St Petersburg University prepares specialists with high mathematical culture

Among the top fields, in terms of the number of applications, are "Applied Mathematics, Fundamental Informatics and Programming", "Modern Programming", and "Artificial Intelligence and Data Science". 

What is the reason for such a high demand for this area of study? Why is it so unique? Why are its graduates sought-after job applicants among Russian IT companies? We asked our questions to Nikolay Kuznetsov, Head of the bachelor’s programme ‘Applied Mathematics, Programming and Artificial Intelligence’ at St Petersburg University and Head of the Department of Applied Cybernetics at St Petersburg University.

Nikolay Kuznetsov is Professor at St Petersburg University, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Leading Scientific School (Centre of Excellence) of the Russian Federation in the field of mathematics and mechanics, Head of the Department of Applied Cybernetics at St Petersburg University. He is included in the global list of Highly Cited Researchers (about 0.1% of the highly cited researchers in the Web of Science in their field(s) of research). St Petersburg University annually occupies high positions in the Shanghai Ranking (ARWU), in which the status of a highly cited researcher has the same weight as receiving a Nobel Prize and a Fields Medal.

Academic programmes in the field of machine learning and artificial intelligence have become an essential part of the modern higher education system in just a few years. Could you please tell us how, in your opinion, they have developed? 

Over the years, programmes in the field of artificial intelligence have undergone tremendous progress from being the only existing one of its type to being increasingly common and widespread. The advances in artificial intelligence (hereinafter referred to as AI) technologies have significantly lowered the threshold of necessary knowledge required to perform a wide range of tasks. As a result, we can prepare a large number of high-calibre specialists who can apply existing AI technologies in practice and are in demand in the labour market. Similarly, the path from being unique to being increasingly common was followed by academic programmes in the field of programming and information technology. Yet, the development of new AI architectures and technologies requires fundamental mathematical knowledge in various areas of mathematics and the ability to apply AI architectures and technologies in applied mathematical apparatus. This evidences the need for thorough intellectual training. For example, studying the basics of machine learning requires understanding of interrelated classical mathematical disciplines, which are taught during three years of the bachelor’s programme. 

In your opinion, what is the difference between the academic programmes in applied mathematics, programming and artificial intelligence offered by St Petersburg University and programmes offered by other universities? 

The advantage of our classical University is that we offer a wide range of interdisciplinary programmes in various subject areas of AI development: from philology, journalism and management to bioinformatics, chemistry and physics. Thanks to the opportunities provided by the University, we are striving to attract a wide variety of specialists from specialised faculties and institutes at St Petersburg University. For example, our bachelor’s programme "Applied Mathematics, Programming and Artificial Intelligence" spans such key topics as operations research, statistical modelling, computational methods, cybernetics and control theory. St Petersburg University has best mathematical scientific schools and therefore we have a wide selection of personnel to teach the current mathematical apparatus of AI technologies. We can prepare students who can develop and implement new architectures and achieve significant results in science. 

What is even more important is that St Petersburg University is home to the best mathematicians. In the Shanghai Subject Ranking, in terms of one of the key areas of our department, i.e. Automation & Control, St Petersburg University is the best university in the Russian Federation and entered the world top 100 universities. Since 2018, the research team of the Department of Applied Cybernetics at St Petersburg University has been awarded the status of the Leading Scientific School of the Russian Federation in the field of mathematics and mechanics in the priority area of scientific and technological development ‘transition to advanced digital, intelligent production technologies, robotic systems, new materials and design methods, creation of systems for processing large volumes of data, machine learning and artificial intelligence’. The Council under the President of the Russian Federation has awarded the teams of the Mathematics and Mechanics Faculty at St Petersburg University the status of the Leading Scientific School of the Russian Federation more than 50 times. 

Over the past three years, I have been included in the global list of Highly Cited Researchers in the field of interdisciplinary research. This is a significant contribution to strengthening the position of St Petersburg University in the Shanghai Ranking. 

As part of government-funded tasks, educators at the Mathematics and Mechanics Faculty at St Petersburg University have developed a series of new programmes, including joint ones with Sber. What prospects does this cooperation open up? 

Involving industrial partners in developing academic programmes ensures that our students learn the ways of how to apply fundamental theoretical knowledge at the level of practice. Our bachelor’s programme currently actively cooperates with the following companies: TaskData, Beeline, and T-bank. This year, we have joined the Sber’s network programme. This cooperation has opened up opportunities for employers to recruit graduate talent. 

The state is highly interested in preparing specialists in the field of AI. The bachelor’s programme ‘Applied Mathematics, Programming and Artificial Intelligence’ has been developed by a team under my leadership at the Mathematics and Mechanics Faculty at St Petersburg University since 2020 in connection with Executive Order No 490 "On the Development of Artificial Intelligence in the Russian Federation" of the President of the Russian Federation dated 10 October 2019. We have been developing the programme under a number of grants, which involved research projects in the field of applied mathematics and artificial intelligence and the development of a cycle of corresponding syllabi of the academic disciplines (Mathematician Nikolay Kuznetsov at St Petersburg University: "The challenge we are going to face in future might be how to replace scientists with artificial intelligence?"). 

The academic programme you have developed is the University’s leader in terms of the number of applications submitted per study place in 2024. How can you explain such a high demand among applicants? 

Of course, the success of the programme in St Petersburg is associated with the University brand and its huge scientific and personnel potential. It is the result of long-term painstaking work to attract leading Russian and international specialists and representatives of IT companies to develop academic courses, which combine the achievements of fundamental science and the experience of their application in the applied sphere. 

Are the curriculum and objectives of the bachelor’s programme "Applied Mathematics, Programming and Artificial Intelligence" related to the programme of secondary education? Is there any continuity between your courses and subjects that are taught at school? Perhaps, students study completely new materials. 

The bachelor’s programme for the first time in Russia takes into account the changes in the new Federal State Educational Standard of Secondary General Education of 2022. Starting from the first semester, our students study "Discrete Analysis and Introduction to Machine Learning". Some sections of the classical course on discrete analysis, which are now studied at school, are replaced by the simplest, but very useful ones for development of machine learning. This is largely due to the fact that the course ‘Probability and Statistics’ is included in the Federal State Educational Standard of Secondary General Education in mathematics. Another reason is that the courses relating to processing and analysing big data, forecasting, classification, clustering, discussion of technologies and general formulations of AI problems are included in the standard in informatics. In other words, continuity with school education is obvious. 

What would you like to wish to students and future applicants at St Petersburg University? 

I can advise applicants the following: when choosing an academic programme, they should have a clear view of what goals they want to achieve after completing a degree. For students, I wish to overcome the difficult and be sure to find something fascinating in life.