Minutes of the Rector’s Meeting

Measures on countering the spread of COVID-19

Following the instruction of the Chairperson of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin ‘On the transition to a remote format of work and meetings’, the University has issued Order № 348/1 and № 349/1/ dated 21 January 2022 to approve the format of organising the working teaching and learning process as to maintain sanitary and epidemiological well-being, ensure the protection of life and health of students and staff, and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

From 24 January 2022, according to Order № 348/1 dated 21 January 2022 ‘On measures to prevent the spread of a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19)’, the total number of University staff present at their workplaces should not exceed 2,500 people at a time, including those who provide medical care (850), ensure the security of buildings and structures (800), provide maintenance of server equipment and information systems (150), ensure the workflow in the halls of residence (100), support operation of high-tech and non-switchable research equipment (50), provide ongoing care for collections of microorganisms, for laboratory animals and fish (50).

Order № 391/1 dated 24 January 2022 ‘On Amendments to Order № 348/1 dated 21 January 2022 ‘On Measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19)’

According to Order № 349/1 dated 21 January 2022 ‘On the validity of Order № 7991/1 dated 13 August 2021 ‘On the format of classes in the 2021/22 academic year’ in the period from 24 January 2022’, from January 24, the teaching and learning process at St Petersburg University will be organised in a remote format until a special order is issued.

Information about the issuance of these orders is published on the official website and other resources of St Petersburg University. Additionally, it is sent via the University email system to the University staff and students. Following the practice of the recent years, these orders at St Petersburg University end with the words: ‘Any amendments of and/or additions to this Order shall be sent to: org@spbu.ru.’ At the Rector’s meeting, all participants could express them, if any.

During the meeting, the heads of some academic and research subdivisions raised questions in relation to how Order № 349/1 should be implemented and made proposals to make adjustments to the document, including extending its effect from the beginning of the semester to those groups where the required proportion of vaccinated academic staff and students had not been reached. As Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University, noted, this part of the order could be amended. The Rector’s offices are making the timetable for the new semester following the rule that the subdivisions where the percentage of vaccinated students has reached 40%, and the percentage of vaccinated academic staff reached 80%, the teaching and learning process will be organised in a mixed format or completely on-campus. Currently, 18 groups have reached the required indicators. After discussion, the meeting participants came to the conclusion that it was necessary to make clarifications to the order regarding this part.

The heads of academic and research subdivisions also asked about the procedure as to how to approve the lists of employees who can have access to the premises, including for the purposes to maintain the operation of high-tech equipment, care for laboratory animals, or other uninterrupted processes. Elena Chernova explained that it was necessary to send lists of employees to the relevant vice-rectors by the end of 24 January, indicating the premises where access is required and taking into account the need to organise processes in such a way that no more than 10% of the total subdivision team would be on the workplaces. Such applications will be processed as soon as possible.

Restoring the activities of the academic unit in St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region

Academician Andrei Zabrodskii, who is a member of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, spoke at the Rector’s meeting. He is the chairperson of the Coordinating Committee for the Re-establishment of the Academic Unit in St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region and reported about how this initiative had been implemented.

Andrei Zabrodskii reminded that between 1724 when the Russian Academy of Sciences was established, and 1934 when the Academy was moved to Moscow, it was located in St Petersburg (Leningrad). Today, the academic potential of St Petersburg is approximately 10% of the members of the Russian Academy of Sciences and professors of the Russian Academy of Sciences and more than 40 scientific organisations that were previously subordinate to the Russian Academy of Sciences. Until 2013, the regional infrastructure of the Russian Academy of Sciences included the St Petersburg Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Its scope was closely related to the scope of the regional branches of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In terms of scientific potential, it exceeded the Ural and Far Eastern branches of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The specific role of the St Petersburg Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences was stipulated in the Charter of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which was in force until 2013. In particular, the Centre had the right to coordinate research in academic organisations located in St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, organise international cooperation at the regional level, and ensure the interaction of the scientific community with regional government bodies.

Law № 253-FZ was adopted in 2013. According to this Law, regional scientific centres, which were established in accordance with the regulations of the Government of the Russian Federation, could enter the Russian Academy of Sciences. Yet all regional centres, including St Petersburg Scientific Centre, were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Federal Agency for Scientific Organisations and then to the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. Eventually, they ceased to fulfil their coordinating functions. Nevertheless, the strategic documents for the development of the Russian Federation require an increase in the role of and participation of regional scientific centres in solving the tasks set in these documents, ensuring effective interaction between science, education and the real sector of the national economy. In this regard, it is necessary to re-establish the St Petersburg Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences as an academic unit.

On 28 December 2018, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin supported the appeal of the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician Alexander Sergeev, to re-establish the St Petersburg Scientific Centre as a structural unit of the Russian Academy of Sciences as an independent legal entity, with the necessary property complex. The Centre was set to fulfil the following main tasks:

• to coordinate research at the academic institutions
• to ensure scientific and methodological guidance to scientific organisations and higher education institutions in St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region
• to conduct scientific and technical expertise
• to ensure the interaction of the scientific community with the administration of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region
• to deliver world-class research with the participation of the region

On 15 January 2019, the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences unanimously supported (Decree № 3) the proposal to re-establish the St Petersburg Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences as an independent legal entity within the structure of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and its scope was close to that of the regional branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. However, the discrepancies in the approaches of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Ministries and the Government to solving this problem led to the fact that the progress in coordinating the procedure was little.

To speed up the process, in May 2020, by Order of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a working group was created to prepare a draft Centre’s Charter and a number of other documents. It included four members of the Russian Academy of Sciences from St Petersburg and four representatives of the Administration and Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Within three months, the group developed and agreed with the Administration of the Russian Academy of Sciences a number of documents in relation to organising the Centre, including the draft Charter.

Taking into account the experience of how this group had worked and the fact the Government had not so far issued a document to stipulate the procedure to organise the Centre, the Administration of the Russian Academy of Sciences decided to start the process at the regional level within the scope of the Russian Academy of Sciences, taking as a basis the organisation of work in the regional branches of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The Russian Academy of Sciences issued Order № 10103-686 on 30 June 2021 and Order № 10103-700 on 1 July 2021. They were published on the Russian Academy of Sciences website. These orders regulate scientific and organisational issues related to the formation of the RAS Centre in St Petersburg before the Centre’s governing bodies were established. First, there were created the joint academic councils that are similar to the joint academic councils in the regional branches of the Russian Academy of Sciences: a list of 11 specialised councils was approved in areas related to the departments of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, and their coordinators were appointed. Second, a working committee was formed to coordinate the activities of specialised councils in areas related to the departments of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.

The Coordinating Committee approved the regulation for a specialised council; developed, agreed with the academic secretaries of the departments of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and approved the Regulations for the specialised councils along with the lists of the members. The monthly meetings of the Coordinating Committee begin with the scientific sessions, where scientists are invited to participate in an online format. At these sessions, scientific reports recommended by the coordinators of specialised councils on urgent topics are discussed (among them are prevention of coronavirus infection; the creation of a drifting polar station based on an ice-resistant platform; agricultural technologies of the North; and the use of plant genetic resources to increase productivity to name just a few). At the end of the scientific sessions, some of the members of the Coordinating Committee discuss other issues that are within its scope. The specialised councils work in a similar mode.

The plans for 2022 include: to ensure support in the election of professors of the Russian Academy of Sciences to test the electronic voting system developed by the Russian Academy of Sciences; to take part in the elections of new members of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the second half of May; to coordinate the efforts in the preparation of scientific projects with the participation of organisations and scientists of the region, including interdisciplinary projects that require the creation of consortiums of scientific organisations, universities and organisations of the real sector of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region.

Andrei Zabrodskii, noted that the two-year experience of the activities of academic units in a difficult epidemic situation caused by the spread of coronavirus infection and the sharp restriction of the mobility of scientists showed that it was relevant that the Russian Academy of Sciences decided to form prototypes of the structure of the future Centre as the specialised councils in areas related to the departments of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and opened the Coordinating Committee.

Vaccination against COVID-19

The meeting participants continued to discuss the process of vaccination against COVID-19. Over the past week, the overall number of students with vaccination, past disease certificates within the last six months or medical exemption certificates has increased insignificantly by 1.19% (from 38.89 to 40.08%).

The information on the students’ vaccination across the areas of study

Area of study	Students with vaccination, past disease certificates, medical exemption certificates
	as of 6 January 2021	as of 14 January 2021	as of 21 January 2021
Institute for Competition Development and Antimonopoly Regulation	91.67 %	91.67 %	91.67 %
Physical Training (bachelor’s programme)	64.29 %	69.05 %	69.05 %
Asian and African Studies	64.2 %	67.35 %	68.99 %
Institute of Chemistry	64.52 %	66.52 %	66.88 %
Biology	53.62 %	54.35 %	54.43 %
Physics	52.17 %	52.97 %	53.53 %
Medicine	51.48 %	51.86 %	52.24 %
Institute of Pedagogy	45.54 %	46 %	50 %
Mathematics and Computer Science	48.58 %	49.76 %	50 %
Philology	46.45 %	47.61 %	47.94 %
Liberal Arts and Sciences	42.96 %	44.95 %	47.04 %
Institute of Earth Sciences	43.73 %	45.87 %	47.02 %
Institute for Cognitive Studies	44.44 %	44.44 %	44.44 %
Mathematics and Mechanics	40.08 %	41.13 %	42.56 %
Institute of Philosophy	39.93 %	41.13 %	42.52 %
Psychology	40.21 %	41.46 %	42.26 %
Institute of History	39.41 %	40.47 %	41.49 %
Control Processes	38.43 %	39.81 %	40.11 %
Medical College	37.5 %	39.29 %	39.29 %
International Relations	35.94 %	36.8 %	37.47 %
Management	32.23 %	34.11 %	37.1 %
Dental Medicine and Medical Technologies	35.5 %	35.87 %	36.55 %
Sociology	30.56 %	31.91 %	33.23 %
Political Science	30.52 %	31.96 %	32.9 %
Law	27.31 %	28.47 %	30.27 %
Physical Training (non-university level higher education, excluding under age students)	19.07 %	21.21 %	28.06 %
Economics	24.92 %	27.16 %	26.89 %
School of Journalism and Mass Communication	20.56 %	21.64 %	22.54 %
Arts	21.19 %	21.94 %	22 %
Total	37.6 %	38.89 %	40.08 %
Growth	0.87 %	1.29 %	1.19 %

The information on the vaccination of research and academic staff at the faculties and institutes

Subdivision	Total	Vaccinated	Antibodies	Medical exemption	% as of 14 January 2021	% as of 21 January 2021
Academic Gymnasium	81	57	6	7	86.4 %	86.4 %
Faculty of Biology	327	278	20	6	92.9 %	93 %
Military Training Centre	34	29	3	2	100 %	100 %
Faculty of Asian and African Studies	150	127	10	10	97.3 %	98 %
Graduate School of Journalism and Mass Communication	119	89	13	10	94.1 %	94.1 %
Graduate School of Management	86	66	8	5	91.9 %	91.9 %
Institute of Earth Sciences	238	214	12	3	98.3 %	96.2 %
Institute of History	141	122	6	5	93.7 %	94.3 %
Institute for Cognitive Studies	14	12	1	1	100 %	100 %
Institute of Pedagogy	7	7	0	0	100 %	100 %
Institute for Competition Development and Antimonopoly Regulation	9	6	3	0	100 %	100 %
Institute of Philosophy	131	112	10	9	100 %	100 %
Institute of Chemistry	208	187	12	9	100 %	100 %
Department of Physical Training and Sports	53	41	5	7	100 %	100 %
College of Physical Training and Sports, Economics and Technology	78	59	8	7	94.9 %	94.9 %
Mathematics and Mechanics Faculty	329	259	22	4	85.7 %	86.6 %
Medical College	23	19	2	1	95.7 %	95.7 %
Faculty of Medicine	320	245	21	7	85.3 %	85.3 %
Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Control Processes	210	149	18	9	83.8 %	83.8 %
Faculty of Foreign Languages	299	211	28	19	85.6 %	86.3 %
Faculty of Arts	103	88	6	4	96.1 %	95.1 %
Faculty of Mathematics and Computer Science	117	93	3	1	82.9 %	82.9 %
School of International Relations	120	92	7	16	95.8 %	95.8 %
Faculty of Political Science	42	35	5	0	95.2 %	95.2 %
Faculty of Psychology	167	128	11	8	84.6 %	88 %
Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences	88	74	4	1	81.8 %	89.8 %
Faculty of Sociology	91	69	6	5	87.9 %	87.9 %
Faculty of Dental Medicine and Medical Technologies	90	54	17	2	81.1 %	81.1 %
Faculty of Physics	389	330	27	6	94.1 %	93.3 %
Faculty of Philology	455	355	44	21	92.1 %	92.3 %
Faculty of Economics	167	130	13	8	93.8 %	90.4 %
Faculty of Law	153	116	19	6	92.2 %	92.2 %
Total	4,839	3,853	370	199	91.3 %	91.4 %

As of 21 January, the number of vaccinated academic staff in all academic and research subdivisions exceeded 80%, with some of the subdivisions exceeding 90%. Across the University, the number of the vaccinated academic staff exceeded 90% as early as December.

The heads of academic and research subdivisions are instructed to continue raising awareness of the importance of vaccination among students.

Current issues with organising the teaching and learning process

Last week, the Virtual Reception received 17 enquiries addressed to the Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities. Additionally, 30 enquiries were registered in the student enquiry register.

The enquiries were related to various issues:

• academic transfer and reinstatement
• returning from the academic leave
• studying at St Petersburg University as a volunteer
• admission to advanced training courses at St Petersburg University
• St Petersburg University’s diploma recognition in Israel
• studying according to an individual curriculum
• the Examus online invigilation system (the answers to similar questions were previously published: Why does St Petersburg University use the online invigilation system?; Will the online invigilation system be improved?; The efficiency of using the online invigilation system; On resitting examinations using the online invigilation system; The use of online invigilation systems during tests and examinations; On invigilation during interim assessments; How many students are actually expelled due to the online invigilation?; Are the online invigilation rules the same at all universities?; On a failed examination or test with the use of the online invigilation system; On the use of the online invigilation system during examinations)

According to Marina Lavrikova, Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities, the winter interim assessment of the 2021/22 academic year is coming to an end. The number of examinations and tests that are scheduled across the University after 24 January 2022 is only 8%. In some subdivisions (for example, the Institute of Pedagogy, the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Foreign Languages, the Faculty of Sociology, the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Medical Technology), this figure is less than 5%.

While some heads of subdivisions did not hold meetings with representatives of student councils over the past week, many academic and research subdivisions held such meetings.

At the meeting with representatives of the Student Council, the Acting Director of the Institute of Chemistry drew students’ attention to the fact that it was unacceptable to submit fake certificates from healthcare institutions to receive an individual timetable for passing tests and examinations. All certificates are subject to a mandatory check for authenticity. A student who has submitted a certificate, the fact of issuance of which is not confirmed by a healthcare institution, is subject to expulsion, and information about the submission of a fake certificate is transferred to law enforcement agencies to resolve the issue to initiate a criminal case. A student expelled in accordance with subparagraph ‘h’ of Paragraph 51 of the University Charter for submitting fake documents and (or) certificates during the course of study shall not be reinstated in the University (Minutes of the meeting of the Acting Director of the Institute of Chemistry with representatives of the Student Council dated 14 January 2022).

At the meeting with representatives of the Student Council, the Senior Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Asian and African Studies informed the students about the interim assessment, COVID-19 pandemic dynamics at the Faculty, and the expected format of the teaching and learning process for the next semester. The Senior Deputy Dean mentioned an incident with a student who received a failure for the discipline ‘Introduction to Linguistics’ and applied to the Virtual Reception to explain the rules for conducting tests at St Petersburg University. Checking the circumstances of the test for their compliance with applicable standards revealed that the information submitted by the student was not reliable. The actual circumstances of how the test was conducted are documented in the MS Teams protocols and can be verified. Thus, when contacting the Virtual Reception, the student deliberately misled the University. The Senior Deputy Dean emphasised the importance of students being aware of the responsibility for their actions, including those in relation to the virtual reality (Minutes of the meeting of the Dean of the Faculty of Asian and African Studies with representatives of the Student Council dated 14 January 2022).

During the meeting, the students asked a number of questions. In particular, the students asked how the A-E mark according to the ECTS system affects whether students would get a monthly scholarship. It was explained to students that an increased scholarship can be awarded to those who have grounds for awarding an increased scholarship, and a regular academic scholarship is allocated. Today, whether students get scholarships does not depend on marks expressed according to the ECTS system. Previously, this procedure was explained in the Virtual Reception: On the conditions of awarding a monthly scholarship taking into account the ECTS grading system.

Students were also concerned about the timetable and format of resitting examinations and tests, including those of online courses. The interim assessment has not been finished, and the timetable for resitting has not yet been made. The resitting periods may be different in different areas of study, following the calendar timetable of academic programmes. In accordance with Clause 2.3.7 of the Academic Regulations, the timetable of resitting tests is brought to the attention of students and teachers no later than three calendar days before the date of the resitting the first test via the service ‘Electronic timetable’. Resitting tests in disciplines in the period from 24 January 2022 shall be in a remote format using information and telecommunication technologies (Order № 349/1 «On the operation of Order № 7991/1 ‘On the format of classes’ in the 2021/22 academic year dated 13 August 2021 from the period from 24 January 2022» dated 21 January 2022). Resitting of tests in disciplines implemented in the format of online courses will be conducted in the same format in which they were conducted.

At the meeting with the Dean of the Faculty of Law, representatives of the Student Council reported that (according to information from students) during some examinations in the classrooms of the Faculty of Law, there were technical problems on computers, and as a result, students were forced to stop doing assignments. The problem was fixed in a timely manner by the University Information Technology Service, and the time for the examination was extended for students. Students are afraid of new technical problems. In this regard, the University Information Technology Service was instructed to carry out additional works to prevent technical failures (Minutes of the meeting of the Dean of the Faculty of Law at St Petersburg University dated 13 January 2022).

During the conference call with the Director of the Institute of History, the chairperson of the Student Council of the Institute of History said that students of two groups had complaints about violations of the rules for conducting an examination in the discipline ‘Fine Art Techniques’. The Director noted that students’ complaints should be sent to the Academic Affairs Department in writing (indicating the specific data of the students, the date and time of the violation and other circumstances) for consideration and relevant decisions.

At the meetings of the heads of the Institute of Chemistry and the Faculty of Law, the issue of a responsible attitude to the dissemination of information about students, colleagues, academic staff and employees of St Petersburg University on the media and social networks was discussed. The heads of academic and research subdivisions reminded the students that they should contact the University staff for clarification of information, including the use of the Virtual Reception (Minutes of the meeting of the Acting Director of the Institute of Chemistry with representatives of the Student Council dated 14 January 2022, Minutes of the meeting of the Dean of the Faculty of Law at St Petersburg State University dated 13 January 2022).

Current issues of organising the teaching and learning process and conducting interim assessment were discussed at the meetings with members of student councils and heads of the Institute of Chemistry, the Faculty of Sociology, the Institute of Philosophy (Minutes of the meeting of the Acting Director of the Institute of Chemistry with representatives of the Student Council dated 14 January 2022, Minutes of the meeting of the Dean of the Faculty of Sociology with representatives of the Student Council dated 19 January 2022, Minutes of the meeting of the Director of the Institute of Philosophy with representatives of the Student Council dated 17 January 2022).

Publication of online invigilation materials on the St Petersburg University portal

The national platform OpenEdu was launched in 2015. Since then, external trainees on the platform have come to accept the online invigilation procedure for the final tests of the online courses, learned how to use it and become accustomed to following the instructions and rules.

As Vladimir Starostenko, Director of the Centre of E-Learning Development, noted during the meeting, some students, despite the continuous explanation of these rules and the provision of information about the monitoring procedure (through answers in the Virtual Reception, meetings with student councils, newsletters, etc.), often lack an understanding of the online invigilation procedure, which affects their concentration and psychosocial condition when taking the test.

Therefore, the Public Relations Department, in cooperation with the Centre of E-Learning Development, has published a page ’Assessment with the use of online invigilation ’ on the official website of St Petersburg University in the section ‘Students’, explaining the use of the online invigilation system during examinations.

The page provides information on the online invigilation system and contains a video on the rules of online invigilation, the latest information from the University on this topic, links to questions and answers on this topic in the Virtual Reception, as well as a link to the Centre of E-Learning Development on the University website (a similar link to the new page has been added for the section of the Centre of E-Learning Development).

There is also a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section on online invigilation, which includes the most topical questions on the subject and answers by experts from the Centre of E-Learning Development. These include ‘What behaviour constitutes a violation of the online invigilation system?’; ‘Are the online invigilation rules the same at all universities?’; and ‘What should I do if I experience technical problems during an examination with the use of online invigilation system?’ to name just a few. The new section is updated with current information.

The page and its content were developed by Marina Lavrikova, Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities, Vladimir Starostenko, Director of the Centre of E-Learning Development, Svetlana Begeza, Senior Deputy Vice-Rector for Academic Activities, Natalya Boyko, Head of the Academic Affairs Department, together with the staff of the Public Relations Department and the Centre for E-Learning Resources Development.

Vladimir Starostenko noted that the online invigilation system is widely used for assessment in online courses. The number of students taking online courses, and the number of examinations conducted with the use of the online invigilation system, are increasing every year.

For example, in the 2019/20 academic year there were over 10,500 examinations in online courses, in the 2020/21 academic year the number increased to over 34,500 examinations (almost threefold), and in the 2021/22 academic year the online examinations in disciplines implemented in the online format exceeded 26,000 (with about 50,000 examinations being projected).

Thus, the number of examinations in online courses has increased almost fivefold in the last three years. In the 2021/22 academic year, more than 18,000 students (about 80% of the total number of students at St Petersburg University) will take at least one online course as part of their academic programme.

The online invigilation system is used not only in online courses but also in Russian as a Foreign Language test administered by the Language Testing Centre, in various Olympiads for schoolchildren, including the online Olympiad in Physics and the ‘I am a Professional’ Olympiad.

In 2021, the Language Testing Centre of St Petersburg University also assisted in conducting the Test of Russian as a Foreign Language in an online format using identity verification (proctoring) technology on a platform for testing students . A total of over 16700 examinations (including tests in listening, reading, vocabulary/grammar, written and oral tests, totalling over 8870 hours) were administered to 3081 individual users.

In 2021, online invigilation was also used in the Olympiads to test more than 12,000 participants (the total duration of the online invigilated sessions was approximately 55,000 hours).

Sergei Belov, Dean of the Faculty of Law at St Petersburg University, wanted to know if the online invigilation system could be used to conduct regular exams (since they are now conducted remotely), not just tests for online courses. Marina Lavrikova explained that this procedure for taking examinations had been used at St Petersburg University since spring 2020. In preparation for each session, the format (on-campus/distance/online) and software to be used for each examination shall be discussed in advance with the heads of the academic subdivisions (recommended software for distance or on-campus assessment: MS Teams, Мoodle; Blackboard). This information is available in the student’s Personal Account.

Meeting of the Research and Methodological Council of the Research Park in the field of Information Systems and Technology

The Research and Methodological Council of the Research Park in the field of Information Systems and Technology has been formed to provide methodological, expert and advisory support for the Research Park of St Petersburg University in 2020. The Council consists of two groups, each including experts from the resource centres ’Computing Centre’ and ’Centre for Sociological and Internet Research’. The staff of the resource centres of the Research Park are invited to attend the meetings as guests.

Sergey Mikushev, Vice-Rector for Research, said that the Council had already held two meetings. A meeting on the performance of the ’Centre for Sociological and Internet Research’ was held on 22 November 2021. Maiia Rusakova, Acting Director of the Centre for Sociological and Internet Research, presented a report on the activities of the Centre in the second and third quarters of 2021. The report focused on the development of the Centre. The main areas for the development of the Centre for Sociological and Internet Research include:

• research support for the strategic areas of development of St Petersburg University
• support for strategically important research by the academic staff of the University (as a resource centre)
• development of initiative niches in cooperation with the Laboratory for research of socio-economic and political processes
• involvement in the teaching and learning process (as a training platform)
• integration with the professional environment
• organisation of annual events
• development of a promotion strategy for the Centre

It was also proposed to update the methodology and resource base (the use of new research methods, such as panel studies, Internet research, etc.). The Council has decided to support the principal developments of the Centre for Sociological and Internet Research and to expand the interaction between the resource centre and leading Russian sociological centres through participation in various events and exchange of experience.

According to the reports, the activities of the Centre today are broader than had been originally envisaged when it was established as part of the Research Park in 2013. In December 2021, Anastasia Yarmosh, Vice-Rector for Strategic Development and Partnership at St Petersburg University, therefore decided to restructure the centre and adjust its profile and project portfolio. The new concept for the Centre will be presented in February 2022.

A meeting on the performance of the ’Centre for Sociological and Internet Research’ was held on 22 November 2021. Valerii Zolotarev, Director of the Computing Centre, presented a report on the Centre’s activities in 2021. The results were found to be satisfactory, though there are some issues of concern with the current activities of the Centre. Aleksandr Losev, Director of the Research Park, drew attention to the fact that the actual results do not correspond with the minimum target values in such indicators as service capacity, the share of external users, funding attracted (conclusion of commercial contracts for the provision of services by the Computing Centre). Aleksandr Losev, Director of the Research Park, sought the advice of the Council members on improving the performance of the Computing Centre. The report also drew attention to the regular technical failures in the power supply system, which harms the equipment and affects the quality of the work.

The work of the Computing Centre was considered satisfactory, following the results of the meeting.

Specific regulations governing the entry and stay of foreign citizens on the territory of the Russian Federation

On 29 December 2021, Federal Law № 274-FZ ‘On Amendments to the Federal Law "On the Legal Status of Foreign Citizens in the Russian Federation"’ dated 1 July 2021 and Federal Law № 128-FZ ‘On State Fingerprint Registration in the Russian Federation’ dated 25 July 1998 came into force.

Dmitry Gryaznov, Acting Deputy Rector for Security, reported that (according to this law) starting 29 December 2021, foreign citizens entering the Russian Federation in order to study for a period exceeding 90 calendar days are subject to mandatory state fingerprinting, photographing and medical examinations within 90 calendar days from the date of entry into the Russian Federation. Foreign citizens entering the Russian Federation in order to work (including highly qualified specialists) are subject to mandatory state fingerprinting, photographing and medical examinations within 30 calendar days from the date of entry into the Russian Federation, or when applying for a patent, or when obtaining a work permit.

Explanations on the mandatory state fingerprint registration, photographing and medical examinations are published on the website of the Migration Department of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region in the section ‘Useful information for foreign citizens’, and the website of the Main Directorate for Migration of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in the section ’On state fingerprint registration and medical examinations in the Russian Federation’.

In order to comply with the requirements of the law, foreign citizens entering the Russian Federation to study or work at St Petersburg University must:

• report to the University Passport and Visa Support Department in-person or by e-mail: pvo@spbu.ru that you have entered the Russian Federation
• undergo a medical examination in one of the medical organisations authorised to issue documents confirming that a foreign citizen does not have drug addiction and infectious diseases (the list of accredited medical organisations is published on the website of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation for St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region https://78.мвд.рф/ms in the section ’Useful information for foreign citizens’)
• apply to the subordinate enterprise of the territorial body of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia (Federal State Unitary Enterprise ’Passport and Visa Service’ of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia) at the address: 10-12 Litera B (entrance № 2 from the yard), Krasnogo Tekstilshchika Street, St Petersburg, present an identity document; foreign citizens can also undergo a medical examination at the above-mentioned address.
• Submit to the University Passport and Visa Support Department in-person or send by e-mail: pvo@spbu.ru copies of the documents confirming fingerprint registration, photographing and certificates of acceptance by the state executive body of medical documents of a foreign citizen.

Amendments to the Charter of St Petersburg University

The Government of the Russian Federation issued Decree № 11 dated 15 January 2022 ’On Amendments to the Charter of St Petersburg University’, signed by Mikhail Mishustin, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation. The Charter of St Petersburg University now contains provisions for a branch in Tashkent.

According to Sergey Andryushin, Deputy Rector for International Affairs, preparations for enrolling students from September 2022 continue apace as part of the roadmap for the opening of the branch.

• A regular joint meeting of the working groups of St Petersburg University and the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialised Education of the Republic of Uzbekistan was held on 13 January to discuss the opening of the branch of St Petersburg University in Tashkent
• Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan ‘On the opening of the branch of St Petersburg University in Tashkent’ № PP-4942 dated 12 January 2021 introduced amendments on the start of the educational process at the branch from September 2022 (St Petersburg University to open a branch in Uzbekistan)
• The budget of the Republic of Uzbekistan has funds allocated for the operation of the branch of St Petersburg University in 2022
• The documents for registering the branch in Uzbekistan and obtaining a licence from the Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science (Rosobrnadzor) to carry out educational activities at the branch of St Petersburg University are currently being prepared
• Issues related to the implementation of joint academic programmes between St Petersburg University and the Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies are being studied. The Tashkent State University of Oriental Studies has approved the implementation of master’s programmes in accordance with the double-degree model in ’International Business’ and ’International Relations in the Post-Soviet Space’ (Minutes of the Rector’s meeting dated 22 November 2021).

Information on the achievements of researchers from St Petersburg University

In preparation for the celebration of the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg University, Irina Novikova, Dean of the School of International Relations of St Petersburg University, suggested creating a special section on the websites of the academic subdivisions dedicated to the publication of new books and monographs by scholars from St Petersburg University. The Dean believes that the virtual presentation of new scientific literature will contribute to the University’s academic reputation, which plays an important role in international rankings.

Vladimir Eremeev, Vice-Rector for Human Resources, reminded that since 2013, the employment contracts of all academic staff of St Petersburg University included a provision on their obligation ’to register and post information about the results of their educational, methodological, teaching, research and expert activities in the databases of St Petersburg University following the procedure established by the by-laws of St Petersburg University’.

In May 2018, this provision was revised and reinforced: ’To register, post and update information on the results of their educational, methodological, teaching, research and expert activities in the databases of St Petersburg University following the procedure established by the by-laws of St Petersburg University’.

Besides, there is a new provision in the employment contracts of the academic staff that obliges them to inform the University about the most significant results of their research in an accessible form to be posted by the Public Relations Department on the website of St Petersburg University or in the media.

The list of publications of academic staff is available in the Pure system, the links to the profiles of individual staff members are posted in the relevant sections on the websites of the academic subdivisions. It is the responsibility of academic staff to keep the information in their profiles up to date and to ensure that it is entered into the system promptly. It is the responsibility of the deans of the faculties and directors of the institutes to identify outstanding work, as the evaluation of research results and their relevance, as well as the responsibility of communicating them, rests primarily with the heads of the academic and research subdivisions.

Daria Skorospelova, Head of the Public Relations Department, replied that the foundation had already been laid, and the implementation of the proposal of Irina Novikova, Dean of the School of International Relations, would not require substantial financial and human resources. The relevant section will be introduced on the new website of the Faculty, the layout of which is currently being developed. However, she stressed that such thematic headings are only appropriate if the teams are implementing projects that they would like to highlight. Otherwise, information on the achievements of the academic staff is published in the news sections of the websites of the subdivisions and the website of the University. By and large, all achievements of the academic staff are publicised in the News section. Creating an additional section with a similar name, firstly, may distract the audience and, secondly, lead to unnecessary duplication of information on the websites. If necessary, thematic headings about particular achievements can be implemented on the websites of relevant subdivisions, but it would not be feasible to do this on a permanent basis.

The heads of academic subdivisions have been instructed to submit proposals to the Head of the Public Relations Department within a week to improve the design of the websites of their subdivisions (if necessary).

A minor planet named after the University

The programme of events for the celebration of the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg University was approved on 24 September 2021. More than 30 events have been scheduled as part of the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the University. Among them is naming a space object (a minor planet in the asteroid belt) after St Petersburg University.

Elena Chernova, Senior Vice-Rector of St Petersburg University, shared the news from the Institute of Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences about a discovery of a minor planet. St Petersburg University was proposed to name it. To name the planet, it is necessary to write a rationale and invent a name for the planet. The rationale should not exceed 3-4 lines and should be written in English.

Last week, the St Petersburg University Collegium of Honorary Professors held a meeting to discuss options for naming the planet. Professor Gennady Bogomazov, Doctor of Economics and Chair of the Collegium of Honorary Professors, noted that the honorary professors had to reject almost all the proposals made by university students as there are restrictions on the naming of celestial bodies. According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), the proposed name should contain no more than 15 characters. Names containing the word ’University’ or abbreviations such as ’SPbU’ or ’SPbUniver’ are likewise unacceptable. Following discussions, the Collegium of Honorary Professors proposed two names.

1. ’Alma Mater 1724′ (suggested by Professors Emeritus Robert Evarestov and Nikolai Egorov). Alma Mater has long been associated with the University, and the number indicates the year the University was founded.
2. ’Petrocollegium’ (proposed by Professor Emeritus Aleksandr Nozdrachev). This name reflects the role of Peter the Great (as the author of the idea and the author of its implementation), the building of the Twelve Collegia (as a material symbol of the University) and the complex approach to science development in Russia — Academy of Sciences, University, Gymnasium.

Following a discussion, the participants unanimously agreed that the first name was preferable (A space object to be named after St Petersburg University). Students and academic staff are invited to express their opinion on one of the options or make their own suggestions and substantiate them accordingly. Proposals can be submitted via the Virtual Reception to Aleksandr Gnetov, Academic Secretary of St Petersburg University, and addressed to Gennady Bogomazov, Chair of the Collegium of Honorary Professors, until 27 January 2022.

Online shop of St Petersburg University

The online souvenir shop of St Petersburg University was launched in November 2020. Souvenirs can be bought online and in all bookstores of the University’s Publishing House. When ordered online, souvenirs can be collected at pick-up points or delivered worldwide. Payment can be made online or by cash/card upon delivery.

Dmitry Shishmakov, Head of the Marketing Department, explained that marketing is carried out jointly by several subdivisions of St Petersburg University: the Publishing House, the Marketing Department, the Public Relations Department and the Language Testing Centre.

Sales in the first two months of operation in 2020 amounted to 188,585 roubles. In 2021, the total sales figure was 1,193,795 roubles, including 239,345 roubles in December. The current volume of sales is noted to be affected by the remote learning and working mode, which has led to a decrease in the number of visitors to the bookstores and museums of St Petersburg University.

Also, the product range has been consistently expanded during 2021. At the beginning of the project, it mainly consisted of stationery (pens, pencils, folders), whereas now there is a large variety of products, including 15 types of pens — from the most plain to high-end, over 20 types of notebooks and cards, diaries, badges, bags and backpacks, T-shirts and sweatshirts, thermal mugs and water bottles, French-press pots, and other products. To date, the range consists of 103 unique items (not including colour choices).

Dmitry Shishmakov said that the highest profit in the past year came from the sale of badges, with T-shirts in second place and bags and pens sharing third place. In terms of the number of sales, notebooks with images of the University, museums and the Botanical Garden of St Petersburg University, printed by the Publishing House, were leading by a wide margin.

Considering that the number of students and teachers who know about the shop is constantly increasing, the revenues are expected to increase by 30%, even if the restrictions imposed during the pandemic are maintained.

At the end of 2021, a unique book and souvenir vending machine was installed at the Nabokov Museum. The vending machine is noted for its careful dispensing of products to customers: it does not drop them into a tray but delivers them in a special lift, which is a unique development by a Russian company.

The launch of clothing sales (T-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies) provides an opportunity to expand design options and produce ’made-to-order’ T-shirts quickly. It has been proposed that products should be customised to include reference to the academic and research subdivisions of St Petersburg University.

Joint efforts of doctors and lawyers of St Petersburg University to protect the rights of Russian citizens to free medical care

In April 2020, St Petersburg University, among other things, rendered medical care in 59 cases under the basic compulsory medical insurance programme for citizens of the Russian Federation, the payment for which was declined by the St Petersburg Territorial Fund of Compulsory Medical Insurance.

Yury Penov, Deputy Rector for Legal Affairs, said that St Petersburg University was once again charged with requesting that medical assistance cases be placed on the register when there was no referral in patients’ medical records of a doctor providing primary medical care in outpatient conditions of a medical organisation chosen by a citizen to receive primary health care or no referral issued by the executive authority of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation in the field of health care. The St Petersburg Territorial Fund of Compulsory Medical Insurance once again considered that referrals by attending physicians at the St Petersburg University Clinic, which were presented in patients’ medical documents, did not constitute a legal basis for insured persons to receive primary health care, but rather the attending physician of the medical organisation to which the patient is not registered but to which they have independently applied for primary specialised health care, is not entitled to issue (even if there are indications) referrals for specialised medical care.

Following the refusal to honour the invoices that had been submitted to the Territorial Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund of St Petersburg (TFOMS in St Petersburg), the University filed a claim, which was also rejected.

In October 2020, St Petersburg University filed a claim against the Territorial Fund Compulsory Medical Insurance of St Petersburg in the amount of 5,615,376.64 roubles (plus the cost of paying the fee, i.e. 51,077 roubles) for 59 cases of providing specialised medical care included in the basic programme of compulsory medical insurance for citizens of the Russian Federation who are insured both outside St Petersburg and within the territory of St Petersburg.

After the filing of the claim, the TFOMS in St Petersburg voluntarily paid for the services provided to five patients (1,667,276.22 roubles), partially repaying the debt claimed for collection.

The amount of claims of St Petersburg University was reduced, respectively, to 3,948,100.42 roubles. On 13 January 2021, the Arbitration Court of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region issued a decision to satisfy the claims in full.

The TFOMS in St Petersburg filed an appeal against the decision of the Arbitration Court of St Petersburg and the Leningrad Region of 13 January 2021 and tried to appeal it to the cassation instance It was heard on 25 March 2021, and the Court’s decision was upheld and the appeal by the Territorial Fund for Compulsory Medical Insurance of St Petersburg was dismissed (Minutes of the Rector’s meeting dated 29 March 2021). The St Petersburg Territorial Fund for Compulsory Medical Insurance then appealed to the cassation court, which upheld the decision of the court of the first instance. The Supreme Court also refused to accept the complaint of the TFOMS in St Petersburg to be considered by the Judicial Collegium of the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation.

In August 2021, St Petersburg University again filed a lawsuit against the TFOMS in St Petersburg to recover the debt in relation to the provision of specialised medical care included in the basic programme of compulsory medical insurance. More than 200 cases of providing specialised medical care were collected. On 14 December 2021, the claims of St Petersburg University were satisfied, and the debt in the amount of 29,974,146.5 roubles was collected by the court decision. The TFOMS in St Petersburg, following the court decision, transferred the amount to the account of St Petersburg State University in full.

Ranking of the media activity of Russian higher education institutions subordinated to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation

On 17 January, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation published a ranking of media activity of higher education institutions in December 2021. The ranking covers the media activity of 219 universities subordinate to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. According to December rankings, the Ural Federal University named after the first president of Russia B. Yeltsin is the leader in terms of media representation. The Bauman Moscow State Technical University, and the Kazan (Volga region) Federal University ranked second and third.

Daria Skorospelova, Head of the Public Relations Department of St Petersburg University, explained that the ranking is based on three main indicators: the efficiency of the university’s cooperation with mass media (Index Mass Media), social networks (Index Social) and its official website (Index Site). Each of the three indicators has its weight in the final formula and is calculated separately (each index may have sub-indices).

According to the information posted on the official website of the Ministry, the Index Mass Media measures the number of publications about the institution and its employees in regional, federal and online media, the audience of these publications, the number of TV broadcasts and the amount of exclusive news about the institution or its projects posted on the websites of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.

The Index Social measures the social media performance of a higher education institution on eight social networks: VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Telegram, YouTube, TikTok, and the traffic generated by social networks to the university’s website. At the same time, the significance of social networks for the ’social index’ varies. VKontakte and Telegram have the highest weight.

The Index Site measures such factors as the site’s audience, the time users spend on the site, the number of visits to the site per month, and bounce rates.

Unfortunately, as this ranking presents data only for institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, St Petersburg University and Lomonosov Moscow State University have not been included.

The website provides no information on the methodology used to calculate the indicators and the tools used by the authors. Thus, it is difficult to judge the position of St Petersburg University in relation to other universities. The staff of the Public Relations Department use the available monitoring systems and media analytics to conduct a comparative analysis of the indicators of St Petersburg University and leaders of the ranking published by the Ministry of Science and Education to assess the position of St Petersburg University compared to other higher education institutions.