Minutes of the Rector’s Meeting
Implementation of the Unified Plan for achieving national development goals of the Russian Federation until 2030 and for the period up to 2036
The Government of the Russian Federation has completed the Unified Plan for achieving national development goals up to 2030 and for the long term up to 2036. It is the main guideline in the work of the Government, ministries, departments, regional administrations, development institutions and state-owned companies in fulfilling the tasks set by the President.
The Unified Plan defines specific areas of work and actions to achieve national goals and their indicators for the next 12 years. The document is interdepartmental and intersectoral. It mutually links the President’s May Executive Order on national goals, 19 national projects formed by the Government, more than 40 state programmes, sectoral and regional strategies, and "road map". It also specifies the participation of development institutions, state companies and corporations in achieving national goals.
During the implementation of the Unified Plan, long-term tasks will be solved, including the tasks of achieving a sustainable trajectory of economic growth in the context of the current challenges, replenishing the personnel deficit, ensuring technological sovereignty, and implementing measures aimed at nurturing a harmoniously developed personality in the system of traditional values. The plan takes into account all existing instruments of state policy, provides indicators for achieving the set tasks, and defines the areas of responsibility of all participants in the process.
According to Anastasia Yarmosh, Acting Senior Vice-Rector for Strategic Development and Partnership at St Petersburg University, St Petersburg University is participating in the implementation of all seven national goals, and corresponding instructions have been communicated to the vice-rectors and other officials of the University. Certain areas of the University’s policy in the field of personnel training and employment, areas of research (in accordance with national projects of technological leadership), work with industrial partners, and digital transformation of the University in terms of completing the transition to management principles based on data analysis and the use of applied artificial intelligence solutions will be brought into line with the Presidential Executive Order. Directors and deans have been instructed to submit their proposals on the participation of the University in the implementation of national goals, national projects and state programmes.
Organisation of the teaching and learning process
Over the past week, 32 enquiries were addressed to the Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities. The majority of enquiries relate to preparation of various documents. Winter interim assessment is held in due order according to the timetable.
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 Philology; and the College of Physical Training and Sports, Economics and Technology.
St Petersburg University students and graduates take part in mitigating the consequences of the environmental disaster in the Kerch Strait
Following the recent environmental disaster in the Kerch Strait, urgent action was needed to minimise the consequences and prevent similar incidents in future. A number of volunteer initiatives have been organised to clean up the damage caused by the oil spill, with students and graduates of St Petersburg University taking an active part.
A month ago, two freighters foundered in a storm in the Black Sea, releasing more than 9,000 tonnes of toxic substances into the aquatic environment. The events have had catastrophic consequences for the region’s ecosystem: Anapa’s unique sandy beaches were covered in a layer of oil products, and marine life such as birds, molluscs, fish, phytoplankton and zooplankton, which interact directly with toxic substances, were affected.
Local residents, EMERCOM staff and volunteers, including students and graduates of St Petersburg University, are involved in cleaning beaches and working at bird rescue centres. Volunteers survey the coast on foot or on quad bikes, looking for birds covered in oil and taking them to the rescue centre.
Volunteers face a serious problem: only birds severely weakened by oil products can be effectively rescued. Sick but less weakened birds are usually difficult to help, as healthier birds quickly leave the polluted areas, flying away from people and noise. The rescue process involves carefully transporting the birds to a specialised centre where they undergo a complex cleaning process using sorbents and detergents. They are then fed and cared for before being sent for further rehabilitation, for example in Stavropol Krai, where the birds undergo a longer course of rehabilitation before being released back into the wild.
In addition to the direct care of the animals, extensive work is being done to clean up contaminated areas of the coast. This labour-intensive process involves the manual collection of untreated sand and soil using shovels. So far, more than 3,000 tonnes of contaminated material have been collected from a 20 kilometre stretch of the Black Sea coast. However, the scale of the pollution is much greater, and there is still a lot of work to be done.
Contact with fuel oil can cause dermatitis, allergic reactions and other serious illnesses. Regular briefings and medical support are provided to ensure the volunteers’ health is protected.
Coastal cleaning is a long and complex process that requires significant financial and human resources, as well as careful attention to safety measures and the surrounding reality. Efficiency directly depends on the coordinated work of all participants, from the professionalism of rescuers to the civic engagement of volunteers.
St Petersburg University actively supports environmental initiatives and promotes a sense of personal responsibility for the environment among its students. Under the auspices of the Environmental Committee of the Student Council and the Environmental Department of the University, a community of eco-activists called EcoSPbU operates at St Petersburg University. The students organise regular clean-ups of the University’s territory and adjacent parks, hold educational seminars and lectures on current environmental issues, including climate change, environmental pollution and rational use of resources. As part of these activities, the students learn about the principles of sustainable development, learn how to properly dispose of waste, save energy and water, and explore the possibilities of introducing green technologies into everyday life.
International activities
The following events were recently held at St Petersburg University.
Activities of the Representative Offices of St Petersburg University in 2024
The foreign offices of St Petersburg University have become centres of attraction for people from different countries seeking new knowledge and wishing to learn more about Russian history, language, and culture. In 2024, they hosted nearly 100 educational lectures by St Petersburg University experts, along with test sessions in Russian as a Foreign Language, international scientific conferences, seminars, and student teleconferences.
The results of the St Petersburg University Representative Office project in 2024 were summarised. This initiative aims to promote the Russian language, history, and culture, as well as to facilitate academic exchanges and foster joint scientific and educational projects. Currently, the University has centres in Spain, Italy, Greece, China, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of Moldova, Uzbekistan, and Thailand. In the 300th anniversary year of St Petersburg University, two new foreign representative offices were opened in the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Belarus.
Events at the St Petersburg University Representative Office in Spain
On 14 January, St Petersburg University and its Representative Office in the Kingdom of Spain held the online lecture "Christmas and New Year in Russia: from ancient Rus’ to the present day". The lecture was delivered by Anastasiia Babaeva, Assistant Professor in the Department of Foreign Languages in International Relations at St Petersburg University. On 16 January, Evgeny Khodakovsky, Head of the Department of the History of Russian Art at St Petersburg University, delivered the online lecture "Historical Russian wooden architecture". On 21 January, there was an online lecture on historically informed performance delivered by Aleksei Panov, Head of the Department of Organ, Harpsichord and Carillon. On 23 January, Diana Budko, Associate Professor in the Department of Political Institutions and Applied Political Science at St Petersburg University, delivered the online lecture "Neural networks in everyday life: new practices and risks".
Visit of the Vice Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China to St Petersburg University
On 23 January, Sergey Andryushin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of St Petersburg University, along with the University research and teaching staff, met with Comrade Wu Yan, Vice Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China. During his visit to St Petersburg University, Wu Yan, Vice Minister of Education of the People’s Republic of China, discussed opportunities for enhancing cooperation between Russian and Chinese universities, establishing joint institutions of higher education and sharing best practices in the digitalisation of education.
Sergey Andryushin emphasised that cooperation with China is a strategic partnership for St Petersburg University and is integral to all levels of interaction. Currently, over 2,500 Chinese citizens are studying at the University. The number of academic programmes with a Chinese component has more than doubled in the last five years, now exceeding 90. These programmes are highly popular among Russian students, as young people see promising prospects and ample employment opportunities in partnerships with China. A successful project highly appreciated by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xí Jìnpíng is the joint campus established by St Petersburg University and Harbin Institute of Technology.
Comrade Wu Yan stated that he would work to strengthen cooperation between St Petersburg University and leading Chinese universities, particularly in the fields of fundamental and technical sciences, where, according to him, collaboration can be successfully developed.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the possibility of establishing new Russian-Chinese universities in the People’s Republic of China, drawing on St Petersburg University’s experience in creating the joint campus of Harbin Institute of Technology and St Petersburg University in Harbin. They also discussed sharing best practices in the digitalisation of education to develop new common approaches in this field.
The results of the cross year of Russia and India
As part of the Russia-India Cross Year announced in 2024 to strengthen interregional cooperation and strategic partnership between the two countries, St Petersburg University has been actively implementing initiatives to promote Russian-Indian academic ties.
St Petersburg University teaches Indian languages and studies historical development, culture, literary heritage, modern aspects, traditions and social changes in India. India is one of the priorities for St Petersburg University, said Rector of the University Nikolay Kropachev during a meeting with the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of India to the Russian Federation. St Petersburg University is ready to welcome more Indian students and develop cooperation with leading educational organisations in India through implementing joint research projects and student and academic staff exchanges, said Nikolay Kropachev.
Apart from the new Indo-Aryan languages (e.g. Hindi, Urdu, Marathi and Bengali), St Petersburg University also studies the languages of South India, which belong to the Dravidian family, including such rarely studied languages in Europe as Tamil and Telugu. St Petersburg University is one of the few centres in this field outside India, where students can learn several languages of the friendly country. The heart of Indological studies at St Petersburg University is the unique school of Sanskrit, known for its innovative approach, combining a deep understanding of traditional Indian methods of studying the language and philology with advanced European scientific methods.
During the Russia-India Cross Year, St Petersburg University also developed a series of two courseson the study of the language and culture of India. The new online programme is aimed at students who want to take their first steps in learning Hindi, including its phonetic structure, grammatical constructions and basic vocabulary needed for everyday communication. Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to have simple conversations in Hindi, have the skills to understand spoken language and express their own thoughts in everyday communication and will receive comprehensive knowledge of the cultural life of Northern India.
St Petersburg University held the first meeting of the Russia-India-China Trialogue, which brought together leading experts from Russia, India and China in the field of international relations, global security and the world economy. The meeting is an important event for exchanging opinions and discussing current issues on the global agenda.
Cooperation agreement between St Petersburg University and Suratthani Rajabhat University
A cooperation agreement has been signed between St Petersburg University and Suratthani Rajabhat University (the Kingdom of Thailand). 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.
The Epiphany service in the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul
On the feast of the Epiphany, the Baptism of the Lord, the Divine Liturgy was held in the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, located in the Twelve Collegia building at St Petersburg University. The University students and residents of St Petersburg came to share the joy of common prayer.
Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University; Dmitrii Shmonin, Director of the Institute of Theology at St Petersburg University; representatives of the University administration; directors and deans; and professors, teachers, undergraduate and postgraduate students prayed at the service. The service was led by Archpriest Pyotr Mukhin, Rector of the Resurrection Smolny Cathedral, Dean of churches in the universities of the St Petersburg diocese, and Rector of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul.
"If we are ready to believe, love, serve, there is no enemy that could defeat us: neither external, nor internal, neither visible, nor invisible. It is impossible to defeat such a person. I wish for everyone that the Lord would appear in the life of each of us through our good deeds, obedience and teaching," Father Pyotr Mukhin said in his sermon.
Baptism, or Epiphany, is a holiday established in memory of the baptism of Jesus Christ by the prophet John the Baptist in the waters of the Jordan River. This holiday is called Epiphany because at the baptism of the Savior, the great mystery of the Holy Trinity was revealed to people: God the Father announced from heaven about the son, God the Son was baptised in the sacred Jordan River, and the Holy Spirit descended from heaven upon Christ in the form of a dove, as all the evangelists testify (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:33-34). In memory of this event, the church annually performs the great blessing of water, which was performed at the end of the liturgy by Archpriest Pyotr Mukhin.
The Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul was founded in 1837 during the reconstruction of the Twelve Collegia building for the needs of the University. Emperor Nicholas I of Russia ordered to name it in honour of the heavenly patrons of St Petersburg: the Apostles Peter and Paul. On 29 June, the solemn consecration of the church was held by Archbishop Nathanael of Pskov and Livonia. The new academic year of 1837/1838 began at the University with a solemn prayer service, and subsequently they were held before the beginning of each academic year, on church and state holidays, on memorable historical dates, and on professorial anniversaries. A prayer service was also held annually on 8 February, i.e. the day of the solemn events on the occasion of the founding of the University.
Epiphany water is called aghiasma, which means "holy" in Greek. Pious people carefully preserve it throughout the year, drink it and sprinkle their homes with it. Not only University staff and students, but all visitors to the temple have the opportunity to collect holy water in the University church.
Festive events dedicated to Tatiana’s Day, Russian Students’ Day
On the day of remembrance of the Holy Martyr Tatiana, the patron saint of students, students and educators at St Petersburg University took part in the ceremonial events at the Resurrection Smolny Cathedral.
On Saturday morning, the cathedral building was filled with students from St Petersburg universities and colleges, cadets from schools, and schoolchildren. Among them were students and graduates of St Petersburg University, many of whom have warm memories of their student years. Together with them, representatives of the city administration, rectors of educational institutions, and educators were present at the Orthodox church.
According to the traditions, the celebration of Students’ Day began with a church service, which was led by Metropolitan Barsanuphius of St Petersburg and Ladoga. In his address to those present, the bishop said that today’s liturgy is a reminder of the need to follow spiritual ideals and values, among which love, humility, sacrifice, faith and hope are of particular importance.
"It is no coincidence that St Tatiana’s Day has become the Day of Russian Students. There are no coincidences with God. Students are those people who are at the beginning of their lives and professional development, and it is very important to set priorities correctly. Choose the truth, not lies. Choose the path," Bishop Barsanuphius emphasised.
The service was accompanied by singing by choirs representing both the clergy and educational institutions of the city. "Smolny Cathedral is special for our youth, the main temple of our large University family. Therefore, today the choir of St Petersburg University under the direction of Edward Krotman is participating in the service. Students are united both in celebration and in prayer," said Archpriest Pyotr Mukhin, Rector of the Resurrection Smolny Cathedral, Dean of churches in the universities of the St Petersburg diocese, and Rector of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, located in the building of the Twelve Collegia at St Petersburg University.
The central moment of the liturgy was the reading of the Gospel and the hierarch’s sermon, addressed primarily to young people and reminding them of the importance of spiritual growth and moral guidelines in the conditions of the modern world. The Metropolitan Bishop emphasised the need for young people to strive to use their knowledge not only for their own benefit, but also for the development of society as a whole.
At the end of the church service, a solemn ceremony was held to present the Saint Tatiana Badge of Honour for achievements in the field of spiritual and moral education of youth. The award was given not only to representatives of the clergy and public figures, but also to distinguished educators who made a significant contribution to the development of spiritual life and the education of the younger generation. The Badge of Honour was also presented to students who actively participate in social projects aimed at promoting moral and spiritual values. Over the course of the project’s existence, more than 1,500 people have received the award, 48 of them received it this year.
Receiving the Saint Tatiana Honorary Badge in the nomination "Youth Mentor", Vice‑Governor of St Petersburg Natalia Chechina said that the key task of public figures is to ensure that young people receive proper education and provide them with everything possible to form a value-based attitude towards their neighbours.
The ceremonial event was attended by Acting Rector Marina Lavrikova, Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities at St Petersburg University. "St Petersburg is the student capital, because the ratio of the number of students to the population is truly unique. For St Petersburg University, Tatiana’s Day is a special day of solidarity and unity with other colleagues, students, and educators of the city," said Marina Lavrikova. She also drew attention to the importance of developing traditional moral values that should accompany the teaching and learning process. She also said that successful education is not just acquiring knowledge, it also includes the formation of a personality capable of showing kindness, compassion, and responsibility.
St Petersburg University representatives were also awarded the honorary badge. Among them are the following: Elena Kazakova, Director of the Institute of Pedagogy at St Petersburg University, Scientific Director of the Centre for Development of Pedagogical Education of the Russian Academy of Education, and Yuri Natochin, Honorary Professor of St Petersburg University, Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Tatiana Trebukhina and Ekaterina Kolesnikova, students at St Petersburg University, were also awarded for the spiritual and moral education of youth and active participation in the social movement of St Petersburg. A certificate of honour for educational and social activities was awarded to Elizaveta Ponomareva, a fourth-year student in Hydrometeorology at St Petersburg University.
Tatiana Trebukhina, a first-year master’s student in Philology at St Petersburg University, said that the Honorary Badge of Saint Tatiana is a symbol of recognition of merits and gratitude for work for the benefit of the Russian Orthodox Church. According to her, the presentation of the award by Metropolitan Bishop Barsanuphius of St Petersburg and Ladoga confirms that her efforts and the path she has been following were not in vain.
Tatiana Trebukhina also spoke about her work in the media department of the Association for the Promotion of Spiritual and Moral Education "Pokrov", which organised the event. Participation in the activities of the association gave her the opportunity not only to develop personal skills, but also to meet talented people in a close-knit team of like-minded people.
Tatiana Trebukhina shared her joy about the changes taking place at the University to return to the tradition of holding prayer services at the beginning of each academic year and on important church and state holidays.