Minutes of the Rector’s Meeting
St Petersburg University in EdUniversal rankings
Among the best master’s programmes in the EdUniversal Best Masters Ranking-2024 are the following programmes of the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University (GSOM SPbU): Master in Management (MiM); Master in Corporate Finance (MCF); and Master in Business Analytics and Big Data. They received the maximum number of stars in the ranking.
The Master in Management (MiM) programme was ranked second among General Management programmes of Eastern European business schools. The Master in Corporate Finance (MCF) programme was ranked fifth among similar programmes at Eastern European business schools. The Master in Business Analytics and Big Data programme was ranked 14th in the Big Data Management category, which includes business schools from around the world.
The EdUniversal Best Masters ranking evaluates master’s and MBA programmes in nine geographical zones of the world. A total of more than 20,000 academic programmes in 153 countries are subject to annual review. The EdUniversal Best Masters Ranking methodology is based on surveys of members of the academic community, employers and students, and includes three criteria: the reputation of the programme; the salary of the 1st employment; and students satisfaction. Programmes are ranked according to the total number of points within categories and geographical zones, and the totals are translated into ranking stars.
The Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University annually confirms its status as a leader in international business education in the EdUniversal rankings. In 2023, GSOM SPbU was recognised by experts as the second strongest business school in Eastern Europe and the holder of the highest status — 5 palmes of excellence EdUniversal. The palmes indicate the level of international reputation of an educational institution: considerable local influence (one palme); strong regional influence (two palmes); reinforcing international influence (3 palmes); significant international influence (four palmes); and strong global influence (five palmes).
The leadership of the Graduate School of Management at St Petersburg University in the EdUniversal rankings is an indicator of the recognition of the business school by the international academic community.
The participants in the Rector’s meeting also discussed other academic programmes (to train economists, lawyers, and applied mathematicians) included in the ranking. In this regard, Senior Vice-Rector Elena Chernova instructed Dmitriy Shishmakov, Head of the Marketing and Media Communication Department, to check the availability of links to academic programmes of St Petersburg University on the University’s official website.
International activities
The following events were recently held at St Petersburg University.
Meeting with the delegation from Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU)
On 19 April, a meeting was held between Professor Qiuling Chao, Vice-President of Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (People’s Republic of China), and representatives of St Petersburg University. The parties made presentations about the universities and discussed opportunities for academic and research cooperation. Agreements were reached on signing a cooperation agreement and signing protocols on academic and student exchanges.
Visit of the Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China to St Petersburg University
On 20 April, St Petersburg University was visited by: Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China; Jiecai Han, President of Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT); and Liu Hong, President of Dalian University of Foreign Languages (DUFL). During the meeting, Huai Jinpeng, Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China, and Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, discussed the possibilities of intensifying cooperation between the University and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China and China’s scientific and educational organisations. A ceremony was held to sign an agreement on the creation of joint centres of St Petersburg University and Harbin Institute of Technology in the field of chemistry and physics and to sign an agreement on cooperation between St Petersburg University and Dalian University of Foreign Languages (New paths of development: Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China visits St Petersburg University).
Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, held negotiations with Jiecai Han, President of Harbin Institute of Technology, to discuss the activities of the joint campus of St Petersburg University and Harbin Institute of Technology.
Organisation of the teaching and learning process
Over the past week, 14 enquiries were addressed to the Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities. The majority of enquiries relate to preparation of various documents, and transfer and reinstatement to St Petersburg University. An analysis of the information on the organisation of the teaching and learning process provided by the heads of academic and research subdivisions has been carried out. Classes are held in due order according to the timetable.
Over the past week, meetings were held with student activists: group heads, and representatives of student councils and student scientific societies to name just a few. They discussed issues with organising the teaching and learning process. The meetings were held at: the Graduate School of Journalism and Mass Communication; the Institute of Medicine; the Institute of Philosophy; the Faculty of Biology; the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science; the School of International Relations; the Faculty of Political Science; the Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Control Processes; the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences; the Faculty of Sociology; the Faculty of Physics; the Faculty of Philology; the Faculty of Economics; and the College of Physical Training and Sports, Economics and Technology.
Meetings with final year students have been initiated to inform students of the activities undertaken by the University to promote the employment of graduates. To date, meetings have been held in seven academic and research subdivisions.
Results of the research and social project contest "Life and Human Health: Modern Challenges" dedicated to the memory of oncologist Andrey Pavlenko
The University has hosted an award ceremony to recognise the winners of the student research and social project contest "Life and Human Health: Modern Challenges", dedicated to the memory of Andrey Pavlenko, an outstanding oncologist, surgeon of the Pirogov Clinic of High Medical Technologies at St Petersburg University.
According to Aleksandr Babich, Senior Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Admissions at St Petersburg University, the contestants presented their research and social projects in four categories: "Recent or Ongoing Research in a Specific Field"; "Applied Research in a Specific Field"; "Technologies to Promote Preventive Information on Diseases / Health Threats"; and "Improvement of the Quality of Life and Human Health". In total, this year’s contest received 18 applications from students in biology, chemistry, general medicine, psychology, sociology, and cognitive studies.
The jury that evaluated the student projects included Piotr Yablonsky, Vice-Rector for Medical Activities at St Petersburg University; Andrey Sarana, Director of the Institute of Medicine at St Petersburg University; leading University experts in medicine; and specialists from the Pirogov Clinic of High Medical Technologies at St Petersburg University.
First place in the category "Recent or Ongoing Research in a Specific Field" is taken by Iliia Kuznetsov, a doctoral student in Geoinformatics and Cartography, who became one of the winners of the contest last year. This year, he presented the project "Cartographic research method for establishing spatial patterns in identifying cases of tuberculosis and children of group VI of dispensary observation: a case study of St Petersburg".
In the category "Applied Research in a Specific Field", the winner is Antonina Merts, a first-year doctoral student in Medical Psychology.
Her project "Cognitive functioning of women with malignant neoplasms of the mammary glands during systemic treatment" is aimed at developing a psychological rehabilitation programme and achieving its implementation in treatment protocols.
The result of this project was the creation of a student neuroart-laboratory at the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, where Antonina Merts works as a lecturer in psychology. Under her guidance, students explore the influence of art on cognitive functions and how creative activities affect the activity of the nervous system. They are developing exercises that will later be included in the rehabilitation programme. With the neuroart-laboratory project, Antonina Merts, a doctoral student at St Petersburg University, took second place in the category "Improvement of the Quality of Life and Human Health".
The winners in the category "Improvement of the Quality of Life and Human Health" are Iana Bukova and Alla Baranchukova, students in psychology and authors of the social project "Connect". They have developed the format of the events that facilitate the process of changing the place of residence and adaptation of the University students who come from other cities. The project has existed for more than a year and continues to develop. The results were presented at the 27th International Scientific and Practical Conference of Young Scientists "Psychology of the 21st century".
In the category "Technologies to Promote Preventive Information on Diseases / Health Threats", first place is taken by master’s student Arsenii Leontev, studying in the field of "Cognitive Studies". He developed the chat bot "Feel the city", which makes it possible to evaluate the location of houses in terms of their impact on physical and psychological health. The service that can provide information about the quality of the home environment (including for students who come to St Petersburg in search of a world-class education) may be useful when choosing a new place to live. So far, the database includes only houses in the Vasileostrovsky District of St Petersburg. Yet, Arsenii Leontev is planning to expand its coverage and make the information available not only to students, but also to other residents of the city.
The student research and social project contest "Life and Human Health: Modern Challenges" was established in memory of Andrey Pavlenko, an outstanding oncologist surgeon who headed the oncology department of the Pirogov Clinic of High Medical Technologies at St Petersburg University. In the spring of 2018, the doctor found out that he had stage three stomach cancer. For the next year and a half, he fought off the disease, continuing to consult and operate on patients and to share his knowledge with students and colleagues.
Transfer of assistance to participants of the Special Military Operation
Students, lecturers and staff at St Petersburg University donated another batch of aid for participants in the special military operation. The transfer of assistance was organised by St Petersburg University together with the regional public office of the chairman of the faction "United Russia" Dmitry Medvedev in St Petersburg.
The assistance included non-perishable food products, personal hygiene and care products and first aid supplies. It is to be delivered to the front line.
The collection point for humanitarian aid in the St Petersburg University building located at 26, 23rd Line of Vasilyevsky Island is open 24 hours a day. Anyone can bring things that are needed by military personnel in the Special Military Operation zone and members of their families (The University helps during the special military operation).
Publishing content of St Petersburg University online courses in Aeroflot’s in-flight entertainment system
Popular science videos from St Petersburg University online courses are now available in Aeroflot’s in-flight entertainment system.
As Vladimir Starostenko, Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation and Information Security, told the meeting participants, St Petersburg University is a leader in the sphere of national online education: the University is a co-founder of the Open Education National Platform, where it ranks first in terms of the number of online courses and programmes, and the number of students; it was among the top 5 universities in the world in terms of the number of courses published on the Coursera international educational platform (until March 2022); it is the first Russian university to have an agreement with the largest Chinese educational platform XuetangX; and it is the only Russian educational institution that is a co-founder of the Global Alliance for Massive Open Online Courses (Global MOOC Alliance).
Media systems are available on board most of the airline’s aircraft — both fixed entertainment systems (monitors in the seats) and wireless systems (available in Wi-Fi connection). Among a wide range of video content, passengers now have access to educational videos from St Petersburg University, allowing them not only to pass the time during the flight, but also to gain new knowledge from the University’s leading professors in various fields.
The content will be updated regularly, giving passengers the opportunity to explore the full range of St Petersburg University online courses. The conveniently spacious video format will make it possible to study a small but interesting topic even during a short flight, and to understand it in detail during a long flight.
At the moment, you can watch videos on general history, the history of Ancient Rus’ and the urban planning stages of the foundation of St Petersburg. Passengers will also be able to take online courses in Chinese, Korean and, for guests to our country, Russian.
The University already has experience of such cooperation. Since 2022, as part of an agreement with the Russian Railways, St Petersburg University’s educational videos have been presented in the Education section of the Sapsan train media centre.
Changes in human resources
Professor Alla Shaboltas asked the Rector to relieve her of her duties as Dean of the Faculty of Psychology in order to devote herself entirely to research activities. The request of Alla Shaboltas was granted. Svetlana Kostromina, Professor in the Department of Personality Psychology at St Petersburg University, has been appointed Acting Dean of the Faculty of Psychology.