding the ethics of digital technology use. The results of the selection by the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation reflect the collective efforts of the entire University team,’ stated Marina Lavrikova.

St Petersburg University has been actively developing academic programmes in the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data. In 2021, the University, along with several other Russian universities, received a grant from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education to develop academic programmes in AI. By the end of 2024, St Petersburg University successfully met all the grant requirements. Additionally, the University won the Russoft 2024 award for being the best higher education institution teaching IT specialists in the ‘Federal Leader’ category. St Petersburg University successfully collaborates with leading Russian technology companies to implement innovative educational projects. Strategic partnerships with Yandex and Sber have enabled St Petersburg University to launch new academic programmes in mathematics and data science. Students in these programmes have the unique opportunity to do internships at leading technology companies, which can lead to permanent employment. One key area of cooperation was the establishment of the master’s programme ‘Artificial Intelligence and Data Science’. This project was implemented in collaboration with Sber and the St Petersburg Federal Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ensuring its high scientific and practical relevance.

St Petersburg University places special emphasis on school education. Professor Elena Kazakova, Director of the Institute of Pedagogy at St Petersburg University, served as the scientific editor of Russia’s first textbook on artificial intelligence for school students. The textbook was developed in partnership with the AI Alliance Russia and co-authored by 30 leading Russian AI technology developers, including experts from Yandex and Sber.

The grant support will be utilised to implement five academic programmes at St Petersburg University, recognised as essential for training the next generation of AI professionals:

These academic programmes have been developed by AI experts from the teams of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science and the Mathematics and Mechanics Faculty at St Petersburg University.

Maxim Abramov, leader of the Grant Application Team and Head of the academic programme ‘Artificial Intelligence and Data Science’, outlined the development of education in AI at the University:

‘We set an ambitious goal for ourselves: to create a cutting-edge academic track in AI that bridges science and practice. St Petersburg University’s participation in educating specialists at the Top Data Science level is both recognition of our extensive work and a challenge that we approach with full responsibility.’

‘Top Data Science’ refers to a qualification level in AI recognised by the federal quality standard. Academic programmes included in the Top Data Science category must integrate fundamental education in science, intensive research, and close interaction with the industry. This project is implemented by the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation as part of the national project ‘Data Economy and Digital Transformation of the State’, aimed at developing human resources in the field of artificial intelligence and data science.

One of the essential selection criteria was the availability of financial support from business partners, confirming that St Petersburg University’s academic programmes produce high demand graduates. Yandex, one of the largest IT companies in Russia, became a business partner of St Petersburg University in this project. The partner’s support will enable the implementation of programmes focused on real-life industry needs and the inclusion of business cases in the programme curriculum.

The updated academic programmes in AI at St Petersburg University will start as early as the 2025/2026 academic year. The project aims to educate over 300 students within five years, by 2030.