Rejuvenating the academic staff at St Petersburg University: goals, objectives, and practical experience

The percentage of young people in academic workforce of higher education institutions steadily declined throughout the 1990s. In the last two decades, the rate of this decline has gradually slowed down. However, the trend of an ageing academic staff has not reversed, as the average age of academics continues to rise. Consequently, several systemic issues within the higher education system in Russia persist, including the need to: rebalance the existing academic staff; attract young specialists; support their professional development; transfer teaching experience to the next generation of lecturers; and preserve university traditions. To rejuvenate the academic workforce of higher education institutions, a significant influx of new teaching staff from the younger generation of lecturers is essential. However, the potential for such an influx is largely hindered by current demographic trends. 

Against this background, St Petersburg University stands out due to distinct trends in the age demographics of its academic workforce. What measures have been developed to address the ageing workforce issues at St Petersburg University? What organisational and financial tools have been introduced within the University human resources management system for this purpose? Anton Popov, Deputy Vice-Rector for Human Resources provides insights on the situation. 

"In the Russian higher education system, there are clear signs of differentiation in the age structure of academic staff across universities, influenced by their status and position in national and international rankings. Currently, leading Russian universities have a percentage of academic staff aged 25 to 29 that is twice as high as that in other higher education institutions. St Petersburg University is not only among the leading universities, but also holds a flagship position among them."

Young lecturers and researchers form the foundation for developing St Petersburg University’s human resource potential 

"The age structure of the academic staff at St Petersburg University (excluding external part-timers) saw a 4.16% increase in the proportion of employees under 30 years of age from 2020 to 2023, reaching 19.7% by the beginning of the 2022/2023 academic year. In comparison, the corresponding figure for the entire higher education system in the Russian Federation at the beginning of the same academic year was only 11%," confirmed Laura Useinova, Acting Vice-Rector for Human Resources at St Petersburg University. 

The following statistical data support the fact that St Petersburg University is a popular employer among young researchers.

As illustrated in the chart, from 2011 to 2023, the percentage of young researchers in St Petersburg University’s research departments increased by 23.6%, a rate significantly surpassing the overall growth indicators of the national higher education system. 

The rejuvenation of the academic staff at St Petersburg University is a relatively recent development. Two decades ago, the University faced age-related workforce challenges similar to those of the broader higher education system in the country. Notably, in 2007, only one in eight academic staff members at St Petersburg University was under 35 years old. In 2008, the combined age of the heads of all the fourteen departments at the Faculty of Chemistry reached 1,000 years, increasing to 1,014 years the following year. At that time, the University’s academic workforce was on the brink of a demographic shift that could disrupt intergenerational ties, jeopardising the continuity of scientific schools and pedagogical expertise. 

The transition of St Petersburg University to its current developmental stage, along with a comprehensive reset in all areas of its activities in the early 2010s, halted the ageing trend among academic staff and fostered an influx of young researchers and lecturers. The effects of this transition are clearly evident in the University’s current growth dynamics, where young, promising, and talented academics increasingly complement the contributions of their middle-aged and older counterparts. In general, the recent history and present state of St Petersburg University confirm the validity of the conclusions of researchers who assert that while status and public image are important, they are not the only factors influencing the university’s appeal to young academics. The development and implementation of targeted workforce policies for various age groups within the academic community are also crucial for promoting positive age dynamics. 

In the structure of contemporary Russian society, early-career researchers and academics form a distinct social and professional group. It is no coincidence that managerial decisions aimed at attracting representatives of this group to the workforce at St Petersburg University are made and implemented on the basis of analysis of their unique social ties and the worldview shaped by their scholarly and educational roles.

How young is "a young researcher"? 

To begin, we should define the term "young researcher" as it is used in the human resources planning and development activities at St Petersburg University. Undoubtedly, a solid legal foundation for these activities would ideally be established by universal norms in federal legislation that define the age and social-professional status of young academics. It is important to note, however, that such norms are not fully developed in the Russian Federation. For example, some regulatory acts from federal government agencies stipulate that young researchers should be no older than 35 years for candidates of sciences and 40 years for doctors of sciences. In contrast, a different approach is adopted in other regulations, which limit the age of young researchers to 35 years. To resolve these legal inconsistencies, a draft amendment to the Federal Law "On Science and State Science and Technology Policy" was submitted to the State Duma and has been adopted in the first reading. This amendment defines young researchers as individuals under 35 years of age who are researchers at research organisations, academics at higher education institutions, or researchers at other organisations engaged in research and/or science and technology activities. Additionally, it allows state and local authorities to raise the age limit to 40 years when establishing specific support measures for young researchers. 

"The regulatory legal consolidation of the concept of «young researcher», as reflected in the aforementioned draft law, is well-supported by both legal theory and law enforcement practice," explained Laura Useinova, Acting Vice-Rector for Human Resources at St Petersburg University. "It is also important to note that the definition of 'young researcher' in St Petersburg University’s human resources policy aligns with the key points of the draft law. A crucial factor in this alignment is the St Petersburg University Strategic Plan for 2021-2030, which prioritises creating favourable conditions for professional development of young academics among the objectives of the University. The target indicators of the St Petersburg University Strategic Plan, aimed at enhancing the University’s human resource potential, set the age limit for young academics at 35 years." 

It should be noted that in management practice, including human resources management, the criteria for age cutoffs can be adjusted to ensure the success of relevant activities. The practical experience in human resources management accumulated at St Petersburg University demonstrates that adhering strictly to the 35-year age cutoff for defining ‘young researchers’ significantly restricts the arsenal of means and methods available for balancing the age demographics of academic staff. While the age cutoff can serve as a useful baseline, it should not be the sole criterion for distinguishing young researchers from the broader pool of research and academic staff. 

Underlying this statement is the fact that young university researchers and lecturers do not form a completely homogeneous socio-professional group. Instead, there are several subgroups within their ranks: early-career researchers enrolled in postgraduate programmes (doctoral students, independent doctoral students); young lecturers and researchers under 30 without advanced degrees; and young academics under 35 with a Candidate of Science degree. While each subgroup is integral to the university community, they possess distinct characteristics. Representatives of these groups share similar professional statuses and occupy comparable positions in the job hierarchy. It is essential to consider these differences within the young researchers group when establishing goals and developing a human resources policy focused on rejuvenating the academic staff. 

This is supported by principles developed at St Petersburg University for assessing the effectiveness of human resource activities aimed at attracting young talent to the academic staff. Evaluating the success of these initiatives involves more than merely counting the number of young employees in the academic staff positions. 

"At St Petersburg University, only those human resources management decisions are deemed successful that not only increase the number of individuals under 35 hired for academic roles but also ensure the selection of the most capable and talented representatives from all subgroups of young researchers: doctoral students, lecturers, and research associates. Furthermore, these decisions aim to create favourable conditions for their professional development and successful careers within the St Petersburg University community," emphasised Vladimir Eremeev, Adviser in the Rector’s Office at St Petersburg University. 

Creating such conditions would be impossible without the University investing substantial resources, including managerial, material, and human resources, to rejuvenate its academic staff. Human resources are essential in this purpose, as young researchers require research supervision and professional mentoring. A rational and thoughtful approach to the allocation and utilisation of these resources is crucial for accelerating the research and academic productivity of the younger members of the University’s academic staff. Additionally, the contributions of young researchers and lecturers to St Petersburg University’s overall performance serve as a key criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of the University’s human resources policy. 

When discussing the effectiveness of management decisions that enhance the academic activities of young researchers and lecturers while accelerating their professional growth, we must also consider another category of employees — those holding a Doctor of Science degree under the age of 40. Analysis of this group’s academic performance reveals that, in terms of publication activity, participation in research projects, and implementation of academic courses, they outperform the average academic staff by 1.5 times. Thus, they represent the most active and productive segment of the University’s academic community. 

"The growing number of young Doctor of Science degree holders significantly enhances the effectiveness of measures to optimise the age structure of St Petersburg University’s academic staff. One of the objectives of the St Petersburg University’s policy of rejuvenating the academic staff is therefore to increase the share of Doctor of Science degree holders under 40 years of age and to expend the presence of these specialists across the University’s institutes and faculties," said Andrey Morozov, Head of the Personnel Department at St Petersburg University. "It should be noted that from 2015 to 2022, the proportion of young Doctor of Science degree holders at St Petersburg University rose by 4%, while their distribution across institutes and faculties increased by 10%. In contrast, the larger Russian higher education landscape displayed the opposite trend, where the proportion of Doctor of Science degree holders under 40 decreased considerably from 2017 to 2022." 

The statistics presented confirm that St Petersburg University has found effective strategies to enlarge the group of young Doctor of Science degree holders. The primary strategy involves creating conditions that accelerate the professional development of the University’s academics under 35 who hold a Candidate of Science degree and demonstrate potential to prepare and defend a dissertation for a Doctor of Science degree. Complementing this approach is the University’s effort to attract young Doctor of Science degree holders who have not previously been full-time employees, encouraging them to join the University’s academic staff. 

In summary, St Petersburg University’s human resources management system prioritises the rejuvenation of academic staff as a key strategy to achieve a balanced age demographic of the academic team. This balance is fundamental to the University’s effectiveness across all its activities. It is through these rejuvenation efforts that the community of scholars and lecturers at St Petersburg University has been able to avoid demographic imbalances, such as an ageing workforce or disproportionately young academic staff. The statistical data presented in Figure 2 below supports this conclusion.

St Petersburg University stands today as a dynamically developing classical university, offering over 500 degree programmes and over 800 non-degree programmes. As one of the largest centres of national culture, St Petersburg University preserves unique museum and book collections and undertakes diverse publishing and exhibition projects. Its extensive educational initiatives and expert activities contribute significantly to promoting the national higher education system internationally, enhancing its prestige and authority globally. Notably, St. Petersburg University is the only Russian educational institution that co-founded the Global Alliance for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and the national OpenEdu platform. Currently, the University offers over 500 online courses to the global audience, with over 4 million students enrolled worldwide.

Academic staff members are the driving force behind the diverse and multifaceted activities at St Petersburg University, and the fruit of their work significantly contributes to the University’s overall progress. In essence, the effectiveness of St Petersburg University’s initiatives is largely attributable to the high quality of its human capital. Turning back to Figure 2, the distribution of different age groups within the University’s academic workforce aligns with the general principle that an optimal age balance is crucial for the development of core qualifications and competencies among academic staff members. 

Tools for attracting and supporting young academics: practical experience of St Petersburg University 

The complex of organisational and financial tools employed in St Petersburg University’s human resources management system create favourable conditions for attracting and retaining highly qualified, young talented specialists in relevant fields of knowledge for long-term, productive academic careers at the University. The introduction and implementation of these human resources management tools is supported by both federal measures and the University’s own organisational and financial resources. 

At the University level, the effectiveness of strategies aimed at stimulating the influx of young specialists to the academic staff is continuously evaluated and managed under the St Petersburg University Strategic Plan. Several measures and indicators focus on maintaining a balanced age structure of the University’s academic staff, with a goal of gradually expanding the layer of highly qualified researchers and lecturers under the age of 35. Additionally, St Petersburg University has introduced the practice of annual analysis of the staff composition in academic and research departments, with age dynamics being a key indicator. Based on this analysis, roadmaps for the development of institutes and faculties are created and implemented. Crucial indicators include the increase in the proportion of young researchers; their qualification growth; and their contribution to the overall performance of academic and research departments. 

"The roadmap for optimising management processes at the Faculty of Economics includes a dedicated section on the above-mentioned aspects of human resources management," explained Viktor Titov, Senior Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Economics. "Our planned activities include: creating favourable conditions to attract young specialists with practical experience in economics and management to teaching and research roles at St Petersburg University; increasing the number of young researchers who have successfully defended their Candidate of Sciences and Doctor of Sciences dissertations; recruiting the most talented and promising graduates of master’s programmes to work at the Faculty; implementing organisational measures to stimulate an additional influx of young specialists to work at the Faculty; and more." 

The outcomes of the aforementioned measures are evident in key indicators of the Faculty’s development, including: a decrease in the average age of academic staff; an increase in the number of young doctors and candidates of sciences; a rise in student involvement in research and teaching activities; and an increased percentage of doctoral students defending their dissertations on schedule to name just a few. 

St Petersburg University human resources development programmes 

St Petersburg University implements several targeted human resources development programmes to attract young academics to join the University’s academic staff, providing them with comprehensive professional guidance and social support. 

Academic Staff Talent Pool Programme 

The priority goals of this programme extend beyond daily work with academic staff, focusing on the strategic development of St Petersburg University’s human resources potential. The University forms its academic staff pool through a rigorous competitive selection process, drawing from two sources: firstly, from talented master’s and doctoral students, who are provided with enhanced opportunities to commence their academic careers at St Petersburg University; and secondly, from young academics, who are given chances for accelerated promotion to higher positions. Candidates must demonstrate high potential for professional advancement and effectively leverage the provided opportunities to grow and develop as accomplished university scholars and academics. 

"The current regulation outlining the procedure for establishing the St Petersburg University academic staff talent pool was enacted in December 2023 and is now being actively implemented across faculties and institutes," said Andrey Morozov, Head of the Personnel Department. "It is important to note that the Talent Pool system at St Petersburg University was not created from scratch. Before its University-wide introduction, it was successfully piloted in several academic and research departments, enabling them to rejuvenate their academic staff with young professionals within 3-4 years." 

The main focus of human resources management activities in terms of provisions for the Academic Staff Talent Pool system is to create conditions for objective competitive selection, professional growth, and academic development of talented master’s and doctoral students, as well as early-career academics and researchers employed at St Petersburg University. 

The Talent Pool is structured into four categories within the University’s academic and research departments. These categories include: 1) students enrolled in master’s and clinical residency programmes; 2) doctoral students; 3) early-career lectures and researchers without an advanced academic degree; and 4) academics under 35 years age who hold Candidate of Science degrees. 

Potential candidates for the academic staff talent pool are selected through a competitive process. A set of criteria has been established and approved for each category to assess candidates’ competencies and motivation for professional growth within the University environment. The main criteria, universal across all categories, include: publication and grant activities; participation in academic conferences; foreign language proficiency; prizes and awards in professional competitions; educational and volunteering activities; and experience collaborating with St Petersburg University’s partner organisations on joint academic, research, or cultural and educational projects. 

In addition to the universal selection criteria, each category of the academic staff talent pool has specific criteria tailored to different stages of candidates’ professional development. For example, potential candidates in the "Students" category must provide recommendations from research supervisors, demonstrate high academic performance, and have positive experiences participating in events organised by St Petersburg University for entrants and school students. Candidates in the "Doctoral students" category enhance their chances of joining the talent pool if they are members of professional associations; participate in the development of online courses; and complete non-degree courses to upgrade their professional competences and skills. Candidates in the "Early-career academics" category are evaluated based on the progress of their Candidate or Doctor of Sciences dissertations and the quality of their teaching. Teaching quality is assessed through average exam scores of their students, results of student surveys, and graduate employability. 

Any student or member of the University’s academic staff under the age of 35 can participate in the competitive selection for one of the four aforementioned Talent Pool categories through self-nomination. Additionally, nominations of potential candidates for the academic staff talent pool may come from a select group of third parties, including: research supervisors of master’s or doctoral students; Heads of departments; and Heads of academic and research departments (deans of faculties or directors of institutes). 

The competitive selection for the academic staff Talent Pool occurs annually within St Petersburg University’s academic and research departments. The competition stages are transparent, with information about them posted on the University’s website. The process involves several steps. At the initial stage, Academic councils of faculties and institutes approve the selection criteria tailored to the specifics of their subdivision; determine the number of places in each of the four talent pool categories; and form committees that make final decisions about applicant ratings. Based on the ratings, the Rector of St Petersburg University, or an authorised official, issues an order announcing the results of the competitive selection and the composition of the Talent Pool. Following this, Talent Pool Committees approve individual professional development plans and trajectories for selected members, who are required to report annually to the Committees. Based on the annual reports, Committees decide on the continued participation of each member in the relevant Talent Pool category. Members of the Talent Pool who do not meet their professional development plans, may be excluded from the Talent Pool. Participation in each Talent Pool category is limited to a maximum of three years. 

At St Petersburg University, members of the Talent Pool are offered various organisational and material incentives to encourage active and productive teaching and research activities. Notably, the Talent Pool members can participate in competitive selections for vacant academic staff positions without meeting professional experience or length of service requirements. Additionally, members of the Talent Pool can initiate additional agreements to their employment contracts, providing increased remuneration for promising research projects aimed at preparing materials for advanced degree dissertations. Also, inclusion in the Talent Pool grants academic staff and students priority access to the equipment and materials of the St Petersburg University Research Park and other shared-use research facilities operating at the University. 

Favourable conditions are provided for all members of the Talent Pool to accelerate their professional advancement and development of research and academic competences. Thus members can design their individual development paths by selecting from over 200 professional development programmes available annually at St Petersburg University. Notably, the usual requirements for length of service and work experience at the University are waived for Talent Pool participants. Furthermore, the system incorporates a mentoring principle, assigning each Talent Pool member an academic supervisor from among the esteemed professors or associate professors, who are experienced professionals and respected figures within the University’s academic community. 

Finally, membership in the Academic Staff Talent Pool offers additional social support measures for young teachers and researchers, including priorities in the allocation of the University housing and provision of interest-free loans. 

Special conditions for competitive selection for academic staff positions aimed to attract talented young professionals to join the St Petersburg University academic staff

 St Petersburg University has established a new category of competitions specifically for highly capable and promising young applicants with notable achievements in science and research. This includes nominees, winners, or holders of scientific awards, principal investigators, and participants in research projects, as well as winners and prize-winners of competitions for young professionals, such as the "Leaders of Russia" contest. In its staff competitions aimed at attracting talented youth, St Petersburg University imposes special qualification criteria. These criteria include the number and quality of publications in peer-reviewed scholarly journals, the number and scale of research grants, and successful participation in scientific and professional competitions. These requirements significantly exceed the minimum standards set for the respective fields of knowledge. 

Information about these competitions is widely publicised on St Petersburg University’s information resources, and details about the participants are published on the University’s website. The competition procedures are transparent, with applicants having the right to attend committee meetings at all selection stages. The competition committees comprise: experts in relevant subject areas; members of academic and research departments; and members of the Council of Young Scientists. 

According to the general regulations in force at St Petersburg University, young talented specialists who win staff competitions are offered favourable conditions for research creativity and productive academic activities. In return, competition winners accept the University’s proposals to include enhanced obligations in their employment contracts, justifying the advantages and benefits guaranteed to them. The obligations necessitate specific, measurable outcomes. These may include: defending a dissertation by a set deadline; carrying a teaching load that surpasses the university average; and publishing a specified number of articles in high-impact, reputable journals. 

For candidates in the category "Young talented specialists", there are two competitive projects at St Petersburg University, namely: "Young Professor" and "Young Talented Academic Researcher". 

"Young Professor" contests 

The "Young Professor" contest is designed to attract Doctor of Sciences degree holders under the age of 40, specialising in priority areas of science, to work at St Petersburg University. Winners of this competition are offered: competitive salaries; a starting grant of up to one million roubles; priority access to the equipment at the St Petersburg University Research Park; and the opportunity to invite postdoctoral students. Additionally, the winners of the "Young Professor" contests are provided with research support staff to assist them in their research projects and preferential allocation of University housing. 

The comprehensive support provided to winners of the "Young Professor" contest by St Petersburg University has yielded significant positive results. With this backing, talented young researchers have achieved impressive scientific advancements; pioneered new research areas; established scientific schools; and made substantial contributions to both the University’s development and the overall progress of national science. 

The first in the list of such scientists is Professor Pavel Musienko, Doctor of Sciences (Medicine), a specialist in the field of translational biomedicine with over 100 research papers and nine patents to his name. In 2015, Professor Musienko won the "Young Professor" contest and is now one of the most respected and highly cited scientists globally in his field. He currently serves as: Head of the Laboratory of Neuroprosthetics at the Institute of Translational Biomedicine of St Petersburg University; Scientific Director of the area of study "Neurobiology" at the Sirius University of Science and Technology; and Head of the Neuromodulation Laboratory at the Pavlov Institute of Physiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Professor Musienko’s research achievements have been recognised with numerous awards and distinctions in both domestic and international science competitions. 

Another notable scientist who won the "Young Professor" contest in 2015 is Professor Maxim Vinarski, Doctor of Biology, a specialist in ecology and biogeography. Currently, Professor Vinarski is internationally renowned. He heads the Laboratory of Macro-Ecology and Biogeography of Invertebrates at St Petersburg University and has authored over 200 research papers, including five monographs. 

"Young Talented Academic Researcher" contests 

Since 2021, St Petersburg University has been conducting special competitions to attract young, talented doctoral students and recent graduates of doctoral programmes to join its academic staff. Winners of these competitions are offered a minimum three-year employment contract with special financial conditions and enhanced obligations, including: an individual professional development trajectory; participation in academic conferences; and publication of a certain number of research papers in high-ranking journals. 

In the three years since its introduction, the system of staff competitions for young and talented lecturers and researchers has proven its effectiveness. Initially an experiment in human resources management, it has evolved into a successful means of sustainably renewing St Petersburg University’s academic staff with capable and motivated graduates of master’s and doctoral programmes. Table 1 below provides information on the total number of staff competition winners. Notably, these winners specialise in diverse fields of science, and their appointments as Assistant Lecturers have strengthened the cohort of young academics across numerous research and academic departments at the University.

Field of study	Number of competitions	Number of participants	Number of winners
Asian and African Studies	1	1	1
History	5	6	5
Mathematics and Mechanics	7	19	7
Applied Mathematics – Control Processes	1	3	1
Psychology	3	5	3
Physics	3	4	1
Philosophy	4	6	4
Economics	6	15	5
Total	30	59	27

© SPbU Competitive selection of young talented lecturers and researchers for academic staff positions (2021–2023)

It is also worth noting that graduates of master’s and doctoral programmes have shown significant interest in employment opportunities at St Petersburg University, particularly those offered to winners of competitions for young and talented lecturers and researchers. This interest is evident from the increased competition during the selection process. 

Creative Youth Support Programme 

For the past ten years, St Petersburg University has implemented a special human resources programme aimed at supporting creative young individuals. This programme focuses on organising competitive selection processes within the University’s academic and research departments to fill academic staff positions specifically designed for programme participants. Young researchers who have published papers while pursuing their master’s, specialist’s, or doctoral degrees are eligible to enter these competitions. The first stage involves a competitive selection for the position of Assistant Lecturer within the Creative Youth Support Programme, with successful candidates receiving a three-year employment contract. During this period, the winners are expected to fulfil their academic responsibilities as outlined in the contract. If they successfully meet these obligations, they will qualify for the second stage of the competition, which seeks to fill the higher position of Assistant Professor within the Creative Youth Support Programme. 

"Throughout the programme’s duration, over 290 members of the academic staff have participated in it, with 72% being graduates of St Petersburg University," emphasised Andrey Morozov, Head of the Personnel Department. "Notably, 68% of the young talented lecturers and researchers who received support from the University through this programme remain employed at the institution in various research and academic positions." 

The success of the Creative Youth Support Programme is evident in the high performance of the academics whose careers it launched at St Petersburg University. For instance, associate professors at the Institute of Chemistry who joined the University’s academic staff through this programme published an average of 19 papers in Scopus and Web of Science Core Collection journals over a five-year period. This figure surpasses the average publication output of all associate professors in the same institute, which stands at 15.7 papers for the same period. 

It should be noted that academic positions for participants in the Creative Youth Support Programme are not tied to specific departments, laboratories, or units, but rather are integrated into the overall staff of the Faculty or Institute. Consequently, competitions for these positions are viewed differently within research and academic teams compared to competitions held at the end of an employee’s fixed-term employment period. 

It is important to acknowledge that within the University environment, there is still a prevailing belief that academic staff members should have a moral advantage to retain their positions after renewing fixed-term agreements. Moreover, filling an open position is often seen not as a competitive process, but rather as an opportunity to continue employment with the University, typically offered to the individual who has held this position for a number of years. Due to these professional stereotypes and psychological mindsets, even experienced academics often refrain from participating in such competitions, citing moral considerations or the likelihood that selection committees will favour known candidates. Obviously, for young graduates, the decision to enter such competitions can be even more challenging. 

The practice of organising competitions for positions under the Creative Youth Support Programme at St Petersburg University therefore serves as an effective way to integrate young and promising scholars into the University team. The practical experience accumulated at St Petersburg University demonstrates that a young academic who secures a position through this programme — one not tied to a specific department, laboratory, or unit — is less likely to cause moral and psychological discomfort among their new, often more senior, colleagues or be perceived as an outsider. This approach aligns with key strategies for retaining younger members of the academic team. In their paper "Brining and consolidation of young scientific and teaching staff based on modern adaptation technologies" (published in: University Management: Practice and Analysis. 2006; (2):61-64), Elena Mudrova and Valentina Legostaeva emphasised: "Adaptation of a young lecturer or researcher plays an important role in their subsequent career prospects within an organisation. Their success largely depends on their initial experiences: feeling welcomed in the team and finding academic activities engaging." 

Social support measures aimed at attracting and retaining young professionals in St Petersburg University’s academic staff 

St Petersburg University implements a range of social support measures designed to attract and retain young academic staff. From a human resources management perspective, the primary method of delivering these measures is by offering substantial benefits and advantages to young researchers and lecturers who participate in University-wide social programmes. 

Preferential allocation of the University housing 

St Petersburg University regularly conducts competitions for academic staff positions, offering preferential housing allocation to the winners. Participants face higher qualification requirements, and their employment contracts include enhanced obligations related to publication and grant activities. Since 2021, special competitions for housing allocation have been held specifically for young academics under the age of 40. Applicants are evaluated based on their achievements in research, teaching, and expert work, using objective data from Russian and international scientometric platforms and St Petersburg University’s information systems. Each participant is awarded points according to established criteria, and their total points determine their ranking. Ultimately, those with the highest scores are declared the winners. 

Priority access to interest-free loans 

Since 2023, St Petersburg University has offered interest-free loans to its employees, funded by the University’s income-generating activities. These loans prioritise improving housing conditions, funding children’s education, and covering costly medical treatments for employees or their family members. The loans are awarded competitively. The results of the competitions are determined with special consideration given to young academics, particularly those with many children. In 2023, three young members of the University’s academic staff benefited from this programme, each receiving a loan of 1 million roubles, which they used to improve their housing conditions and support their children’s education. In 2024, the University plans to expand the programme to include more young lecturers and researchers eligible for interest-free loans. 

Federal targeted programmes 

Young members of St Petersburg University’s academic staff are eligible for both the University’s social support measures and federal state targeted programmes. One such programme that has garnered particular interest among young academics is housing subsidies for purchasing residential real estate. To support early-career academics facing housing challenges, St Petersburg University’s Human Resources Department has developed initiatives to help them take full advantage of this federal programme. In 2023, one young member of the academic staff was identified as needing improved housing conditions and, based on outstanding performance in research and academic activities, qualified for a federal social payment designated for housing purchases. 

St Petersburg University has developed effective strategies to address the challenges of rejuvenating its academic staff. The University dedicates significant managerial, material, and human resources to attract young researchers and lecturers, offering them extensive professional and social support. A complex of organisational and financial measures has been integrated into the human resources management system, creating conditions that attract and retain highly qualified, motivated young professionals with high qualifications in the relevant fields of knowledge for long-term, productive academic careers at the University.