St Petersburg University partners with Yandex and Sber in the AI360 project to educate creators of new AI technologies
St Petersburg University has joined as a partner in Russia’s first AI bachelor’s programme, initiated by Yandex and Sber. In the upcoming academic year, the total number of students in the programme will increase by 1.5 times, with 30 students enrolled at St Petersburg University.
AI360 is an academic programme designed for applicants aspiring to create fundamentally new conceptual models and solutions in artificial intelligence. The programme is implemented at five Russian universities, with St Petersburg University being the only classical university involved in the project.
The AI360 project, initiated by Yandex and Sber, includes the following institutions: St Petersburg University; ITMO University; the National Research University Higher School of Economics; the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT); and Innopolis University.
The academic programme integrates advanced courses in mathematics and machine learning with practical training at high-tech companies. Students will master cutting-edge technologies developed by experts at Yandex and Sber, and engage in inter-university expert interactions. The programme is open to top applicants with the highest scores in the Unified State Exam in mathematics and informatics, as well as winners of relevant scientific Olympiads.
“St Petersburg is renowned for its engineering schools. With St Petersburg University joining the AI360 bachelor’s programme, the city will become an even more significant hub for training highly sought-after AI specialists. Talented high school students from across Russia are eager to enrol in the programme. In 2024, applicants came from 30 cities, with over 40% being winners and prize-winners of All-Russian Olympiads in mathematics and informatics. These students will continue to unlock their potential in the AI360 programme,” emphasised Daria Kozlova, Director of Yandex Education.
This year, the total enrolment across all participating universities in the programme will be 156 students. Of these, 30 will study at St Petersburg University in the AI360: Mathematics of Machine Learning bachelor’s programme. Notably, all students will have the opportunity to take courses at the programme’s partner universities.
“In the AI360 programme, we focus not only on fundamental mathematics and machine learning but also on scientific approach, critical thinking, and engineering culture. The programme is designed for those who aspire to be at the forefront of innovation by creating new approaches and technologies. Expanding the programme enables us to attract more talented students, combine the resources of leading Russian universities and our expertise to educate high-calibre AI specialists in the country,” stressed Maksim Eremenko, Vice President and Director of AI and Machine Learning Development at Sberbank, and Member of the AI360 Academic Council.
Today, St Petersburg University, in collaboration with its partners, offers several academic programmes in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data. For example, in partnership with Yandex and Sber, the University is launching joint programmes in mathematics and data science. Students in these programmes will complete internships at Yandex and Sberbank, and graduates may have the opportunity to be employed by these companies. Recently, St Petersburg University, in collaboration with Sber and the St Petersburg Federal Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences, has launched a new master’s programme—“Artificial Intelligence and Data Science”. Additionally, the University is engaged in initiatives aimed at high school students. Professor Elena Kazakova, Director of the Institute of Pedagogy at St Petersburg University, served as the scientific editor of Russia’s first textbook on artificial intelligence for school students. The textbook was developed in partnership with the AI Alliance Russia and co-authored by 30 leading Russian AI technology developers, including experts from Yandex and Sber.
According to Stanislav Smirnov, Research Supervisor of the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science at St Petersburg University and a holder of the Fields medal, the University will be educating future researchers and creators of fundamentally new AI models, architectures, and machine learning algorithms. The University’s scientists will also develop new mathematical methods to analyse and predict the performance of these technologies. This new academic programme complements the existing bachelor’s programmes in Mathematics, Data Science, and Modern Programming.
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“Today, AI-enabled systems are already solving practical and research problems that appeared unattainable just a short while ago. However, as these systems become more powerful, it becomes clearer that without fundamental research in mathematics and machine learning, it will be increasingly challenging to predict their behaviour, guarantee reliability and safety, and ensure their sustainable development. Our new academic programme is a contribution to establishing a rigorous scientific foundation for the AI of the future,” said Stanislav Smirnov.