10 July 2023 Minutes of the Rector’s Meeting

Minutes of the Rector’s Meeting

№ 570
dated 10.07.2023

    International activities 

    According to Valeriia Malomuzh, Acting Vice-Rector for International Affairs, a number of new events took place last week. 

    The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola visits St Petersburg University 

    Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola Augusto da Silva Cunha has visited St Petersburg University. During the meeting with Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, they discussed the issues relating to establishing cooperation and academic interaction between the two countries. They also discussed opportunities to sign agreements between St Petersburg University and leading educational organisations in Angola. 

    The Rector suggested that the Ambassador head the council of one of the academic programmes at St Petersburg University to directly increase the effectiveness of the teaching and learning process, adjust it, and introduce new effective methods for learning disciplines and gaining professional skills necessary for building a career. The Rector also said that the special status of St Petersburg University allows the University not only to sign agreements with educational organisations, but also to work directly with ministries and regional authorities. Ambassador of the Republic of Angola Augusto da Silva said that a letter with official proposals from St Petersburg University had been sent to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of Angola and to Angola’s leading universities (Visit of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola to St Petersburg University). 

    Representatives of the Royal Thai Embassy in the Russian Federation and a delegation of schoolchildren from the Kingdom of Thailand visit St Petersburg University

     On 25 June, the staff of the Faculty of Asian and African Studies of St Petersburg University and students in Asian and African Studies met with Ms Kanokphan Chinsawananon, First Secretary of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Thailand in the Russian Federation, and schoolchildren from the Kingdom of Thailand. Among the participants from St Petersburg University were: Natcheewan Mekratanakulpat, Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Philology of South-East Asia; Leonid Borisov, Assistant Lecturer in the Department of History of the Far East Countries; and Mikhail Ignatev, Lecturer in the Department of History of the Far East Countries. 

    Representatives of the University held a consultation on the issues of admission of international applicants to St Petersburg University and spoke about the peculiarities of student life. During the meeting, attention was paid to the history of establishing the Thai Cabinet at the University. The guests were also introduced to the traditions of Russian tea drinking. 

    Meeting of St Petersburg University representatives with the Consul General of the Republic of Hungary 

    On 4 July, St Petersburg University hosted a meeting with Viktor Szederkényi, Consul General of the Republic of Hungary. The meeting was attended by: Sergey Andryushin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of St Petersburg University; Mikhail Koryshev, Dean of the Faculty of Philology of the University; and Aleksandr Kuleshov, Consultant to the Vice-Rector for International Affairs of the University. During the meeting, some aspects of bilateral cooperation were discussed. 

    Events at the St Petersburg University Representative Office in Spain 

    On 22 June, the St Petersburg University Representative Office in Spain hosted the online lecture "How sounds become music and music becomes emotions". It is a part of the series of online meetings "Beauty in the language of neurons: the biological foundations of aesthetics". The lecture was delivered by Daria Podvigina, Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Cognitive Studies at St Petersburg University. On 27 June, there was an online lecture on contemporary Scandinavian literature. It was delivered by Nina Shcherbak, Associate Professor in the Department of English Philology and Cultural Linguistics at St Petersburg University. On 5 July, there was an online lecture on museums of St Petersburg. It was delivered by Anastasiia Babaeva, Assistant Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages in International Relations at St Petersburg University. 

    Professional development courses for Russian language teachers working in Africa 

    More than two years ago, St Petersburg University began to offer distance courses in Russian as a foreign language for residents of the African continent. Gradually, it became obvious that creating conditions for in-person classes was not only necessary from the point of view of teaching methods, but also very much in demand. The logical development of activities to promote the Russian language in Africa is the exchange of best practices with foreign colleagues and the training of new teaching staff in the local communities. 

    From 15 June to 10 July, the non-degree professional development programme "Practical Aspects of Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language: Pre-University Stage of Teaching" was held. It was part of the activities of the Centre for Non-Degree Programmes in the Field of Russian as a Foreign Language at St Petersburg University and the Russkiy Mir Foundation. Fifty non-native Russian language teachers from 14 African countries studied the programme online free-of-charge. Among them were both novice teachers and experienced teachers with many years of experience. The latter work in institutions of higher education, general education institutions, language schools, and representative offices of the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo). The programme was designed to improve the skills of both. 

    The developers of the programme also took into account the growing interest in studying Russian in African schools. They therefore included lectures on working with children, in particular on games used in teaching Russian as a foreign language and the specifics of testing young candidates. Students in the programme who have passed the final assessment will receive state-recognised certificates of advanced training from St Petersburg University. 

    It should be noted that the University is conducting Russian language courses from scratch for more than 200 students from Kenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe. 

    The 10th Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions 

    On 26 to 28 June, Ufa hosted the 10th Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions "10th Anniversary of the Forum of Russian and Belarusian Regions: Results and Prospects". It was organised by the Federation Council of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation, the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of the Republic of Belarus, and the Government of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Representatives of Russia and Belarus discussed the development of bilateral cooperation, achievements and prospects. 

    Sergey Andryushin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of St Petersburg University, and Konstantin Malkovsky, Advisor to the Vice-Rector for International Affairs of St Petersburg University, took part in the session "The Unified Legal System of the Union State: Current State and Prospective Areas of Development". The session ended with the signing of cooperation agreements between the largest Russian and Belarusian universities. 

    Agreement between St Petersburg University and the Belarusian-Russian University

    Cooperation agreements have been signed between St Petersburg University and the Belarusian-Russian University (the Republic of Belarus). The texts of the agreements can be found on the St Petersburg University portal in the list of Partner Universities in the International Cooperation section. 

    Agreements between St Petersburg University and the Belarusian State University

    Cooperation agreements have been signed between St Petersburg University and the Belarusian State University (the Republic of Belarus). The texts of the agreements can be found on the St Petersburg University portal in the list of Partner Universities in the International Cooperation section. 

    Agreement between St Petersburg University and Slavonic University 

    St Petersburg University and Slavonic University (the Republic of Moldova) have signed a cooperation agreement on the implementation of the project "Representative Office of St Petersburg University in the Republic of Moldova". The text of the agreement can be found on the St Petersburg University portal in the list of Partner Universities in the International Cooperation section. 

    The 15th Congress of Anthropologists and Ethnologists of Russia 

    St Petersburg has held the 15th Congress of Anthropologists and Ethnologists of Russia. Among the organisers of the congress was St Petersburg University. The plenary session focused on the history of the Russian humanities and discussed the issues of interdisciplinary cooperation and problems of the modern educational process in the field of anthropology. 

    The members of the St Petersburg University Board of Trustees discussed the importance of anthropological and ethnological knowledge and expertise for strengthening state unity, ensuring the territorial integrity of Russia, and preserving its identity. Among the members of the St Petersburg University Board of Trustees were the following: Dmitry Chernyshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation; Alexander Beglov, Governor of St Petersburg; Valery Falkov, Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation; Gennady Krasnikov, President of the Russian Academy of Sciences; and Magomedsalam Magomedov, Deputy Head of the Presidential Administration. 

    The 15th Congress of Anthropologists and Ethnologists of Russia is set to mark the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The research forum brought together more than 1,000 researchers from all regions of the Russian Federation and 100 international researchers from Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and China to name just a few. The congress included 54 panels, seven round tables, and presentations of new books and field-specific scientific journals. 

    Among important topics for discussion was the issue of preparing high-calibre professional staff, early-career researchers, and specialists in the field of ethnography and anthropology. Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, announced plans to open a new institute that would bring together all researchers involved in ethnography and anthropology, i.e. historians, sociologists, lawyers, political scientists, philosophers, and linguists. At the meeting, the Rector instructed Anastasia Yarmosh, Vice-Rector for Strategic Development and Partnership, to organise a working group to develop an action plan for the development of ethnography and anthropology at the University and the creation of a new institute. 

    In his speech, Nikolay Kropachev also spoke about: the process of developing a systematic approach to ethnographic education at St Petersburg University; the increasing role of practice-oriented disciplines in the study of cultural characteristics and the linguistic heritage of the peoples of Russia; and the expanding variety of areas of study: from physical anthropology to ethnological expertise. 

    The Rector also noted a need to create ethnographic museums in various regions of Russia, which will contribute to the development of research traditions and the preservation of cultural diversity as a feature of a multi-ethnic state. Such museums can be opened at universities in every region. It is necessary to open the doors of institutes and universities to ensure that their museum collections are available to people. St Petersburg University is ready to support the regions and share its experience in this area not only with the professional research community, but also with a wide audience (St Petersburg University plans to open an institute for the study of the ethnocultural heritage of Russia). 

    Round table to discuss how to protect the public from phone fraud 

    St Petersburg University has held a round table to discuss how to protect residents of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region from phone fraud. The discussion brought together Alexander Beglov, Governor of St Petersburg; Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, Chairperson of the Public Council under the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Sergei Markin, Chairman of the Arbitration Court of the Northwestern Federal District; Alexandra Volodkina, Chairperson of the Arbitration Court of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region; Viktor Melnik, Prosecutor of St Petersburg; Sergei Zhukovskii, Prosecutor of the Leningrad Region; Oleg Bobkov, Acting Head of the Main Investigation Department of the Investigative Committee; Evgenii Negrozov, Deputy Head of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region − Head of the Main Investigation Department; Natalia Kuznetsova, Deputy Chairperson of the St Petersburg City Court; Gennadii Lebedev, Deputy Chairperson of the 13th Arbitration Court of Appeal; Professor Alla Shaboltas, Dean of the Faculty of Psychology at St Petersburg University; Marina Gorlacheva, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Law at St Petersburg University; representatives of law enforcement agencies and courts of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region; and experts from St Petersburg University. 

    The event had unique participants and format to discuss the problem of phone fraud from different points of view. According to the speakers, many resources are used in the fight against scammers. However, scammers find new opportunities for manipulation and other psychological influence on people with regard to their values or by using information about their life difficulties. 

    The members of the public council and scholars at the University began to search for the ways to combat phone fraud two years ago, said Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University and Chairperson of the Public Council under the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. However, finding a solution to this problem is difficult due to the fact that attackers use not only digital technologies, but also methods of psychological influence. As a result, the situation can get out of control. People lose all their savings, take loans they do not need, and lose their apartments. 

    Together with the investigative and prosecutor’s offices, the scholars from the University are working on developing a legal framework to protect the most socially vulnerable citizens. In particular, the joint efforts of scholars-practitioners at the Faculty of Law at St Petersburg University (Marina Gorlacheva, Sergei Olennikov), representatives of the city prosecutor’s office of St Petersburg, and the Investigation Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region resulted in preparing a draft statement of claim. It can become the basis for going to court in the interests of the victims to decrease the number of human tragedies associated with telephone fraud in our region. 

    There is a process of searching for the optimal legal assessment and qualification of the actions of accomplices of criminals and the formation of the necessary evidence in cases related to phone fraud. The participants in the discussion noted that it was necessary to expedite the adoption of the bill that established a simplified procedure for the return of funds to clients in full, if reliable information was received that the operation had been carried out by the client, but without his/her consent, for example, under pressure. 

    Alexander Beglov, Governor of St Petersburg, proposed bringing to justice persons who contributed to the activities of scammers, including the so-called money mules (dummy persons). Additionally, the Governor proposed expanding the grounds for the obligation of banks to compensate depositors for funds stolen from them as a result of fraudulent schemes (Banks to return money transferred by fraudsters to customers; The State Duma obliges banks to return funds stolen from accounts to citizens). These proposals were supported by the participants in the meeting. The Governor of St Petersburg asked the representatives of the judiciary and law enforcement agencies and St Petersburg University scholars to regularly hold the necessary discussions of the most urgent problems at the University to look for effective solutions to protect the vital interests of citizens. At the end of the event, the Governor of St Petersburg thanked the Rector of the University for organising a round table that brought together everyone who could and should develop common approaches to solving critical issues that affected the well-being of citizens and trust in government bodies. Alexander Beglov, Member of the St Petersburg University Board of Trustees and Governor of St Petersburg, instructed Nikolay Kropachev to summarise the proposals made at the round table to send them to the Presidential Administration of the Russian Federation (St Petersburg Governor Alexander Beglov: ‘Our main task is to protect population from the manipulation of scammers’). 

    St Petersburg University receives a biographical dictionary of noble families "The Russian nobility" as a gift 

    St Petersburg University has held a solemn ceremony of handing over the biographical dictionary of noble families "The Russian nobility". It is unique in scale and in encyclopaedic value. It was compiled by Nikolai Ikonnikov, the largest genealogist of the Russian diaspora. The donator was Aleksandr Stoliarov, a graduate of St Petersburg University. 

    The multi-volume work "The Russian nobility" (La noblesse de Russie) was published in Paris in the middle of the 20th century with a circulation of only 50 copies. Now, it is a bibliographic rarity. The reference code consists of 26 volumes (51 semi-volumes) and includes generational paintings and genealogies of more than 700 noble families. It is a unique object of historical and cultural heritage. The chronological framework is a period from the first historically reliable information about the Russian noble people of the late 9th century to the middle of the 20th century. The author is Nikolai Ikonnikov, a Russian zoologist, chairperson of the genealogical department of the Union of Russian Nobility (Union de la Noblesse Russe) in Paris. When working on the reference book, he used not only all known sources on the history of Russian genealogy, but also unique sources from the family archives of the Russian emigration. This makes the research of particular value. 

    The work remains unsurpassed in its uniqueness of the sources of information and is famous among genealogists. Yet it was practically inaccessible to researchers in Russia. Since 2016, the University, on the initiative of Aleksandr Stoliarov, has been translating the reference book and publishing it in Russian. For several years, the M. Gorky Scientific Library at St Petersburg University, with the assistance of the Institute of History, have been digitising Ikonnikov’s multi-volume works. The lawyers have been solving the issue of obtaining rights to translate the publication. As a result of long work, the first author’s volume was translated and published by the St Petersburg University Publishing House in 2022. 

    The compilers decided to publish the translation without any comments or text processing. According to the compilers, the identification and analysis of existing factual inaccuracies, the clarification of the correctness of transliterations, and the compilation of comments based on existing genealogical reference books can become topics for new research projects. In the Russian edition, even the outward resemblance to the original publication is preserved, including the arrangement of texts by pages and the typewriter font (The University receives a complete collection of books on the genealogy of the Russian nobility as a gift). 

    Implementing academic programmes, distance learning technologies in the St Petersburg University Online School Project 

    The Online School at St Petersburg University is a project that has no rivals in Russia. The project is set to enable schoolchildren from all over the world to study at the University and receive standard educational credentials. Distance classes will cover the school academic programmes and secondary general education programmes. The classes are held online. They are at the expense of extra-budgetary funds of the University and therefore free of charge for students. 

    The educational "St Petersburg University Online School" has been implemented at the University since 2018 as an additional education for international students in the format of a weekend school. In the first year, 70 senior schoolchildren from Latvia became its participants. Today, more than 2,700 schoolchildren from 11 countries of the world are studying in the school. 

    Today, more than 180 schoolchildren from 38 countries of the world have already applied to study. This was announced at a press conference in the Russian News Agency TASS by: Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences; Aleksandr Babich, Senior Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Admissions; and Elena Kazakova, Director of the Institute of Pedagogy at St Petersburg University. 

    The unique educational project "St Petersburg University Online School" will make it possible for schoolchildren from anywhere in the world to receive a certificate in the standard form. This will enable them to enter universities in Russia without going through the procedure for recognising their educational credentials. The first Russian university-based comprehensive school will start its work on 1 September 2023 on the basis of St Petersburg University. The project is supported by the Government Office of the Russian Federation and the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation. 

    Russian-speaking schoolchildren will be able to study not only individual disciplines, but go through a full academic programme. For schoolchildren, this education will be free. Based on the results of successful training, they will receive educational credentials that will make it possible to enter universities in Russia without going through the procedure for recognising their educational credentials. 

    Documents are accepted from 15 May to 10 July 2023. The admission plan is 120 students, with 20 people for each school class. According to Rector of St Petersburg University Nikolay Kropachev, it is planned to increase the number of students up to 3,000 people. Entrance examinations are in a remote format. They are conducted in writing in the Russian language and mathematics. Today, there are applications submitted by more than 180 students who study in the fifth to tenth school classes from Israel, Canada, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Moldova, the USA, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Australia, Türkiye, Montenegro, India, Tunisia, Germany, Lebanon, Malaysia, Romania, Turkmenistan, Italy, Armenia, the Republic of Costa Rica, Slovenia, and Nicaragua to name just a few. 

    Aleksandr Babich, Senior Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Admissions at St Petersburg University, said that today St Petersburg University is the leader in the admission of foreign citizens according to the Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation (Rossotrudnichestvo). In the last academic year, more than 21,000 applications were submitted, and the competition was more than 20 applications per place. 

    As part of the international projects of St Petersburg University, the University is actively engaged in ensuring support to and strengthening the positions of the Russian language abroad. Since 2018, St Petersburg University has held the International Online Olympiad in Russian as a Foreign Language. Over 27,000 people from 150 countries of the world have taken part in the Olympiad. Since 2020, the University has been implementing online teaching of Russian as a foreign language in Greece, Mongolia, Venezuela, South Africa, Algeria, and Kenya. Today, 112 Russian language centres have been opened, which successfully operate in 50 countries of the world (Rector of St Petersburg University Nikolay Kropachev: more than 180 applications submitted to the St Petersburg University Online School). 

    Organisation of the teaching and learning process 

    Over the past week, seven enquiries were addressed to the Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities. The majority of enquiries relate to preparation of various documents, and the issues of transfer and reinstatement to the University. An analysis of the information on the organisation of the teaching and learning process provided by the heads of academic and research subdivisions has been carried out. 

    The heads of academic and research subdivisions continue to hold meetings with student activists: group heads, and representatives of student councils and student scientific societies to name just a few. Over the past week, meetings on the organisation of the teaching and learning process were held at: the Faculty of Biology; the Faculty of Medicine; the Faculty of Philology; and the College of Physical Training and Sports, Economics and Technology (the minutes of the meeting were not formalised and not submitted for publication). 

    The best St Petersburg University graduate in 2023 

    The best graduates of 2023 were awarded in the atrium of the Commandant’s House of the Peter and Paul Fortress in St Petersburg. The signal for the beginning of the ceremony was the midday shot that was fired from a cannon at the Naryshkin Bastion in honour of 60 St Petersburg graduates who had achieved the highest results in education, research, and social activities. 

    On behalf of the Governor and the Government of St Petersburg, the students were congratulated by Vladimir Knyaginin, Vice-Governor of St Petersburg; Andrey Maksimov, Chairman of the Committee for Science and Higher Education; and Aleksei Demidov, Chairman of the Council of University Rectors of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region. One of the most talented and successful graduates was Anna Nikulina, a graduate of St Petersburg University. She studied in the bachelor’s programme "Ecology and Nature Management". Being a second-year student, she was a member of the research group of geoecologists at the University under the guidance of Marina Opekunova, Professor in the Department of Geoecology at St Petersburg University. Her research interests include landscape-ecological studies using bioindication methods and the study of ecological-biogeochemical features of landscapes. During her three years of study, she took part in the projects in the north of Western Siberia, the South Kuril Islands, Bashkiria, Karelia, and St Petersburg. Her research results were presented at more than 25 conferences and research contests. She published more than 20 articles, including in top ranking world-class journals. She is planning to continue her studies in the St Petersburg University master’s programme in geoecology. 

    By tradition, the most successful graduates were awarded by the letters of gratitude from the Governor of St Petersburg and bronze figurines of sphinxes, which are the symbol of the Council of Rectors of St Petersburg universities. The ceremony of honouring the best graduates has been held since 2003 with the support of the Committee for Youth Policy and Interaction with Public Organisations, the Committee for Science and Higher Education and the Council of Rectors of St Petersburg universities (St Petersburg University student is among the best graduates of St Petersburg). 

    Changing the procedure for organising admission to St Petersburg University 

    In order to attract applicants who are the most capable and prepared to pursue academic programmes at St Petersburg University, work is regularly done to improve the tools for selecting applicants. According to Aleksandr Babich, Senior Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Admissions at St Petersburg University, it is of great importance during admission to assess whether applicants have skills in writing and oral presentation of educational material, solving problems, and forming and substantiating their own position on certain problematic issues. The assessment is possible in various forms as part of entrance examinations. 

    For admission to the University in 2024, additional exams are planned in the following cases:

    • when applying for bachelor’s and specialist’s programmes: along with submitting the results of the Unified State Exam, applicants will have to take additional entrance examinations in the chosen area of study in accordance with Part 9 of Article 70 of Federal Law № 273-FZ "On education in the Russian Federation" dated 29 December 2012 
    • when applying for master’s programmes and doctoral programmes: along with having to pass entrance tests in the form of a competition of documents (portfolio), allowing to take into account the achievements of applicants in studies, research and project activities, intellectual contests, professional activities, applicants will have to take examinations in a written, orally written and (or) oral form 

    All these additional exams will be conducted remotely using information and telecommunication technologies in the invigilation system. Applicants will not need to come to St Petersburg to take the exams. The tests are taken remotely from anywhere in the world. 

    Directors and deans are instructed to submit proposals on how to conduct additional entrance examinations. 

    Changing the procedure for organising academic transfer to St Petersburg University

     According to the Academic Regulations for Bachelor’s, Specialist’s, Master’s Programmes and Programmes of Middle Level Professional Education at St Petersburg University, approved by Order № 470/1 dated 29 January 2016, a prerequisite for academic transfer and (or) reinstatement of a student is the student’s preparedness for pursuing an academic programme that is determined by assessment results. 

    According to Marina Lavrikova, Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities at St Petersburg University, assessment of students applying for academic transfer or reinstatement is carried out in absentia (by reviewing documents) or in-person (oral or written from). It is possible to impose the requirement for assessment in person when transferring a student to study in another academic programme, when changing the type of study or conditions of study (academic transfer from fee-paying basis to government-funded places), or reinstatement in the event that the requirement for assessment in person is established for students applying for academic transfer from other educational organisations to the University. Assessment of persons applying for academic transfer from educational organisations of foreign states is carried out in absentia by holding a competition of documents (portfolio), unless otherwise established by order of the Rector or an authorised official. 

    In 2023, the assessment forms for applicants for academic transfer and reinstatement were approved by Order of the Vice-Rector for Teaching Methods № 12635/1 "On approval of the composition of boards for assessment of applicants for reinstatement, academic transfer from other educational organisations, changing the academic programme, changing the type of study and forms of assessment tests in 2023" dated 28 November 2022. 

    Currently, the Vice-Rector for Teaching Methods at St Petersburg University is working on preparing amendments to Order № 12635/1 dated 28 November 2022 to adjust the forms and methods for conducting assessment tests during academic transfer and reinstatement that will take place in August 2023. The use of new forms and methods should facilitate academic transfer to the University of those most prepared to pursue academic programmes. 

    For several years, documents for academic transfer and reinstatement at St Petersburg University have been submitted exclusively remotely using the service "Personal account" on the St Petersburg University website. 

    All assessment tests for academic transfer and reinstatement, as in the previous academic year, will be conducted remotely using information and telecommunication technologies. It is not required to come to St Petersburg to undergo the procedure for academic transfer, reinstatement, and assessment tests. 

    Acceptance of documents from school-leavers from the Donetsk People’s Republic

     Representatives of St Petersburg University have visited the children’s camp "Druzhnykh", located in the Kurortny District of St Petersburg. The camp has a session for school-leavers from the Donetsk People’s Republic who participate in the programme ‘St Petersburg holiday’ that is organised by the Government of St Petersburg. 

    As part of the event, Aleksandr Khurshudian, Deputy Senior Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Admissions at St Petersburg University, made a presentation about the University. He also spoke about the benefits of studying, the opportunities that the University offers to its students, and the procedure for admission to the University for applicants from the Donetsk People’s Republic. 

    After the presentation, all interested participants submitted documents for admission to St Petersburg University. The University staff assisted applicants in preparing applications, uploading the necessary documents, and advised them on academic programmes implemented at St Petersburg University. The most popular areas of study and specialties among applicants from the Donetsk People’s Republic were "Design", "Journalism", "Linguistics", "General Medicine", and "Law". 

    In accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, school-leavers from the Donetsk People’s Republic have the right to take general education entrance examinations conducted by the University independently, in writing or in the form of an interview (at the choice of applicants) (St Petersburg University organises the acceptance of documents from school-leavers from the Donetsk People’s Republic). 

    Applications for the exams administered by St Petersburg University must be submitted by 7 July (for those who apply to the programmes that require additional creative or professional entrance examinations) or by 10 July (for those who apply to other programmes). 

    Transfer of the participants in the special military operation from fee-paying education to tuition-free education 

    The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation has developed a draft resolution of the Government of the Russian Federation that will enable students who are the participants in the special military operation to apply to transfer from fee-paying education to government-funded places. To this end, the document approves the procedure for redistribution of the vacant places at the University. According to Aleksandr Babich, Senior Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Admissions at St Petersburg University, the initiative stipulates the rules for redistribution of the vacant government-funded places at universities, i.e. places that are funded from the federal budget, the budgets of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, or local budgets. As a result, the students participating in the special military operation can transfer from fee-paying education to government-funded places in the programmes of non-university level higher education and higher education. 

    One of the important tasks is measures to support the participants in the special military operation and their integration into the teaching and learning process and student life. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation relies on the decisions of the President of Russia. Among them are those that stipulate the benefits for all participants in the special military operation when entering universities, considering their military service as an individual achievement, and the possibility of transfer from a fee-paying education to government-funded places. 

    The basis for transfer to government-funded places will be a student’s application and a document confirming the status of a participant in the special military operation. The decision on redistribution of the vacant places will be made by a committee created at a university. Its composition, responsibilities, and procedures will be determined by each university independently. 

    The draft resolution was initiated in order to implement the relevant norms established by Federal Law № 264-FZ ‘On amendments to the Federal Law "On education in the Russian Federation"’ dated 24 June 2023. 

    Changing the procedure for defending dissertations submitted for an academic degree of St Petersburg University 

    The University will change the procedure for defending dissertations submitted for an academic degree of St Petersburg University. Previously, the defence rules stipulated that the submission of a dissertation for defence does not require the consent of the relevant department. Now, dissertations will not be accepted for defence if there is no recommendation from the relevant department. Additionally, a lead organisation will be identified for each dissertation. For defence, submission of the lead organization’s report will be mandatory. 

    Gratitude to the Faculty of Philology at St Petersburg University for helping displaced people from Donbass and Ukraine 

    The St Petersburg Regional Branch of the Russian Red Cross has expressed its gratitude to the academic staff of the Faculty of Philology at St Petersburg University for helping displaced people from Donbass and Ukraine. Donations from the University philologists helped to purchase gift cards for bookstores "Bookvoed". Within a month, 60 families of displaced people from Donbass and Ukraine received cards. Now, it will be easier for parents to purchase stationery for school-age children before the start of the academic year (Gratitude for helping to support displaced people from Donbass and Ukraine). 

    Primary branch of the Russian movement of children and youth "Movement of the first" created at St Petersburg University 

    The "Movement of the first" is a Russia-wide public-state children and youth movement created and operating in accordance with Federal Law № 261-FZ "On the Russian movement of children and youth" dated 14 July 2022. The founders of the movement were the largest Russian children and youth organisations. Among them are the following: Bolshaia Peremena; Young Army Cadets National Movement; Russian Student Squads; Russian Movement of Schoolchildren; and the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) to name just a few. 

    Among the main tasks of the movement are the following: education and support in career guidance for children; organisation of leisure activities for children and youth; providing opportunities for the comprehensive development and self-realisation of children; preparing children for a full life in society; and development of patriotism, diligence, respect for the environment, and a sense of personal responsibility for the country. 

    The children and youth movement consists of regional departments, departments of municipalities (cities and towns), and primary departments. The movement operates at schools, centres of additional education, sports organisations, schools, colleges, and universities. More than 12,000 primary branches of the Russian movement of children and youth have already been opened. 

    St Petersburg University has also opened a primary branch of the Russian movement of children and youth. The grand opening took place on 23 April as part of the Open Day of the D. K. Fadeev Academic Gymnasium at St Petersburg University. 

    Meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Consortium at the Competence Centre at the Distributed Ledger Technologies Centre at St Petersburg University 

    A meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Consortium at the Competence Centre at the Distributed Ledger Technologies Centre at St Petersburg University has been held at St Petersburg University. The participants summed up the results of the six months and discussed the main tasks and plans for the development of blockchain technology. 

    Combining efforts in the development of distributed ledger technologies in various spheres of society and the state is an important task facing the consortium members. Decentralised developments cover the following areas: logistics; finance; voting; insurance; construction; and education. The participants in the meeting discussed ready-made solutions in each of the directions and exchanged views on the prospects and possibilities of development. 

    Dmitriy Shishmakov, Head of the Competence Centre of the National Technology Initiative "The Distributed Ledger Technologies Centre at St Petersburg University", spoke about the new direction of the centre’s work. As early as September, the Distributed Ledger Technologies Centre at St Petersburg University will switch to a new format of work. It will become an open platform for discussing ideas, a place for holding business meetings and discussing events for all representatives of the consortium and the blockchain industry. Additionally, the centre will hold workshops, round tables, lectures, meetings and other events that focus on distributed registries. 

    The Distributed Ledger Technologies Centre at St Petersburg University presented a report on what had been done over the past six months. Among the projects were the following: decentralised interbank messaging system; CryptoVeche, i.e. a blockchain-based solution for remote voting; a logistics blockchain system "Trevo"; the electronic bill of lading system; and the project "Digital metre". The participants in the meeting paid special attention to the issues of education in the field of distributed ledger technologies. According to business representatives, there is an urgent need for professionals in the field of blockchain technologies. The demand in the labour market is growing disproportionately to the number of specialists in this field. The development of education in the field of distributed ledger technologies is one of the important tasks of the Competence Centre. The Consortium acts as a platform to exchange information, expert evaluation reports, personal proposals on available digital innovations and find partners from different areas of the economy for joint projects. 

    Developing an interface for a decentralised interbank messaging system 

    The Distributed Ledger Technologies Centre at St Petersburg University has presented a working interface for the decentralised interbank messaging system (DCMS). This system will completely replace the previously used global financial messaging system SWIFT. It is ready for use and tested in a dozen organisations. 

    According to Dmitriy Shishmakov, Director of the Distributed Ledger Technologies Centre at St Petersburg University, DCMS is a comprehensive and flexible tool for transmitting financial messages. The decentralised interbank messaging system is based on blockchain technology and does not have a single operator that can forcibly disconnect a participant or change data in any way. In other words, the system simply does not have one centre and a "control panel". All users have access to the necessary information and can exchange banking messages without the restrictions that SWIFT has. The system has already been developed and can be applied. 

    The implementation of the DCMS project began at St Petersburg University in April last year. Its prototype was ready at the end of July. During the year, the project was tested by more than ten organisations. The components of the system are currently used in the Platform for Information and Analytical Interaction for Cross-Border Settlements that are being developed by the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RIA Novosti: Interface of the system that can replace SWIFT presented in Russia). 

    Cultural events 

    Elena Lebedkina, Head of the Main Department for Exhibitions, Museum, Library and Publishing Activities at St Petersburg University, has presented a digest of cultural events at the University in July. 

    Exhibition "Invitation" by an association "Print-Commune" 

    1 July, the Vladimir Nabokov Museum at St Petersburg University opened the exhibition "Invitation". It features the works by the association of graphic artists, art historians and curators "Print-Commune". The exhibition "Invitation" is an homage, i.e. special honour or respect shown publicly, by the Print-Commune to the Vladimir Nabokov’s novel "Invitation to a Beheading". This text is full of doubling images and puns that strive for visual embodiment and resonate with modernity. The exhibition will feature easel works, installations, printing plates, an old typewriter, and an etching machine. 

    Workshops on various printing techniques 

    Every Saturday in July, the Vladimir Nabokov Museum at St Petersburg University will hold workshops on various printing techniques. Participants will read excerpts from the Vladimir Nabokov’s novel "Invitation to a Beheading" and create a visual embodiment of their associations. Among the workshops are the following: 

    • at 4 pm on 15 July, there is a workshop "Tamara Gardens". The participants of the workshop will create their own "Tamara Gardens": floral prints on a real etching machine
    • at 4 pm on 22 July, there is a workshop "Quercus". The participants will try to imagine how scenes from the non-existent novel ‘Quercus’ ("Oak"), which the main hero of Vladimir Nabokov "Invitations to a Beheading" reads, could look like, cut them out and print linocuts on an etching machine on handmade paper preserved oak leaves
    • at 4 pm on 27 July, there is a workshop "The dream of Cincinnatus". Each participant will create a work-reflection on the theme of sleep using the technique of monotype and pochoir printing (screen printing)

    Exhibition "What do you know about St Petersburg?" 

    On 5 July, the branch department of the ’Russian language and culture’ at the M Gorky Scientific Library at St Petersburg University opened a thematic exhibition "What do you know about St Petersburg?". It is set to mark the Summer School of Russian as a Foreign Language at St Petersburg University. The exhibition is dedicated to the amazing and mystical city and is set to help students from different countries to get acquainted with the history of Venice of the North, its sights, and fascinating places. 

    Online exhibition "From old accessions. Documents and photographs of Dmitri Mendeleev" 

    On 14 July, the Dmitri Mendeleev Museum and Archives at St Petersburg University will open an online exhibition "From old accessions. Documents and photographs of Dmitri Mendeleev". The exhibition presents documents from the funds of the Dmitri Mendeleev Museum and Archives at St Petersburg University. The documents are related to the financial and economic activities of the scientist. The documents have been published for the first time. It also presents photos of Dmitri Mendeleev, his photos in the family circle and among scientists, and others. 

    Online exhibition "Aleksandr Inostrantsev, on the occasion of his 180th anniversary"

    Starting from 24 July, the St Petersburg University History Museum and the M. Gorky Scientific Library at St Petersburg University will present an online exhibition "Aleksandr Inostrantsev, on the occasion of his 180th anniversary". It is dedicated to the first professor of geology at St Petersburg University, who created the first Russian course in geology. The scientist paid much attention to the Geological Museum and acquired new collections for the museum. 

    Online exhibition "Lobe-finned fish and the emergence of vertebrates on land"

     On 28 July, the Palaeontology Museum at St Petersburg University will open the online exhibition "Lobe-finned fish and the emergence of vertebrates on land". Lobe-finned fish is a class of bony fish that appeared in the Early Devonian and which now include the living coelacanth and lungfish. The changes enabled one of the lobe-finned fish, the tetrapodomorphs, to evolve into the first four-legged vertebrates or tetrapods. 

    New opportunities for visitors to St Petersburg University museums 

    According to Elena Lebedkina, Head of the Main Department for Exhibitions, Museum, Library and Publishing Activities at St Petersburg University, the University has introduced combination tickets that include admission to several museums as part of one excursion programme: 

    • sightseeing tour to the Dmitri Mendeleev Museum and Archives at St Petersburg University and the Library of the Russian Chemical Society 
    • sightseeing tour to the Palaeontology Museum and the Mineralogical Museum at St Petersburg University 
    • sightseeing tour to the St Petersburg University History Museum (the corridor of the Twelve Collegia building) and the Palaeontology Museum at St Petersburg University 
    • sightseeing tour to the St Petersburg University Museum (the corridor of the Twelve Collegia building) and the Mineralogical Museum at St Petersburg University 
    • sightseeing tour to the Mineralogical Museum at St Petersburg University and the Herbarium of St Petersburg University 
    • sightseeing tour to the Dmitri Mendeleev Museum and Archives at St Petersburg University and the Modern Sculpture Park at St Petersburg University 
    • sightseeing tour to the St Petersburg University History Museum and the Modern Sculpture Park at St Petersburg University 
    • sightseeing tour to the Diaghilev Museum of Modern Art at St Petersburg University and the Modern Sculpture Park at St Petersburg University 

    There is also a discount on the purchase of a ticket for multiple visits to the University museums within one month. You can purchase tickets to the St Petersburg University museums and St Petersburg University excursion programmes via the St Petersburg University Unified Payment Service. 

    Installation of the monument to Sergey Uvarov 

    The members of the Academic Council of St Petersburg University supported the proposal to erect a monument to Sergey Uvarov, Minister of National Education of the Russian Empire. He played a key role in the revival of the Imperial University in the 19th century. The monument will appear in front of the Twelve Collegia building. 

    At the meeting of the Council on 26 June, Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of the University and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said that Vladimir Medinsky, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Russian Military Historical Society, and Sergey Kravtsov, Minister of Education of the Russian Federation, proposed an initiative to lay such a monument as part of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg University. 

    Count Sergey Uvarov was President of the Imperial Academy of Sciences (1818–1855) and Minister of National Education of the Russian Empire (1833–1849). In 1819, he became the initiator of the transformation of the Main Pedagogical Institute into St Petersburg Imperial University. This was one of the stages of the three-century development of St Petersburg University, established by the Decree of Peter the Great on 28 January (8 February), 1724, that also established the Academy of Sciences. 

    On 21 June, the Board of Honorary Professors of St Petersburg University discussed the location of the monument to Sergey Uvarov and proposed a site in front of the entrance to the Twelve Collegia building from the side of the Mendeleevskaya Line. On the Mendeleevskaya Line, near the Universitetskaya Embankment, there is a monument to Mikhail Lomonosov, a graduate and Rector of the University (1758–1765). Now, a monument to the Minister of National Education will be adjacent to the monument to Mikhail Lomonosov. At the end of the Mendeleevskaya Line, as suggested by honorary professors of St Petersburg University, a monument to Dmitri Mendeleev, a graduate and professor of the University (1865–1890), can be erected. 

    At the meeting on 26 June, the members of the Academic Council of St Petersburg University supported the proposal of the Board of Honorary Professors. They also mentioned the fact that from the other side of the Neva River, Peter the Great, the founder of the University, in the form of the Bronze Horseman welcomes the University. With the advent of the monuments, the visual line "Peter the Great — Mikhail Lomonosov − Sergey Uvarov − Dmitri Mendeleev" will become chronologically correct and will connect various milestones in the history of the University. 

    The sculpture, which currently stands in front of the entrance from the Mendeleevskaya Line, will be installed in the courtyard of the Twelve Collegia building. 

    Professor Tatiana Chernigovskaya wins the award "Media Person of the Year — 2023" 

    The anniversary awarding ceremony "Media Person of the Year — 2023" has taken place in St Petersburg. It was held at the White Ball on 29 June in a public space that opened in the building of the former Varshavsky railway station. The award ‘Media Person of the Year’ is traditionally given to those about whom the media most often wrote. This year, the ceremony was dedicated to the anniversary of the publication. As a result, the nominees were chosen not only for 2022, but for all 30 years of the existence of Komsomolskaya Pravda in St Petersburg. 

    At the awarding ceremony "Media Person of the Year — 2023", Professor Tatiana Chernigovskaya, a neurolinguist, a brain researcher, Director of the Institute for Cognitive Studies at St Petersburg University, and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Education, received an award in the nomination "Tatiana the Wise", because she revealed the secrets of the brain universe ( The art of living: Tatiana Chernigovskaya wins the award "Media Person of the Year — 2023"). 

    Colleagues congratulated Tatiana Chernigovskaya on winning the award.