16 Apr 2026 ITMO University

Student Spotlight: Elijah Edward Masanga, Tanzania

Not every academic path is linear, and that’s where growth happens. For Elijah Edward, ITMO’s Foundation Program became a turning point, helping him discover a deeper passion for physics and the confidence to change direction. Read on to find out how he is navigating this pivotal point in his academic journey.

15 Apr 2026 ITMO University

How To Make Six Figures as a PhD Student in Russia

A PhD program in Russia usually lasts around three to four years and includes lectures, seminars, exam preparation, and a thesis defense. At ITMO, PhD students can work on projects for the university’s industrial partners – Yandex, Sberbank, and others – and earn up to 200,000 rubles per month even before graduation. Read the stories of three ITMO students who got a head start by nabbing a great salary, joining top-tier teams, and launching their own research groups.

15 Apr 2026 ITMO University

This Week in St. Petersburg: April 16-22, 2025

Another week – another selection of fun activities to join each day! Read on to fill up your calendar.

14 Apr 2026 ITMO University

Solutions from ITMO’s Congress of Young Scientists: AI for Cognitive Diagnostics, Microfluidics, and Laser Defectoscopy

ITMO recently hosted the 15th Congress of Young Scientists, which this year brought together more than 2,000 school and university students from all over Russia. Over 250 attendees were named winners in various categories; they will now be able to get additional points and participate in the Portfolio Contest when applying to ITMO. As per tradition, the event concluded with an exhibition, where young scientists presented dozens of prototypes and projects in AI, chemistry, photonics, and robotics. In this article, we take a closer look at the projects developed by ITMO’s young scientists.

14 Apr 2026 ITMO University

Five Paintings: Spring in Russian Art

A season of rebirth and color, spring has inspired many Russian artists. From the first warm rays of sun to blooming trees and flowers, these springtime paintings capture Russian spring in its every state.

13 Apr 2026 ITMO University

Three Intriguing Prehistoric Sites in Russia

We are often focused on creating the future, but sometimes studying the past can be just as exciting. Today, we are looking at three curious Paleolithic discoveries in Russia, dating back to 14,500-40,000 BCE, that help us understand prehistoric humans a little better. As a bonus, these also make for quite unusual travel destinations!

10 Apr 2026 ITMO University

AI Course for Educators by ITMO and Alfa-Bank Wins Data Fusion Awards

The joint AI course developed by ITMO and Alfa-Bank for university lecturers was named best in the category Data Fusion in Education at Data Fusion Awards 2026 in Moscow.

10 Apr 2026 ITMO University

Book-to-Music: Top Five Songs Inspired by Russian Literature

From Joy Division’s take on Dead Souls to Yes’ epic homage to the even more epic War and Peace, here are some of the best-known songs from around the globe that found their muse in classic Russian literature.

09 Apr 2026 ITMO University

ITMO-Made 3D Map of Bitter and Umami Flavors Will Improve Food Sensor Accuracy

Researchers from ITMO University have presented the first Russian-made 3D map of bitter and umami flavors. It explains how humans perceive and discern these flavors, where the associated molecules are located, and how independent of each other the two receptory systems are. The study employed molecules typically associated with the bitter and umami flavors. The compounds responsible for bitterness, for one, are found in wine. These findings will help improve “electronic tongues” – sensors designed to assess and monitor the flavor of products – as well as accelerate the creation of products’ digital twins in order to predict their flavor before they’re made. Other applications for the map include the restaurant industry. Results of the study were published in the journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry

09 Apr 2026 ITMO University

Student Spotlight: Oludotun Fawole, Nigeria

What if a robot could help organize your thoughts, connect your ideas, and think more clearly? That’s the kind of future Oludotun, a student of robotics at ITMO University, is interested in building.

26 Mar 2026 ITMO University

Make a Million in Your First Year: ITMO Boosts Stipends for Contest Winners and Top Students

ITMO has increased stipends for talented applicants: now, those who scored 100 points in several Unified State Exams (USE), as well as winners of international and national competitions for school students will be receiving 100,000 rubles a month for the first year of their studies. And that’s not all: they’ll also have a guaranteed spot in a downtown dormitory and the chance to win a travel grant if coming from outside St. Petersburg. Learn all about this opportunity in this article.

19 Mar 2026 ITMO University

Your Guide to Choosing Top AI & IT Educational Programs in Russia

Over 200 Russian universities provide training in AI and IT, with each university offering multiple relevant Bachelor’s programs. How do you choose the ones that are truly esteemed and in-demand? Discover in our guide for university applicants.

18 Mar 2026 ITMO University

ITMO Physicists Find Way For Ultra-Fast Light Control With a Laser

Researchers at ITMO have found a way to manipulate light in integral photonic waveguides using laser pulses. Unlike its counterparts, this particular method is thousands of times faster and done fully optically, without mechanical or electrical input. This is thanks to hybrid waves of light and matter, whose properties change when subjected to radiation. The new solution can be used to create ultra-fast optical chips that have the potential to accelerate AI calculations. The results of the study have been published in Applied Physics Letters.

24 Mar 2026 ITMO University

Spring Holidays for School Students at ITMO: Robots, Neural Networks, and Exam Prep

Spring school holidays are fast approaching! Here are seven options that school students can enjoy at ITMO, from microbiology, 3D printing, pixel art, and robots to exam preparations for future physicists, engineers, and biologists. Learn more about these opportunities (all offered in Russian) in this article.

27 Mar 2026 ITMO University

Top Managers of Russian Companies Develop Their Own AI Assistants

ITMO and South HUB recently held Russia’s first hackathon for IT top managers, where participants developed AI assistants for heads of AI development teams. These digital assistants help make managerial decisions, can maintain their opinions and explain them with facts and data under pressure, contradictions, and uncertainty. Around 40 heads of data, AI, and digital products at specialized companies took part in the hackathon. On the jury were representatives of Sberbank, Cloud.ru, X5 Tech, and Yandex B2B Tech. Winners of the event are planning to polish their project and introduce it into their workflow.

23 Mar 2026 ITMO University

Potanin Foundation Grants: ITMO Lecturers Win 2.5 Million Rubles for Educational Initiatives

Five ITMO lecturers were named winners in the grant competition by the Vladimir Potanin Foundation. Each of them will receive 500,000 rubles to go towards the creation and redesign of educational projects for in-demand specialists. ITMO also landed in the top three by the number of supported projects, improving on the results from last year.

27 Mar 2026 ITMO University

ITMO Tops Math Graduate Employability Ranking

ITMO University was ranked first in a national employability ranking among mathematics graduates. According to the Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science (Rosobrnadzor) and the Social Fund of Russia, ITMO Bachelor’s graduates are more likely to get employed upon graduation and receive higher salaries than those of other universities in Russia. The university also leads in six more groups of engineering and humanities specializations.

31 Mar 2026 ITMO University

ITMO Among Top 5 Universities by Forbes Russia

ITMO University was ranked first in St. Petersburg and fourth nationwide in the latest ranking of the best Russian universities by Forbes Russia. The longlist included several hundreds of universities; only 100 of them made it to the final ranking.

01 Apr 2026 ITMO University

ITMO Researchers Find New Molecular Target for Popular Cancer Treatment

Scientists from ITMO University are the first in the world to find a new mechanism for irinotecan, a known cancer treatment. Earlier, it was known to interact with only one protein that regulates DNA structure and is connected to cancer development. Using molecular modeling methods, ITMO chemists have discovered that irinotecan can block the activity of another protein, A2B1, that is connected to colorectal, lung, and other types of cancer. The paper opens up possibilities for development of more efficient targeted cancer treatments with fewer side effects. The results of the Russian Science Foundation-supported study have been published in Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling.

02 Apr 2026 ITMO University

New ITMO-Developed Method for Silver Nanostructure Synthesis to Accelerate Drug Development

Researchers at ITMO University have developed a new way to produce nanostructures sensitive to light polarization. Polarization is a process in which waves (such as light) oscillate in a set direction. By employing a laser, the scientists sensitized the atoms of silver films to a polarization of their choice. The developed structures may pave the way for next-gen medications; they will be able to identify “therapeutic” molecules based on their interaction with polarized light. It can also be used to produce photodetectors. The results of the Russian Science Foundation-supported study were published in ACS Nano.