Minutes of the Rector’s Meeting

Anniversary of Academician Nikita Morozov, Professor Emeritus of St Petersburg University

On 28 July, Nikita Morozov, Professor Emeritus of St Petersburg University and Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, celebrated his 90th birthday. He has been the Head of the Department of Theory of Elasticity at St Petersburg University for over 45 years, since 1976. Academician Morozov’s school of strength mechanics is ranked among the leading schools of thought in Russia and is respected internationally; ten of Academician Morozov’s students have taken leading positions at universities in various countries (Academician Nikita Morozov’s strength reserve).

The meeting participants congratulated Nikita Morozov on his anniversary and wished him every success in his work.

St Petersburg University scientist is the first to win the Weyl−Wigner Award

The Weyl−Wigner Award was first awarded on 20 July 2022 at the 34th International Colloquium on Group Theoretical Methods in Physics. Doctor of Physics and Mathematics Nicolai Reshetikhin, who works as a chief research associate at St Petersburg University, has become the first winner of the Hermann Weyl and Eugene Wigner International Award for his fundamental contribution to the theory of quantum groups, integrable systems and their applications in statistical mechanics and quantum field theory.

According to Vice Rector for Research Sergey Mikushev, Nicolai Reshetikhin, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, is a world-renowned theoretical physicist and mathematician. He is a graduate of St Petersburg University, a student of Ludvig Faddeev, Professor of Leningrad State University / St Petersburg University. Nicolai Reshetikhin is a professor at the University of Amsterdam and the University of California, Berkeley. Since 2017, he has worked as a chief research associate in the Department of Quantum Mechanics at St Petersburg University. In 2021, he became a professor at Tsinghua University, China.

The award named after Hermann Weyl and Eugene Wigner, both outstanding authorities in the field of group theory, is the successor to the tradition of awarding the Wigner Medal named after Eugene Wigner, a winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics. The Weyl−Wigner Award was first awarded on 20 July 2022. The award of this highly prestigious prize to a researcher from Russia can serve as a confirmation of the worldwide recognition of the whole Russian school of thought in the field of mathematical physics (St Petersburg University scientist is the first to win the Weyl—Wigner Award).

The meeting participants congratulated Nicolai Reshetikhin on his well-deserved award.

St Petersburg University in the world’s top 100 universities in Automation and Control

St Petersburg University has entered the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects — 2022 (ARWU) in Automation and Control, where it has taken a place in the world’s top 100 universities. In this subject, the University is included in the 76–100 group of the Global Ranking of Academic Subjects — 2022 (ARWU).

These achievements show how high the position of the mathematical school of St Petersburg University is not only in Russia, but throughout the world. The University occupies traditionally high places in mathematics: it is included in the 151–200 group on a par with Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia. According to the ARWU-2022 subject rankings, St Petersburg University has retained its position in Metallurgical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Earth Sciences (ARWU-2022:St Petersburg University in the world’s top 100 universities in Automation and Control).

St Petersburg University scientists help discover a new mineral

A team of scientists from the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences and St Petersburg University has discovered a new mineral in the Kester deposit in the Verkhoyansky District, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). This could become the basis for developing super-capacity batteries. The mineral is named in honour of Sergey Smirnov (1895–1947), Full Member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, a famous Soviet geologist and a renowned specialist in mineralogy of ore deposits.

Sergey Krivovichev is Professor in the Department of Crystallography at St Petersburg University and General Manager of the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences. According to him, sergeysmirnovite is the fourth new mineral to have been discovered in the Kester tin ore deposit (St Petersburg University scientists help discover a new mineral).

Surgeons at St Petersburg University Clinic perform a unique operation to remove an atrial tumour

Surgeons from the Pirogov Clinic of High Medical Technologies at St Petersburg University have performed an operation for the first time to remove a left atrial tumour with upper and lower pulmonary vein grafting. There are only two known cases worldwide in which a pulmonary vein has been stitched back into the atrium, but the tumour has not been removed.

A multidisciplinary team was formed to perform the operation. The work was organised by a team of experts from the Oncology Department of the Pirogov Clinic, headed by Rostislav Pavlov, Deputy Director of the Medical Part. Thoracic surgeons from the Petrov National Medicine Research Centre of Oncology, specialists from the Centre for Cardiac Surgery and Interventional Cardiology, as well as anaesthesiologists and intensive care specialists were involved in the operation.

The patient has been battling against recurrent cancer for over 13 years. She had undergone several operations earlier but after them, doctors noted active growth of the tumour in her left atrium, and radiation and chemotherapy had no effect. However, not operating meant increasing the risk of cardiac tamponade and death.

The operation to remove the tumour lasted for about 10 hours and went off without any complications. The patient is currently being observed by a cardiologist and an oncologist in her home area in Moscow. A follow-up examination by specialists from the St Petersburg University Clinic is scheduled in three months’ time.

According to Rostislav Pavlov, such an operation is a breakthrough in the field of surgery. Surgeons at the Pirogov Clinic of High Medical Technologies at St Petersburg State University will now be able to provide timely, qualified care to patients if a similar pathology is detected (Surgeons at St Petersburg University Clinic perform a unique operation to remove an atrial tumour).

Current issues with organising the teaching and learning process

Over the past week, the Virtual Reception received ten enquiries addressed to the Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities. Additionally, six enquiries were registered in the student enquiry register. Among the enquiries submitted were those concerning the procedures of transfer and reinstatement to St Petersburg University as well as other issues, including: The timetable for assessment for student transfer to St Petersburg University; Possibility of transfer to St Petersburg University; Possibility of transfer to government-funded places at St Petersburg University.

According to Acting Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities Natalya Boyko, since 24 February, 213 requests have been received to be transferred to St Petersburg University from universities of the following countries: The Czech Republic; Germany; Poland; Israel; the Donetsk People’s Republic; Romania; Canada; the USA; Switzerland; France; Ukraine; Spain; Austria; Italy; Latvia; the Lugansk People’s Republic; Finland; South Korea; Lithuania; Hungary; Belgium; Greece; Great Britain; Slovakia; Singapore; and Japan. Additionally, eight requests were registered last week. According to Regulation № 434 dated 21 March 2022 of the Government of the Russian Federation and Letter MN-5/927-DA dated 1 March 2022 of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation: St Petersburg University accepts transfer requests from the citizens of Ukraine, the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Lugansk People’s Republic and Russian citizens who had to leave the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics and Ukraine and arrive in Russia, as well as the Russian citizens expressing the desire to transfer from international educational organisations in the states included into the list of non-friendly states established by Regulation № 430-r of the Government of the Russian Federation. As of today, orders have been issued to enrol 51 students as an academic transfer from a foreign educational organisation. Thirty two students were enrolled on a government-funded basis, while 19 students were enrolled on a fee-paying basis. Planned work is underway with other applicants.

Meetings of the heads of academic subdivisions of St Petersburg University with the student activists have been postponed until the end of August.

Issuing orders for enrolment in St Petersburg University for bachelor’s and specialist’s programmes and informing about enrolment of applicants eligible for admission without any admissions tests, to places within the special quota, to places within the sponsored admissions quota who have submitted their enrolment consent applications

On 30 July, orders were issued for enrolment in St Petersburg University for bachelor’s and specialist’s programmes of applicants eligible for admission without any admissions tests, to places within the special quota and to places within the sponsored admissions quota.

According to Aleksandr Babich, Senior Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Admissions, 341 winners and awardees of school olympiads, including five winners and awardees of international school olympiads and 75 winners and awardees of the final round of the All-Russian School Olympiad were enrolled in St Petersburg University without any admissions tests. The largest number of entrants is enrolled without any admissions tests in the programmes in Data Science, Chemistry, Mathematics, History, and Law. He noted that for admission in 2022, the Admissions Committee had increased the requirements for winners and awardees of Olympiads to be entitled to admission without any admissions tests. Thus, for a number of academic programmes, only the winners of the level I school olympiads are eligible to be enrolled (in particular, for the programmes "Modern Programming", "Biology", "Management", "International Relations", and "Law"). The number of those enrolled without any admissions tests therefore decreased slightly compared to 2021 (368 persons were enrolled).

When announcing admissions to St Petersburg University for the current year, taking into account the competitive situation among applicants for government-funded places in 2021, the Admissions Committee decided to increase the score for the Unified State Exam, confirming the successful completion of admissions tests for admission in 2022 (it stood at 70 points for most admissions tests; in 2021, it was 65 points). The number of applicants for places within the special quota (in accordance with Federal Law № 273-FZ dated 29 December 2012 "On Education in the Russian Federation", these are: disabled persons; orphaned children, children deprived of parental care, and persons coming from orphaned families and families with children deprived of parental care; and combat veterans) and within the admission quota for sponsored education was therefore reduced in 2022 as compared to 2021.

A total of 89 applicants were enrolled in places within the special quota (there were 137 applicants in 2021); 76 applicants were enrolled in places within the admission quota for sponsored education (there were 98 applicants in 2021), including three winners of a competition organised by St Petersburg University in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Sports of the Republic of Karelia to conclude an agreement on sponsored education with organisations in the Republic of Karelia (St Petersburg University is the first Russian university to hold an open all-Russian competition for signing agreements on sponsored education with companies in Karelia).

The winners will study at St Petersburg University in the field of "Software Engineering" (sponsors: Petrozavodsk Technical College of Municipal Economy; AO "Managing Company of Karelia Industrial and Technology Park") and in the field of "Psychology" (sponsor: the Employment Centre of the Republic of Karelia).

Vaccination (booster vaccination) of students against COVID-19

According to Order № 4430/1 dated 29 April 2021 "On informing St Petersburg University students about cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and vaccination against coronavirus disease (COVID-19)" (as supplemented and amended), St Petersburg University students should report about being fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease (COVID-19). To this end, they should fill out the application form "For submission of information about vaccination against COVID-19" in the Student’s Personal Account and indicate the name of the vaccine. According to Natalya Boyko, Acting Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities, the information is accumulated in the "Students" information system.

A banner is placed on the Student’s Personal Account to remind students about the need to enter information about vaccination.

№	Field of study	Of-age students with vaccination, past disease certificates or medical exemption certificates
		as of 3 June 2022	as of 29 July 2022
1	Biology	45.93%	34.08%
2	Asian and African Studies	62.92%	46.02%
3	Graduate School of Journalism and Mass Communication	22.87%	16.3%
4	Institute of History	38.48%	28.06%
5	Institute for Cognitive Studies	35.29%	22.22%
6	Institute of Earth Sciences	45.35%	33.42%
7	Institute of Pedagogy	44.44%	25.27%
8	Institute for Competition Development and Antimonopoly Regulation	75%	83.33%
9	Institute of Philosophy	40.43%	27.93%
10	Institute of Chemistry	65.79%	50.6%
11	Arts	40.29%	30.4%
12	Mathematics and Computer Science	44.03%	35.78%
13	Mathematics and Mechanics	43.97%	34.91%
14	Medicine	48.58%	36.55%
15	Medical College	66.67%	50%
16	International Relations	36.99%	26.93%
17	Management	41.02%	32.14%
18	Political Science	35.18%	26.69%
19	Applied Mathematics and Control Processes	42.3%	33.29%
20	Psychology	38.99%	29.23%
21	Liberal Arts and Sciences	43.18%	36.32%
22	Sociology	36.36%	26.19%
23	Dental Medicine and Medical Technologies	42.51%	28.3%
24	Physics	53.07%	35.45%
25	Physical Training (bachelor’s programme)	76.19%	56.82%
26	Physical Education (non-university level higher education, excluding under age students)	39.65%	23.19%
27	Philology	45.44%	29.69%
28	Economics	28.75%	21.35%
29	Law	34.73%	23.84%
Overall		40.49%	28.85%

As of 29 July 2022, the percentage of of-age vaccinated students and those who provided certificates of past disease or medical exemptions is 28.85 %. Overall, there has been a decrease in the proportion of vaccinated students (from 40.49% to 28.85%) in relation to the total number of students at St Petersburg University compared to 3 June 2022 due to the number of graduated students.

The meeting participants said that if the pandemic situation worsens in the city, it will not be possible to deliver on-campus classes in teams where the number of vaccinated students will be less than 40%. The objective is to increase the proportion of vaccinated students.

International activities

At the recent Rector’s meetings, the international activities of St Petersburg University were analysed (Minutes of Rector’s meetings dated 14 March 2022; 4 July 2022; 11 July 2022; and 18 July 2022). According to Deputy Rector for International Affairs Sergey Andryushin, a number of new events took place last week.

Recognition of St Petersburg University educational credentials in other countries and the Bologna Process

In connection with the enquiry submitted to the Virtual Reception in relation to the recognition of St Petersburg University educational credentials abroad in the context of withdrawing from the Bologna system, the following was discussed. The Bologna Process is one of the elements of European cultural integration to ensure convergence and unification of the educational systems of European countries and some other participants in the Bologna Declaration to establish the European Higher Education Area (Bologna Declaration), adopted in Bologna (Italy) on 19 June 1999. This document does not regulate the procedure for recognition of foreign educational credentials in European countries.

Issues of recognition of foreign educational credentials are regulated by other interstate agreements. An example of such a multilateral agreement is the Convention on the Recognition of Qualifications concerning Higher Education in the European Region. It was concluded in Lisbon (Portugal) on 11 April 1997. It is valid for EU member states, the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, and many other states (a total of 54 states have ratified it).

Open lectures as part of the activities of the St Petersburg University Representative Office in Spain

On 27 July 2022, the St Petersburg University Representative Office in Spain held an online lecture ‘Pablo Picasso and Olga Khokhlova: burning the "last one"’ . It continues the series of the conferences "The Story of One Love". The lecture was delivered by Anna Silyunas, Director of the Representative Office, a theatre critic, and an art critic.

On 28 July 2022, the Representative Office of St Petersburg University in Spain (in Barcelona) held an online lecture "The image of the narrator in the prose of Vladimir Nabokov and Joaquim Machado de Assis". The lecture was delivered by Andrei Zhukov, Associate Professor in the Department of the History of Foreign Literature at St Petersburg University. During the lecture, some stylistic aspects of the intersection of the prose by Vladimir Nabokov and by Joaquim Machado de Assis were analysed. Joaquim Machado de Assis is one of the most influential classics of Brazilian literature. He is an inexhaustible source of study for literary critics, especially in recent years.

Spending funds from the St Petersburg University Endowment Fund

Every year, to support certain areas of activity, events, and target programmes to name just a few, St Petersburg University receives funds from the endowment management fund "Development of St Petersburg University" (hereinafter referred to as the St Petersburg University Endowment Fund), i.e. funds of income received from the trust management of targeted capitals of the endowment fund "Development of St Petersburg University".

The total amount of funds brought to St Petersburg University within the framework of eight existing targeted capitals (Targeted Capitals) amounted to 109,464,911.85 roubles in 2020, and 103,205,886.38 roubles in 2021.

The main share of funds brought to St Petersburg University is the targeted capital for the development of the academic programme "Arts and Humanities". In 2020, it was 64.02% of the total amount (70,076,905.82 roubles), while in 2021 it was 54.74% of the total amount (56,489,925.95 roubles).

In terms of the targeted capital for the development of academic programmes in the area of study "Economics", this indicator amounted to 21.09% (23,090,252.10 roubles) in 2020 and 24.86% (25,654,491.87 roubles) in 2021.

The share of finance received by St Petersburg University in terms of centralised capital amounted to 14.67% (16,061,595.33 roubles) in 2020, and 13.29% (13,715,667.02 roubles) in 2021.

The targeted capitals of St Petersburg University for the development of academic programmes and scientific activities in the area of study "Management" were not received by St Petersburg University in 2020 (all activities were postponed to 2021). The amount of funds in 2021 amounted to 3.87% (3,995,113.04 roubles).

The share of other targeted capitals transferred to St Petersburg University (the targeted capital of St Petersburg University "Development of the Institute of Earth Sciences"; the targeted capital of St Petersburg University for financing a set of measures to strengthen the image and popularisation of St Petersburg University in Russia and abroad; the targeted capital of St Petersburg University for the implementation of activities under a cooperation agreement between the Government of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and St Petersburg University; the targeted capital of St Petersburg University to finance activities and programmes to promote the activities of the management of the endowment fund "Development of St Petersburg University") amounted to 0.22% in 2020 (236,158.60 roubles), in 2021, 3.24% (3,351,688.50 roubles).

The targeted capital for the development of the academic programme "Arts and Humanities" is allocated on paying compensation for the tuition fee to students on a fee-paying basis; incentive payments to academic staff of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and for conducting research in the "Arts and Humanities". At the same time, 74.27% of the total amount of the funds of this capital was allocated to pay compensation for the tuition fee to students on a fee-paying basis in 2020. In 2021, 99.83% of the account of the capital was allocated to pay the compensation for tuition fee to students on a fee-paying basis.

The targeted capital for the development of the academic programmes in the area of study "Economics" is allocated mainly to the payment of personal scholarships, including those established by donors; to the creation and support of the activities of research laboratories; to support research events; and to invite foreign academic staff to name just a few.

Within the framework of the centralised capital, the funds are allocated on the payment of personal scholarships; promotion of the brand of St Petersburg University; support of research; support of students sports; and payment of St Petersburg University membership fees in Russian and international associations to name just a few.

The targeted capital of St Petersburg University for the development of academic programmes and research activities in the area of study "Management" is aimed at providing access to the BusinessPro and ITPro databases; paying the CEMS membership fee; and reorganising the library premises.

Other targeted capitals are allocated mainly to support the teaching and learning process and to strengthen and popularise the image of St Petersburg University in Russia and abroad.

The Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation has recommended using the income received from the trust management of the endowment fund "Development of St Petersburg University" to implement the activities of the St Petersburg University Strategic Plan 2021–2030. The Strategic Plan was approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation № 1069-r dated 26 April 2021. The income should be used within the extra-budgetary co-financing scheme.

The Management Board of the Endowment Fund ‘Development of St Petersburg University’ discussed the conclusion of the Accounts Chamber and decided to consider it expedient to use the income from the trust management of endowments "Development of St Petersburg University" to implement the activities of the St Petersburg University Strategic Plan 2021-2030 that was approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No 1069-r dated 26 April 2021 within the extra-budgetary co-financing scheme.

Based on the results of 2020 and 2021, the main areas that were supported at St Petersburg University at the expense of the Endowment Fund are the activities within the St Petersburg University Strategic Plan. An exception is the compensation of tuition fee for students on a fee-paying basis in the area of study "Arts and Humanities". Tuition fee was compensated at the expense of the targeted capitals for the development of the academic programme "Arts and Humanities".

The conditions of market volatility in 2022 and consequently the lack of fundamental indicators necessary to assess the value of assets directly affected the decline in investment returns in 2022. If the following three trends develop, i.e. if the above-mentioned trend continues; if the University needs to comply with the recommendations of the Accounts Chamber of the Russian Federation in relation to the direct attraction of funds from the targeted capital for the implementation of the activities of the St Petersburg University Strategic Plan; and if there is a simultaneous lack of replenishment of donations to the targeted capital of the Arts and Humanities; the University will have to reduce the amount of compensation for tuition fee for students in the area of study ‘Arts and Humanities’. The scholarships to compensate the tuition fee will not be paid for newly admitted students on a fee-paying basis. The senior students will continue to receive scholarships to compensate the tuition fee taking into account the results of the interim assessment.

The first volume of Nicolas Ikonnikov’s book "La noblesse de Russie"

The St Petersburg University Publishing House has published a unique book, i.e. a translation into Russian of the first volume of the famous work by Nicolas Ikonnikov "La noblesse de Russie".

According to the Director of the Publishing House Elena Lebedkina, at the end of 2016, a graduate of the University Aleksandr Stoliarov suggested an initiative to the Rector of St Petersburg University Nikolay Kropachev to translate into Russian and publish Nicolas Ikonnikov’s book "La noblesse de Russie". Nicolas Ikonnikov is a famous expert in the genealogy. This work comprises 51 volumes. It was published in Paris in the middle of the 20th century. It is the most complete reference book on the genealogy of the Russian nobility. However, as a unique source of information, the work has so far been inaccessible to researchers in Russia because its circulation in French was a little over 100 copies. Additionally, the work has never been published in Russian.

For several years, the lawyers of the University have dealt with the issue of finding the right holder. They sent numerous appeals to Russian and international organisations. Yet this did not produce any results. Historians of St Petersburg University, under the guidance of the Director of the Institute of History Abdulla Daudov, translated the first volume. It contains the information about seven noble families whose names starts with the letter A. 

During the preparation of the Russian edition, the historians of St Petersburg University discussed the issue of the format of the publication. Taking into account the purpose of the publication, i.e. translation into Russian and the introduction into scientific circulation of the publication that can be classified as a bibliographic rarity, it was decided to publish the translation without any comments or text processing. The Russian edition retains an external resemblance to the original publication; the arrangement of texts on pages; and the typewriter font. The identification and analysis of the factual inaccuracies in the publication; the clarification of the correctness of transliterations; and the compilation of comments on the basis of existing genealogical reference books can become topics for new research.

The publication is available in the online store of St Petersburg University. Information will also be sent to specialised organisations, primarily noble assemblies and genealogical societies. Requests for ordering a printed copy of the publication and for the translation of the following volumes can be sent to the University by e-mail: publishing@spbu.ru.

The participants of the meeting recalled that the St Petersburg University Publishing House prepared books about the history of the Universitarians’ families. It was also said that the University alumni and staff can apply with orders for the preparation of such publications about their relatives.