St Petersburg University awards the winners of the 8th season of the PS(R)S Olympiad

"International relations", "Mathematics", and "Linguistics" are the most popular areas of the Olympiad in the 2023/2024 academic year.

Aleksandr Khurshudian, Deputy Senior Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Admissions − Head of the Admissions Department at St Petersburg University, Executive Secretary of the Organising Committee of the Olympiad, addressed the participants and guests of the ceremony with a welcoming speech. St Petersburg University particularly focuses on ensuring support to student initiatives and scientific activities to develop research skills, and the PS(R)S Olympiad is a good tradition for the University, he said. The Olympiad is held for the eighth year in a row and is as famous as the St Petersburg University Olympiad for School students, which celebrates its 90th anniversary this year. 

"The Petropolitan Science (Re)Search Olympiad is open and arouses great interest among students not only at St Petersburg University, but also of other universities across Russia and a number of foreign countries. The opportunity to demonstrate your abilities and compare them with the skills of your peers, your future professional colleagues is very important. In this regard, you can understand what you need to strive for," said Aleksandr Khurshudian. 

The main objectives of the Petropolitan Science (Re)Search Olympiad are to encourage talented students and young professionals, create conditions for their intellectual and creative growth, support and train high-calibre specialists who are eager to conduct research and practical activities. The participants chose vital topics for their research works, and their level of preparation was very high, said Aleksandr Khurshudian. Methodological support from the University lecturers, including lectures and consultations on the areas of the PS(R)S Olympiad, helped them achieve such results.

I am sure that from year to year our Petropolitan Science (Re)Search Olympiad, which has already become a certain brand associated with St Petersburg University, will become better and better. Congratulations on the excellent results you showed. The main thing is not to stop. I am confident that you will continue to make your valuable contribution to the development of Russia’s science, education and innovative economy.

Aleksandr Khurshudian, Deputy Senior Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Admissions − Head of the Admissions Department at St Petersburg University, Executive Secretary of the Organising Committee of the Olympiad

Every year, based on the results of an expert assessment by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the PS(R)S Olympiad is included in the list of events for the provision of grants to persons enrolled in master’s programmes at educational institutions of higher education and scientific organisations. The University would be happy to see contestants among students at the next level of education, said Aleksandr Khurshudian. St Petersburg University has created all necessary conditions for the development of young specialists, he added. The students who are engaged in research in the field of natural, physical, mathematical, and computer sciences, can use the infrastructure and equipment of the Research Park, which is one of the leading free access centres. In 2024, St Petersburg University opened the Advanced Engineering School ‘Interdisciplinary Research, Technologies and Business Processes for the Mineral Resources and Raw Materials Sector of Russia’. The school offers a number of master’s and non-degree programmes in the field of oil and gas engineering, chemical materials science, digital technologies in chemistry, knowledge-intensive technologies, and economics of innovation. 

Diplomas were presented to the winners and prize-takers by representatives of the Olympiad areas who are leading lecturers and researchers at St Petersburg University and employer companies. 

Diploma recipients of the PS(R)S Olympiad, depending on their area of study, can receive up to 100 additional points for individual achievements upon admission to master’s and doctoral programmes at St Petersburg University. More information about the procedure for participation and competitive directions can be found on the Olympiad website.