Leading position due to a record number of applications from international students: St Petersburg University summarises the admission campaign – 2021
This year, over 100,000 applications have been submitted only to bachelor’s and specialist’s programmes at St Petersburg University. Moreover, the University has become a leader among Russian higher education institutions in the number of applications from foreign citizens (about 21,000). Marina Lavrikova, Senior Vice Rector for Academic Activities and Teaching Methods, and Aleksandr Babich, Vice-Rector for Student Affairs and Admissions, shared the results of the admission campaign at one of the oldest universities in Russia during the TASS press conference.
‘Although the competition to enter the University is traditionally very high and the number of applications to academic programmes is only growing, the quality of admitted students remains essential for us, namely, the number of winners and awardees of school Olympiads and the grade point average at the Unified State Examination of the applicants. This year, the grade point average has exceeded 93 points,’ commented Aleksandr Babich.
It should be noted that this year the University has received applications from 1,805 school graduates with the 100% score and a maximal grade in at least one subject at the Unified State Examination. The applicants could also receive additional points for personal achievements. In 2021, 10,702 applicants have used this opportunity. They include the holders of honour certificates (8,229 people) and the golden mark of the AllRussian Physical Culture Training Programme ‘Ready for Labour and Defence’ (2,983 people).
The applicants with the grade point average over 95 applied for the following academic programmes: ‘Mathematics and Computer Science’, ‘Advanced Mathematics’, ‘Software Engineering’, ‘International Journalism’, ‘Law’, ‘Applied Informatics in Arts and Humanities’, ‘General Medicine’, and ‘Dental Medicine’ to name just a few.
Some applicants have managed to enter the University without entrance examination based on the results of school Olympiads. Among the admitted students are the holders of gold and silver medals of the International Mathematical Olympiad and International Olympiad in Informatics.
Interestingly, in eight academic programmes of the general competition, 100% of places have been taken exclusively by winners and awardees of the school Olympiads. The following academic programmes are among them: ‘Foreign Literature (French)’, ‘Cross-Linguistic Communication and Translation (German)’, ‘Cross-Linguistic Communication and Translation (English)’, ‘Theory and Practice of Intercultural Communication (English)’, ‘Chinese Philology’, ‘Japanese Philology’, ‘Data Science’ and ‘Modern Programming’.
It should be noted that the most gifted and talented applicants from all over Russia have an opportunity to enter St Petersburg University. In 2021, over 73% of the applicants admitted to the government-funded places will arrive in St Petersburg from other regions. Most of the applications have submitted from Moscow (749), Krasnodarsky Krai (742), Sverdlovsk Region (606), the Republic of Tatarstan (499) and Moscow Region (485). Most of the applicants admitted to the government-funded places are from Krasnodarsky Krai (78), Sverdlovsk Region (75), Moscow Region (66), Chelyabinsk region (57) and Leningrad Region (55).
A record number of foreign citizens have taken part in the competitive selection to enter St Petersburg University. Out of 21,000 applicants, 1,900 applicants from 74 countries have become students of St Petersburg University (about 1,000 applicants will be admitted to government-funded places and about 900 — to fee-paying places).
Once again St Petersburg University confirmed the title of the most demanded university in Russia among international applicants.
Marina Lavrikova, Senior Vice Rector for Academic Activities and Teaching Methods
‘Much work is in progress in this field: today the University has representative offices in South Korea, China, Spain, Greece and Italy. Moreover, proactive work is done in preparing online courses that have no boarders and can demonstrate high academic level at St Petersburg University’, shared Marina Lavrikova.
The format of studies at St Petersburg University in the new academic year will be a hybrid one in accordance with the methodological recommendations of Rospotrebnadzor (the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing). Lectures will be held remotely with the use of information and communication technologies, while laboratory work, practical activity and other workshop-type classes will be held in person in the classroom.
‘The most important measure that gradually allows us to move away from anti-covid restrictions is vaccination,’ noted Marina Lavrikova. ‘We have been encouraging our staff and students to get vaccinated. This refers to the first-year students from Russia and other countries.’ Until the current circumstances change, those international students who have no possibility to enter the Russian Federation, will have an opportunity to receive high-quality university education remotely due to a hybrid learning format.’