More than 150 young oceanographers from 10 countries in the Floating University practices

For the third year in a row, the event brings together the most proactive and enthusiastic students from around the world at the University. Welcoming the participants, Natalia Stepanova, Director of the Floating University Coordination Centre, said that the main goal of the academic programme is to ensure that young scientists who are enthusiastic about ocean studies can find a team, research area, or practice that can bring some benefit that are most sought-after by employers.

The Winter School is the first stage of the annual cycle of the Floating University programme and a mandatory step for further participation in the competitive selection for sea expeditions.

In marine sciences, there is need for scientists of various areas: physics, chemistry, mathematics, computer science, biology, geography, geology, ecology, engineering, and geophysics.

"The advantages of being a geophysicist are its versatility. You can focus on what you are interested in: field research, data processing, development of new methods of study and even specialised software and equipment. Many students in the academic programmes supported by the Advanced Engineering School at St Petersburg University go on marine expeditions, participate in the development of equipment and new technologies for studying the shelf,' said Viacheslav Polovkov, Director of the Advanced Engineering School at St Petersburg University, Associate Professor in the Department of Geophysics at St Petersburg University.

The Advanced Engineering School "Interdisciplinary Research, Technologies and Business Processes for the Mineral Resources and Raw Materials Sector of Russia" was opened at the University in 2024. Its goal is to prepare high-calibre engineers whose achievements will make it possible to develop new products and solutions for the raw materials sector in partnership with high-tech companies. In 2025, the Advanced Engineering School is planning to open an applied geophysics laboratory, which will also deal with marine engineering and geophysical research.

To ensure that aspiring scientists can fully experience all the features of their area of study, the Floating University programme is particularly focused on a practice-oriented approach. During four academic tracks, leading oceanographers, marine geologists and geophysicists of Russia held lectures and workshops on the current scientific, industrial and engineering tasks related to the study of the ocean.

The Floating University Winter School was organised by St Petersburg University with the support of the Advanced Engineering School at St Petersburg University.

The programme "Geological and geophysical research in water areas" equipped students with skills in processing and interpretation of geophysical data. In the track "Programming and machine learning", students studied the main AI technologies for processing and visualising data and got acquainted with the ways of using the Python language in various areas of Earth sciences. Hydrobiochemical measurements in the marine laboratory were carried out by students of the programme "The role of the ocean in the carbon cycle", while the programme "Study of multi-scale processes in the ocean using contact and satellite observations" focused on the methods of processing satellite and contact data.

As in 2024, senior schoolchildren took part in the Winter School. The Winter School had a special section for them. The University’s experts, in particular specialists from the Advanced Engineering School at St Petersburg University, introduced schoolchildren to career prospects in various areas of marine research and spoke about their own experiences.

St Petersburg University offers bachelor’s and master’s programmes to prepare high-calibre engineers of a new type: "Petroleum Engineering", "Petroleum Engineering and Digital Technology", "Project Management in Digital Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy", "High-Tech Materials", and "Digital Technology in Chemistry".

"To learn the nuances of the chosen specialty, it is important to hear the opinion of a person who is engaged in his or her business professionally. We strive to share the successes and prospects of our University and the Advanced Engineering School to help gifted young people become highly qualified specialists and develop the technological sovereignty of Russia in future," said Viacheslav Polovkov.