Biography

Interview

Why did you decide to apply to ITMO University?

In the 90’s I participated in various contests, and colleges were willing to accept me without entrance exams. But Dr. Vladimir Parfenov was very convincing in his determination for future programming victories for ITMO University.

Initially I wanted to study physics, but in 1997 programming seemed to be a more promising occupation in Russia, and the chances for winning in programming among even foreign universities seemed real.

What do you remember most about your time at ITMO U? Projects, equipment, exams, the canteen?

Currently I’m a student at University of Washington. In comparison, ITMO offered a more fundamental, theoretical education. Many instructors were truly devoted to their occupation. At UW, there’s more emphasis on the modern, and in a way trendy, applied areas. They offer an opportunity to work with the latest equipment and technologies, which requires serious material resources. I miss the fundamental approach of ITMO to deep study of the subjects as opposed to instruments that change quickly.

Did you win any programming contests while you were a student?

I personally didn’t have any major victories. Younger generation turned out to be better at it. I did well in a math contest but that didn’t go any further.

Any instructors that had the most influence on you?

ITMO has lots of good instructors. I particularly remember Sergei Chevilikhin because of his endless kindness, delight in his subject and lots of attention to students.

Head of Philosophy Chair Valerii Sadovnikov was also very memorable.

What Chair did you graduate from? What was it like back then?

I started at the Department of Computer Technologies and Controls and later we were transferred to the new Department of Information Technologies and Programming.

What was your first place of employment after ITMO? What did you do there?

I started working in my third of fourth year. In the firth year all our peers were working as programmers. For many their jobs took precedence over school.

What do you do now?

I’m a programmer for Microsoft. I develop the client side of Skype for Business. Before that I worked on Bing search engine.

How did your education at ITMO help you in your career? What were its strengths?

Its strengths is the fact that a relatively small university managed to attract a lot of talent and gain global recognition through victories in international contests, and successfully, especially compared to other Russian universities, integrated into the marketplace when it comes to attracting both students and instructors.

What are the promising areas now?

Machine learning, cloud computing, robotics.