Minutes of the Rector’s Meeting
Position of St Petersburg University in the BRICS University Rankings
St Petersburg University has been included among the best universities in the BRICS countries according to the BRICS University Rankings. The shortlist includes 825 universities from Russia, Brazil, Egypt, India, Iran, China, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and South Africa. In the year of the 300th anniversary, St Petersburg University took fifth place in the ranking of the best higher education institutions in the BRICS countries.
The BRICS rankings include universities that occupy leading positions in global and national rankings, and the ranking methodology uses the key approaches adopted by the global academic ranking "The Three University Missions." The new ranking model takes into account the national characteristics of educational institutions in the BRICS countries.
The indicator group Science, for the first time, uses a criterion that evaluates the number of publications jointly with BRICS partners and allows reflecting the intensity of scientific cooperation between countries. The new rankings also increase the weight of criteria that take into account the number of victories of students in international Olympiads and the share of international students at a university.
St Petersburg University has been the most popular higher education institution in Russia among foreign citizens for six years in a row. This year, applicants from 140 countries applied to St Petersburg University. The competition among foreign citizens for 1,000 budget places is 21 applications per place, and for 1,000 fee-paying places five applications per place.
Being the most popular university among international students, the University systematically and consistently works to support and strengthen the position of the Russian language and culture abroad, implements educational projects that offer an opportunity to gain knowledge in Russian. The University has already opened 120 Russian language centres in 50 countries around the world, including in the BRICS countries.
According to the authors of the rankings, the rankings use only objective criteria approved by international experts; the sources of information were open data from official websites of universities and national authorities and data from independent international websites, including various online course platforms and websites of international Olympiads to name just a few.
Today, St Petersburg University is a leader in the field of online education. The number of online courses developed by the University exceeds 500, and their total audience is more than 4,000,000 people around the world, including the BRICS countries. St Petersburg University is the only Russian educational organisation that is a co-founder of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), a co-founder of the online platform "Open Education." St Petersburg University is the first Russian university to offer courses on the China’s national online learning platform XuetangX. Today, 30 online courses developed by St Petersburg University are available, all of them are popular.
The University also pays great attention not only to academic programmes and scientific research aimed at studying the BRICS countries, but is also actively involved in the international agenda to offer solutions to key issues of cooperation between the BRICS countries and act as an expert organisation on issues of international law, medicine, and entrepreneurship to name just a few. A striking example is the project of an investment arbitration institute for the BRICS countries, which will simplify the procedure for resolving disputes and increase the investment attractiveness of the countries of this interstate association.
The first International Religious Summit, the All-Russian scientific and practical conference "Traditional Religions — for Strong Russia," the 2nd Bayazitov Readings
From 14 to 17 October, St Petersburg University, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of St Petersburg and the Northwestern Federal District of Russia, the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Asian Part of Russia, the Department of External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate, and the Foundation for the Support of Islamic Culture, Science, and Education held the first International Religious Summit in St Petersburg. The forum brought together scholars, religious, public, and political figures, and theologians from more than 50 countries. The forum focused on the role of spiritual and moral values of traditional religions and the development of interfaith and interethnic dialogue in the modern world.
The plenary session and round tables of the forum discussed issues in interaction between world religions, the resource base of "religious diplomacy," the integrating and disintegrating functions of religion in the conditions of a multipolar world, prospects for overcoming the confrontational dynamics of the East — West and other current issues. The summit brought together spiritual representatives from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, the UAE, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Yemen, Gambia, Syria, Somalia, Uganda, Chad, France, and Italy to name just a few.
The opening speech was given by Ravil Pancheev, Mufti, Chairman of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of St Petersburg and the Northwestern Federal District of Russia, Rector of the Great Mosque of St Petersburg. In 2024, the vector of the forum and the topics of the conferences were determined by the co-organisers taking into account the aggravated modern challenges in the international arena, which pose an immediate threat to the national security of the Russian Federation, and are also geopolitical challenges for the entire world community, he said. The forum participants were greeted by Aleksandr Drozdenko, Governor of the Leningrad Region, Member of the Board of Trustees of St Petersburg University, and Alexander Beglov, Governor of St Petersburg, Member of the Board of Trustees of St Petersburg University.
The greeting of Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, was read by Sergey Andryushin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at St Petersburg University, Acting Rector of the University at this event. He emphasised that St Petersburg has deservedly become one of the leading centres for the study of the cultures and religions of the East, and the Faculty of Asian and African Studies at the University, celebrating its 170th anniversary in 2024, is still the most important scientific centre for the study of Islamic culture. The history of Islam, the economy and politics of Islamic countries, Islamic law, and the art of Muslim peoples are studied by scholars in various educational and scientific areas at St Petersburg University.
The plenary session had reports by Omar Habtoor Al Darei, Chairman of the General Authority of Islamic Affairs in the United Arab Emirates; Osam Sayed Mahmoud Muhammad Saad, Minister of Awqaf of the Arab Republic of Egypt; Mikhail Gryaznov, Director of the Foundation for the Support of Islamic Culture, Science and Education; and other distinguished guests.
The All-Russian scientific and practical conference "Traditional Religions — for Strong Russia" was held within the framework of the summit. Among the speakers were Vladimir Kolotov, Director of the Hồ Chí Minh Institute at St Petersburg University, Head of the Department of History of the Far East Countries; Oleg Redkin, Head of the Department of Arabic Philology at St Petersburg University; Igor Gerasimov, Professor in the Department of History of the Middle East Countries at St Petersburg University; Tigran Tumanian, Professor in the Department of History of the Middle East Countries; Roman Svetlov, Professor in the Institute of Theology at St Petersburg University; Artem Andreev, Associate Professor in the Department of Ethnopolitical Science; and Dmitrii Ovsiannikov, Associate Professor in the Department of History of the Commonwealth of Independent States to name just a few.
The Bayazitov Readings were held at St Petersburg University for the second time. They were organised by the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of St Petersburg and the Northwestern Federal District of Russia and St Petersburg University. This year, it was the academic part of the programme of the first St Petersburg interreligious summit and one of the events of the 2nd International Interreligious Youth Forum. The participants in the readings discussed issues in studying Islamic theology in Russia.
It is no coincidence that the Bayazitov Readings are held at St Petersburg University. St Petersburg University pays great attention to Islamic studies: history, politics, culture, and religion of Islamic states. The University offers academic programmes on Islamic theology. In 2020, the Centre for Islamic Studies was opened at the University. Scholars and experts of the centre took part in the examination of educational and research projects implemented within the framework of the federal target programme for supporting Islamic and Islamic studies education. This year, the University decided to create a Department of Theology and Culture of Islam as part of the Institute of Theology.
International activities
The following events were recently held at St Petersburg University.
Event at the St Petersburg University Representative Office in Spain
On 17 October, St Petersburg University and its Representative Office in the Kingdom of Spain held the online lecture "How to read Nabokov’s short stories." The lecture was delivered by Ekaterina Zorina, Associate Professor in the Department of Russian at St Petersburg University.
Cooperation agreement between St Petersburg University and the R.B. Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies
A cooperation agreement has been signed between St Petersburg University and the R.B. Suleimenov Institute of Oriental Studies of the Committee of Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The text of the agreement can be found on the St Petersburg University portal in the list of Partner Universities in the International Cooperation section.
Cooperation agreement between St Petersburg University and the State University of Campinas
A cooperation agreement has been signed between St Petersburg University and the State University of Campinas (the Federal Republic of Brazil). The text of the agreement can be found on the St Petersburg University portal in the list of Partner Universities in the International Cooperation section.
Cooperation agreement between St Petersburg University and the University of Brasília
A cooperation agreement has been signed between St Petersburg University and the University of Brasília (the Federal Republic of Brazil). The text of the agreement can be found on the St Petersburg University portal in the list of Partner Universities in the International Cooperation section.
Organisation of the teaching and learning process
Over the past week, 29 enquiries were addressed to the Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities. The majority of enquiries relate to preparation of various documents. 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 Philosophy; the Faculty of Biology; the Faculty of Foreign Languages; the Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Control Processes; the Faculty of Liberal Arts arts and Sciences; the Faculty of Sociology; the Faculty of Physics; the Faculty of Philology; and the College of Physical Training and Sports, Economics and Technology.
Two new educational clinics open at St Petersburg University
Tour Guiding Clinic
St Petersburg University has hosted the grand opening of the Tour Guiding Clinic, a new clinic-based practical training programme implemented at St Petersburg University. This clinic will provide students with the opportunity to engage in developing cultural routes, excursion programmes, and comprehensive tourist products. The opening ceremony was held as part of the 3rd St Petersburg International Historical Forum.
St Petersburg University has long been committed to providing students with real-world, hands-on experience and essential professional skills during their studies. The University was the first higher education institution in Russia to implement the clinical approach to education. As early as the late 19th century, the prominent Russian lawyer Dmitrii Meier established the country’s first legal clinic, which continues to operate at the University today. Every year, approximately 3,000 students develop practical skills through St Petersburg University’s educational clinics, undertaking socially significant projects commissioned by organisations and offering free advice to citizens.
The St Petersburg University Tour Guiding Clinic will enable students to connect with employers and gain work experience, which is a key benefit of each of the University’s educational clinics. Additionally, it will offer students the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the University’s three-century history and, importantly, to share this history with residents and visitors of St Petersburg.
As part of their work at the St Petersburg University Tour Guiding Clinic, students have the opportunity develop and lead their own tours, workshops, quizzes, quests and other activities. For example, the University students have already implemented projects dedicated to the celebration of the 225th birth anniversary of Alexander Pushkin and other significant historical events. Additionally, they have adapted St Petersburg’s first national tourist route, titled "St Petersburg. Peter. From the first stone to the skyscraper," to be an inclusive tourist destination. Fedor Veselov, Head of St Petersburg University’s Tour Guiding Clinic and Associate Professor in the Department of Museology at St Petersburg University, stressed that there is an increasing demand in society for the development of tourism projects.
As part of the opening ceremony, cooperation agreements were also signed with St Petersburg tour operators: Neva Seasons Tour Operator LLC and Petrotour Service LLC.
Translation Practice Centre for Asian and African Languages
The Translation Practice Centre for Asian and African Languages has been opened at St Petersburg University. The newly established centre will serve as an educational clinic, offering students practical experience in translating Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Turkish, and Japanese. Under the guidance of the University lecturers, students will provide free translation services to the University’s partners and socially significant organisations.
The Translation Practice Centre for Asian and African Languages opened in the year marking the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg University and the 170th anniversary of the establishment of the Faculty of Oriental Languages. Previously, in 2017, the University established the St Petersburg University Social Translation Centre, which focuses on interpreting and translating from European languages, including English, Spanish, German, French, Finnish, and Hungarian.
Inga Ibrakhim, Head of the Translation Practice Centre for Asian and African Languages and Associate Professor in the Department of Japanese Studies at St Petersburg University, shared that the pilot project for the translation practice clinic was implemented earlier this spring. Internships in a clinical format enable students to build a comprehensive portfolio and craft a CV by graduation, which they can send directly to potential employers. There is an additional benefit of internships in a clinical format. Students who participate in these internship programmes tend to have enhanced motivation to study theoretical subjects, as they gain firsthand insight into their relevance and practical applications.
The opening ceremony also featured the signing of agreements with representatives of employers who will offer the University students the chance to gain practical translation experience.
Career Day
On 19 October, St Petersburg University held the autumn Career Day, which brought together 47 large Russian and international companies. Among them were the following: Gazprom Neft, Geropharm, Rosatom, Sber, BIOCAD, JTI, Ikon Tyres, Nexign, P&G, Schlumberger, and VK to name just a few. The University job fair was attended by about 1,500 students and graduates of St Petersburg University.
Throughout the day, a poster session was held in the corridor and in the Assembly Hall of the Twelve Collegia building, where University students could communicate with representatives of employers, fill out a job seeker’s questionnaire, and learn about internship programmes and student practices.
Many companies are partners of the University and have been participating in the St Petersburg University Career Day for several years. Some of the HR specialists who participated in the Career Day had studied at St Petersburg University. At the Career Day, they represent companies to find highly qualified specialists at the University.
Traditionally, the St Petersburg University Alumni Community took part in the Career Day, where students could learn about the mentoring programme aimed at helping students and young graduates build their careers. The projects of the St Petersburg University Alumni Community may be of interest not only to those who have completed their studies at the University, but also to those who are still studying. For example, the meetings of the discussion club are open to all University students who would like to broaden their horizons in various fields of knowledge: from psychology to artificial intelligence. Among the speakers are leading experts in their fields, business representatives, scientists and cultural figures.
As part of the Career Day at St Petersburg University, workshops and business games were held by specialists and heads of participating companies. Students learned how to choose their field in the IT industry, how they can benefit from networking in building a career, what will help them successfully pass a video interview and discussed other important questions.
Researchers from St Petersburg University included in Elsevier’s Annual List of Most Cited Scientists
Thirty five researchers from St Petersburg University have been included in Elsevier’s annual list of the world’s most cited scientists. Only 2% of scientists across the globe, whose work is among the most searched for and frequently cited in Scopus, have made to the list. This year’s list includes 981 representatives from Russia. Among the universities, Lomonosov Moscow State University and St Petersburg University have the largest number of Russian scientists. The proportion of highly cited scientists from St Petersburg University accounts for 3.5% of the total number of Russian scientists on the list, a figure significantly higher than that of other universities.
The citations are assessed for 22 scientific fields and 174 subfields in accordance with the standard classification of Science-Metrix, using all Scopus author profiles as of 1 August 2024. The ranking is based on normalised indicators for each scientific field, excluding self-citations, and encompasses researchers entire careers.
For several consecutive years, researchers from St Petersburg University have secured high positions among distinguished scholars both nationally and globally. Recently, there has been a significant increase in the number of our scholars gaining widespread recognition and citations for their high impact in their scientific fields. This underscores the high calibre of the University’s researchers and their substantial contributions to the world science and the technological advancement of our country.
Among the most highly cited researchers in Scopus are notable figures from St Petersburg University, including Allan Kalueff, Head of the Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry at the Institute of Translational Biomedicine at St Petersburg University. Professor Kalueff pioneered the use of artificial intelligence to develop a unique system for screening neurotropic drugs. Also featured on Elsevier’s Annual List of Most Cited Scientists is the world-renowned pharmacologist Raul Gainetdinov, Director of the Institute of Translational Biomedicine at St Petersburg University. Professor Gainetdinov is the first recipient of the Vyzov (Challenge) National Award. Raul Gainetdinov is one of the world leaders in the pharmacology of the dopamine system, internationally recognised for identifying and studying a novel neurotransmitter system associated with trace amines. In 2018, he was named in the Web of Science (WoS) Highly Cited Researchers list, which includes the top 6,000 most cited scientists worldwide.
Also featured in this year’s Elsevier’s List of Most Cited Scientists is Vadim Kukushkin, Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Professor of St Petersburg University. Professor Kukushkin specialises in the reactivity of coordination compounds, organic synthesis involving metal complexes, and non-covalent interactions in chemistry. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious Russian and international awards. Vadim Kukushkin has authored approximately 500 research publications and nine monographs, and holds numerous Russian and European patents. He has been awarded various Russian and international prizes and has received many research grants.
Robert Evarestov, Head of the Department of Quantum Chemistry at St Petersburg University, Honoured Worker of Science of the Russian Federation and Honorary Professor of St Petersburg University, has been consistently ranked among the world’s most cited scientists. He and his research team focus on quantum chemistry of the solid state. Professor Evarestov’s approach is based on comparing the symmetry of molecules and solids and leveraging the local symmetry of atoms in multi-atomic systems. His detailed works on the cyclic crystal model have gained widespread recognition in scientific centres both in Russia and overseas.
The Elsevier’s List of Most Cited Scientists also includes Professor Evgeny Abakumov, Doctor of Biology and Acting Head of the Department of Applied Ecology at St Petersburg University. His research focuses on terrestrial ecosystem ecology, biogeochemistry, and soil ecology. Professor Abakumov has managed nine research grants from the Russian Science Foundation. He is a member of the world-class research centre ‘Agrotechnologies of the Future’ and serves as an expert at the Russian-Chinese Carbon Neutrality Centre.
Professor Detlef W Bahnemann, Head of the Laboratory of Photoactive Nanocomposite Materials at St Petersburg University, is also named among the scientists who have had the biggest impact in science globally. The Laboratory of Photoactive Nanocomposite Materials was established at the University in 2014 with financial support from the mega-grant programme of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. Under Professor Bahnemann’s leadership, the laboratory focuses on developing new-generation photoactive nanomaterials used for applications in solar energy conversion and storage, UV radiation protection, and as bactericidal and fungicidal agents.
Professor Nikolay Kuznetsov, Head of the Leading Scientific School (Centre of Excellence) of the Russian Federation in the field of mathematics and mechanics and Head of the Department of Applied Cybernetics at St Petersburg University, has once again been named among the world’s most cited scientists. Nikolay Kuznetsov is included in the global Highly Cited Researchers list, representing the top 0.1% of most cited researchers in their fields on the Web of Science. He is the winner of the All-Russian contests "Golden Names of Higher School" and "Professor of the Year," as well as the recipient of the Academician Andronov Prize from the Russian Academy of Sciences. Together with Nikolay Kuznetsov, the ranking includes his mentor, Professor Gennady Leonov, the founder of the Department of Applied Cybernetics at St Petersburg University. The St Petersburg government prize for outstanding achievements in science and technology is named after Gennady Leonov.
Among the most cited scholars from St Petersburg University featured in the Scopus ranking are: Nikolai Tsyganenko; Sergei Krivovichev; Vladimir Fock; Vladimir Shabaev; Vasilii Sergeev; Vladimir Kharitonov; Vladimir Dubrovskii; Iosif Khriplovich; Alexander Andrianov; Anatoly Rusanov; Iurii Vlasov; Boris Noskov; Aleksei Matveev; Kirill Kavokin; Elena Kustova; Valentin Ostrovskii; Alexey Timoshkin; Stanislav Filatov; Andrei Legin; Alexey Smirnov; Evgeny Korotyaev, Igor Zenkevich; Vadim Boyarskiy; Leonid Moskvin; Maxim Vinarski; Valeri Tolstoy; Aleksander Aleksandrov; and Rostislav Arkhipov.
Lecture by Alexey Polilov, Head of the Department of Entomology at the Faculty of Biology at Lomonosov Moscow State University
St Petersburg University has presented an open lecture by the 2023 Sber Science Award laureate Alexey Polilov, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Department of Entomology at the Faculty of Biology at Lomonosov Moscow State University. The scientist spoke about the results of entomological studies of micro insects as new model objects for large-scale scientific research. The lecture also included a discussion with Tatiana Chernigovskaya, Director of the Institute for Cognitive Studies at St Petersburg University, Member of the Russian Academy of Education.
The University recognises the importance of the interdisciplinary approach and cooperation with various educational organisations, research centres and technology companies for the development of Russia’s science. St Petersburg University is the first university in Russia to actively include employers in the process of developing academic programmes.
Last year, in cooperation with Sber, the University opened the master’s programme ‘Artificial Intelligence and Data Science’. It aims to prepare competent specialists in the field of advanced technologies. As part of the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, St Petersburg University and Sberbank also signed an agreement on preparing lawyers in the legal aspects of processing and protecting information and personal data. Sber as an industrial partner takes an active part in developing academic programmes at St Petersburg University and topics for students’ internships and graduation projects. It also offers internships with access to real-world projects and ongoing research.
According to Albert Efimov, Vice President and Director of the Research and Innovation Department at Sberbank, being a leading technology company in Russia, Sberbank actively participates in supporting scientific initiatives together with higher education institutions such as St Petersburg University, creates conditions for the implementation of new promising projects and strengthens Russia’s status as a scientific country. Sber offers such events for the first time, and cooperation with the University provides unique opportunities for exchanging experience in the modern scientific world.
The Sber Science Award is an annual personal award of 20 million roubles for Russian and international scientists who have made a significant contribution to the development of science and continue active research activities in Russia. The award is set to stimulate further achievements necessary for the technological and economic growth of the country and to support outstanding specialists in various fields who use artificial intelligence mechanisms in research. The award has the following nominations: Life Science, Digital Universe, and Physical World.
Until recently, little has been known about the smallest insects. Today, they are becoming important model objects for solving fundamental and applied scientific problems. Alexey Polilov, Head of the Department of Entomology at the Faculty of Biology at Lomonosov Moscow State University, presented the main results of studying the principles and limits of miniaturisation of the nervous system, the influence of body size on basic cognitive abilities, and the discovery of the phenomenon of anucleate neurons.
In some micro insects, the relative brain size expressed as a percentage of body mass is 20%, which is several times higher than in many much larger animals. Such results raise the question of what functions such a compact brain, containing a relatively small number of neurons, can perform and whether it is capable of anything more than simple reflexes. Experimental studies have found that objects of minimal size, regardless of species, often learn faster than larger organisms, such as mice.
The study of the cognitive abilities of the smallest insects has given a new impetus to the development of scientific thought. Among the key questions discussed by Tatiana Chernigovskaya, Director of the Institute for Cognitive Studies at St Petersburg University, were the following: influence of the results of the study of micro insects on the analysis of the human brain; existence of various evolutionary paths leading to similar processes of obtaining information; and strategies for the development of living organisms. The study of micro insects is important for understanding the fundamental principles of brain functioning and for developing new technologies in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence.