SPbU quality of education in artificial intelligence among the best in Russia

St Petersburg State University offers a number of educational programmes that focus on modern digital technologies and artificial intelligence. These include "Artificial Intelligence and Data Science", "Artificial Intelligence in Speech Modelling", "Artificial Intelligence and International Security" and others.

The ranking of Russian universities in terms of quality of professional education was presented at the international conference AI Journey 2023.

SPbU has also developed a comprehensive curriculum in machine learning and artificial intelligence based on fundamental mathematics. The series of university courses was developed by Professor Nikolay Kuznetsov, Head of the Department of Applied Cybernetics at SPbU, together with leading Russian and foreign specialists and representatives of the IT industry. 

Research into the impact of AI on modern society is another focus of the university’s experts.

The ranking is conducted with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation and is based on a methodology approved by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. It is based on an evidence-based mathematical model that has been validated by a wide range of experts from Alliance member companies and the academic community. The model was constructed using both publicly available and specially collected data on the quality of university education.

To objectively assess the quality of AI education, the experts selected 13 criteria, including: graduate salary levels, employer demand, employment statistics in Alliance companies, publications at conferences and in scientific journals, the number of student Olympiad winners and the average state exam scores, and the availability of programmes that are professionally and publicly accredited by the Alliance. 

One of the main criteria used to assess universities was the level of salaries of young professionals within a year of graduation (if employed in their field). The average salary of graduates of the top universities was about 140 thousand rubles. 

According to the ranking’s authors, the list will improve the quality of professional education, guide employers in the selection of qualified staff, and provide university applicants and employers with objective information about universities.