Focus on research and earn money: advice from Presidential grant winning students at St Petersburg University

In 2015, St Petersburg University created a special programme to support students who were awarded grants of the President of the Russian Federation. It was clear that the number of grant recipients was growing steadily.

These students are very talented. Given the proper attitude and encouragement from the University, they will definitely become highly qualified and demanded specialists who could be of benefit to the University and the country.

Aleksandr Babich, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Admissions

A range of preferences for the recipients of the grant of the President of the Russian Federation was set at the University by the Rector. Students get additional points for taking part in competitions for personal scholarships; they get the first priority when summer and winter trip vouchers are allocated; and they receive additional rating points when funding of participation in competitions, conferences and forums is allocated. Grants give students advantages in the procedures for selecting participants for the academic mobility programmes and for internships in partner companies of the University. Foreign students are guaranteed to get a room in the hall of residence which is situated close to their faculty. Those who want to work with the University can be included in the employee pool. You can find the full list of additional possibilities in the Order. We would like to remind you that anyone who feels like it, can submit suggestions for improving this document.

The University signed agreements with the first-year students for receiving the grant of the President of the Russian Federation for the support of individuals who have shown outstanding abilities. As a result, in the Autumn of 2019, the foundation ‘Talent and success’ put these 128 students on the list of applicants for grants. The grant allocates 20,000 roubles per month.

In order to apply for the grant a student must be: a citizen of the Russian Federation; and a winner of a final stage of the competitions that are included in the database of the State Information Resource about children who have shown outstanding abilities in accordance with the Government Resolution No 1239 dated 17 November 2015 ‘On approval of the Rules of identification of children who have shown outstanding abilities, support and monitoring of their further development’. The achievements should be made no earlier than two academic years before entering the university, and the competition should be at least of the first level or higher. Also, applicants should be enrolled in a state-funded full-time specialist’s, bachelor’s or master’s educational programme in the field relevant to the area of the competition they took part in.

By signing an agreement, grant recipients take on the obligations to confirm their academic achievements and other accomplishments in the field of research and extracurricular activities. They are also required to get employment within six months after graduation, and work for three consecutive years solely on the territory of the Russian Federation.

82 first-year students of 128 candidates agreed to sign the grant agreements; 46 withdrew from it. Therefore, 64% of students signed contracts. One of the reasons for withdrawal is that some of the students have just entered the University. They are not ready to plan too far ahead, and take on obligations to work in Russia for three years after graduation. If a grant recipient fails to meet the requirements of the agreement, they will have to refund the whole amount of money. Furthermore, students know that apart from the Presidential grant they can reckon on winning a range of large personal scholarships. Such scholarships are provided by commercial foundations and companies on an annual basis. They do not require recipients to return money in case they fail to fulfil any of the obligations.

All the candidates from the Faculty of Asian and African Studies, Graduate School of Management, Institute of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Political Science, Faculty of Physics, Institute of Philosophy, Faculty of Economics signed agreements and applied for the grant. Also, agreements were signed by a significant number of students in the Faculty of Law (19 out of 20) and the School of International Relations (8 out of 9). A lower number of students can be observed in the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Science (9 out of 13) and the Faculty of Philology (12 out of 17). There was a very high withdrawal rate in the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science (22 out of 27).

It is worth pointing out that the average grade of school certificates of the first-year students who withdrew from applying for the grant is lower than of those who agreed to apply (4,68 and 4,76 points respectively). It seems interesting that the academic performance of the students who withdrew from applying for the grant is also lower: two of them have already been expelled.

By the beginning of the academic year 2020/2021, there were 190 Presidential grant recipients at the University. 49 of them study sciences; the others study humanities. Most of them study in the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Philology (35 and 28 students respectively). Students of the University who had won the Presidential grant shared their stories, and gave advice to those who are considering taking part in the competition.

Foma Mironenko

At high school I took great interest in mathematical Olympiads and won the joint interuniversity mathematical Olympiad, ‘Phystech’, ‘Formula of Unity’. When I was in 11^th grade, I received a first-degree diploma for winning the Olympiad of St Petersburg University. In summer after finishing school, I went to Paris with my school team to take part in the International Tournament of Young Mathematicians 2018, where we were awarded a silver medal.

St Petersburg University Olympiad diploma allowed me to enter any university in Russia. However, I decided to go to the Mathematics and Mechanics Faculty because I had been dreaming to study there since school days. I studied at the Faddeev Academic Gymnasium from 8^th to 11^th grade, where some of the subjects were taught by teachers of the University. So it was an informed and conscious choice. 

For me the grant was sheer luck. I did not know anything about it until the end of the first term when a representative of the Department for Youth Affairs called me and asked if I wanted to apply for it. I was pleased and surprised and did not hesitate for a second. The grant helps me to focus on studies and not get distracted by struggling to provide for myself. Also, it is a great motivation to work harder and take exams better. However, in fact the grant is no piece of cake. It involves a great responsibility. All the grant recipients are bound to work in Russia for three years after graduating. If they fail to meet this requirement or get expelled, they will have to refund money at triple rate.

If I ever decide to build a career in the academic field, I will start it at St Petersburg University. Here I met a lot of interesting and smart people both among the professors and my peers who work in different areas of mathematics and computer science. So I know whom to address questions on different issues.

If you are planning to apply for the grant, my advice is don’t hesitate! If I had learned about it earlier, I would have applied anyway. Although the obligations might seem scary, they are not that tough. I am convinced that if you work hard, you will achieve what you want.

Fedor Stukolov

I participated in different Olympians in history when I was at school. In 10^th grade, I took part in the final stage of the All-Russia Olympiad of School Students in history; but I did not win anything. In 11^th grade, I won the Olympiad of schoolchildren of St Petersburg University in history.

When I was a first-year student I learned about the Presidential grant. However, I did not expect to win because I was sure that only the winners of All-Russia Olympiads can qualify for it. The specialist of the Department for Youth Affairs Polina Zhalnina told me that I could qualify for the grant. I was astounded and very excited about it. I decided that getting 20,000 roubles per month would not hurt. So without giving it much thought I began collecting the documents. 

The grant helps you to be financially independent, which is very important for me. I can buy all the necessary books, take part in excavation works and field studies without getting worried about the price of the tickets. The sum allocated by the foundation for my selfstudies is crucial for me: without this money I would have never acquired the skills that I have, or seen the places that I have visited as a student. Practical experience, communicating with people and volunteer background are more important for me than dusty academic studies that are necessary sometimes. I am not planning to build a career in the area of academic research. I am sure that I will be more useful as a school teacher. There, despite all the difficult moments, I will succeed in teaching children things that I have learned at the University thanks to the grant support. 

Those who are planning to apply for the grant should think it over before signing the agreement. It is important to weigh up whether you will be able to meet all the requirements: study without failures, have academic achievements at the end of each year. However self-confident you are, you must remember that you are taking on a risk. You can always fail.

Vladimir Shchavelev

I took part in the All-Russia Olympiad in mathematics and became a prize-winner of the finals twice. I applied for the Presidential grant because I consider it a good possibility to get off to a good start at the University. I am from another city, so I do need some financial help. I was determined to study fundamental mathematics. So I had to decide whether to stay in Novosibirsk, or to leave it. At that moment in Russia there were only two universities where this programme was taught at the appropriate level – St Petersburg University (the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science) and Higher School of Economics in Moscow.

The only problem of the grant recipient is that if they are offered a job abroad, they cannot accept it, because after graduating they must spend three years working on the territory of Russia. However, such possibilities seem unlikely to me. Other difficulties can be solved.

For example, rules do not forbid to get a master’s degree abroad. You will have to return to Russia though. That is why I believe those who can qualify for the grant, must definitely apply for it. 

I am thinking about getting a job with the University after graduation. Firstly, I need to start a career somewhere. I could start at the Chebyshev Laboratory which is located in the very building where I study and seems like a perfect place for me. Secondly, I love teaching. So maybe in the future I will teach students in the place where I once was a student myself.

Iurii Khorkush

I received the Presidential grant because in 2018 I had become a prize-winner of the final stage of the All-Russian Olympiad of School Students in history. I chose to apply to the Institute of History at St Petersburg University, because I had heard much about St Petersburg and Leningrad historical school and I had been interested in history from early childhood. Now you can find a lot of free online lectures of the teachers of St Petersburg University. After watching them I wanted to enter the University even more. 

The academic stipend is 1,751 roubles, whereas the subsistence level is a little more than 12,000 roubles. So, the presidential grant along with other forms of financial aid provides the possibility to study and to do research without getting distracted by the need to earn a living. Moreover, studying history does not involve major expenses.

I think, I would like to start my career at the University. The first reason is the traditions of academic work that have been maintained for many years at the University in general and at the Institute of History in particular. The second reason is the team of great specialists that I have met during my three years here with whom it will be very interesting to work together. 

Mikhail Mochalov

My choice of university was well-considered and thorough. The important factors were the reputation, the city, and if there was the educational programme that I wanted to enrol in. The staff of the Admissions Office at St Petersburg University can communicate with applicants much better than in other universities with the same status. It was one of the things that affected my choice. 

I am a prize-winner of the 2017 All-Russian Olympiad of School Students in ecology. If the government thinks that my achievements deserve to be socially supported, why not use this opportunity? However, I should point out that the conditions for receiving the grant are very tough, and they might put off some candidates. This is why my advice is to read the conditions of the agreement carefully and to think them over. If you apply for the grant, you should do nothing but study.

Receiving the grant made me a more disciplined student (grant recipients cannot fail examinations) and encouraged me to take part in different educational and academic events. I haven’t used any privileges of the support programme, as I was completely satisfied with the resources of St Petersburg University that any student has access to. 

The 2020 list of first-year students of St Petersburg University who can qualify for the Presidential grant will be prepared by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation together with the foundation ‘Talent and Success’. It will appear at St Petersburg University during November.