International Accelerator at St Petersburg University

The University’s mission is to foster interaction and exchange of ideas and to support young people who strive to transform their ideas into successful projects.

Vladimir Savinov, Vice-Rector for Educational Activity at St Petersburg University

During the event, Nikolai Parfenenok, Head of the International Accelerator, Deputy Dean of the School of International Relations at St Petersburg University, outlined the strategic goal of the accelerator. The goal is to consolidate the entire potential of St Petersburg University to ensure maximum assistance to students’ entrepreneurial initiatives. Emphasis should be placed on interdisciplinary project activities and active networking between the entrepreneurial community of St Petersburg University and Russian and international investors, said Nikolai Parfenenok.

St Petersburg University is actively developing projects aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs, and the International Accelerator is a key step in this direction. The implementation of strategically important tasks for the country will lead to a rise of new small innovative enterprises, which are being developed by the incubator, said Aleksandr Sergeev, Director of the St Petersburg University Business Incubator. The more students are involved in the process of developing start-up projects, the higher the chances of developing a successful business product.

Support for entrepreneurial initiatives at the University, including mentoring programmes, helps to form a new generation of entrepreneurs who are ready to contribute to the development of the innovative economy and the technological sovereignty of the country.

In the near future, St Petersburg University is planning to conduct workshops on generating entrepreneurial ideas and presentations of those mechanisms for supporting student start-ups that are currently being implemented at the University and across the country.

The opening of the International Accelerator is a striking example of the University’s innovative approach to supporting youth initiatives, said Mariia Edinova, Acting Head of the Alumni Office at St Petersburg University. "We hope this project will develop, especially in the context that there is a high interest of the entrepreneurial community in participating in the accelerator," added Mariia Edinova.

Roman Chernyshev, Programme Coordinator of the International Accelerator, presented the formats of how the accelerator would work. Among the most popular formats among the staff and students are the formats of mentoring business analysis of projects from experienced entrepreneurs with feedback and recommendations for improving the project and masterminds on the key principles of business.

The opening of the International Accelerator was also supported by Mark Tsarukian, Daniil Krivenko, and Aleksei Kiut who are the winners of the contests "Start-up SPbU", "Student Start-up" of the Foundation for Assistance to Innovations and "Your Move".

The International Accelerator has already scheduled a networking event with the founder of the VMESTE business club, Maxim Vasilev, and a discussion on the topic "A bridge between the University’s entrepreneurial community and Russian business clubs" for 5 December and a pitch session of MVP stage projects to investors for 10 December. On 28 November, the International Accelerator launched a hackathon for generating entrepreneurial ideas. Detailed information about the events can be found in the International Accelerator channel.