Andrey Khohryakov

PSU Student Wins All-Russian English Dictation

Perm State University (PSU) has hosted for the All-Russian English Dictation among university students, initiated by the Kazan Federal University (KFU). In 2023, more than 32,000 participants from 75 regions of Russia, as well as Argentina, Belarus, Cuba, Ecuador, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Thailand, UK and Uzbekistan joined the Dictation, including 117 students from PSU and other Perm-based educational institutions.

The main theme of the recent dictation has become “21st Century Skills Set” – reflecting upon fast change and exponential growth induced by the modern age. The dictation text had been prepared by teachers of the Institute of International Relations at KFU.

“Public events such as dictations motivate students to learn English and help improve students’ literacy. Dictation in English is a great opportunity to get acquainted with updated examples of the living English language, enrich one’s vocabulary, test the knowledge of English spelling and punctuation, and practice listening comprehension,” says Natalya Khorosheva, Dean of the Faculty of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures, PSU.

The winner of the All-Russian dictation in English in 2024, as well as in 2023, has become Dmitry Smirnykh-Pershin, a student of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics at PSU. We challenged Dmitry with a brief interview on his victory and related circumstances that help him to keep the winner’s shape for that long:  

– What attracts you to the English language?

– Brevity.

– What helped you win the All-Russian English Dictation? And, what advice would you give to the future contestants?

– I believe my personal natural desire for literacy helped me at winning the Dictation. I would advise anyone interested in such competitions to grow the habit of reading English literature, in their everyday life.

– Which ways would you like to practice your knowledge of English?

– The language provides opportunity to communicate with both famous and ordinary people, it all depends on the tasks assigned. If I were giving a tour around Perm, I would probably show foreigners the location of the Kama Valley: unsuitable for construction previously, incorporating new construction technologies, they are going to build the new international student campus here.

– Do you have a favourite joke in English?

– In terms of humor, the English language is pun- and play-on-word inviting. It is great when the joke comes naturally, born in context, and you are its author: “For instance, if a person is called a ‘deer’ in Russia, this is a manifestation of discontent, but for English language speakers it might appear very amicable. The explanation is that the words “deer” and “dear” are homonymous, while in Russian they sound totally different.

– Do you have a hobby? Does it have anything in common with the English language?

– I like chess. English, like any other language, and communication in general, resemble this game: I speak only after I have thought through the complete phrase. Discovering a new figure of speech or another language phenomenon can be compared to learning a new tactics in a game. Comprehension of the language, as well as the rules of chess, help to develop foresight – the ability to calculate all possible steps, to follow.

– Thank you and good luck with your studies, Dmitry!

– Thank you!

Happy New Year and Winter Holidays!

Dear International Partners, Teachers and Students,

May coming New Year and Winter Holidays bring you true love, sound health and strive for knowledge!

For the first time, Perm State University (PSU) was included in the QS World University Rankings: Sustainability-2024, ranked among best 500 European universities (435 out of 493) and 16th among Russian universities (out of 27). The universities’ positions in the ranking are valued according to their environmental impact, social impact and governance. The highest results of Perm University are noted in the indicators “Environmental Education” (373rd, globally) and “Governancet” (706th, globally). We are both glad with the resault and looking forward to improve . Please, check our Russian website for more news and updates!

Thank you for choosing Perm State University and keeping in touch,

Yours, PSU Team

Vuelta al Pasado! Back to the Past! PSU History Gets New Voices

3rd year students of the Faculty of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures, PSU, have successfully defended and tested a group project in partnership with the Museum of PSU History. The team of Arina Azanova, Evgenia Demchenkova, Anastasia Efimovskikh, Elizaveta Mayorova and Elizaveta Tyurina designed and delivered the “Back to the Past: the Origin of PSU” tour for university students from China, Colombia, and Peru – followed by tour guides printed in Russian, English and Spanish.

Luckily, the ‘language tours’ by PSU students met a request for volunteer initiatives by the Museum. “We love such coincidences. They prove the museum is not just a repository of artifacts, but a living part of the University, incorporated into the educational process,” admits Maria Mingaleva, head of the Museum of PSU History. “In the students’ move, we saw a strive to make a good and sought-after product. We will be glad if they become our volunteers and help guide tours for foreign students.”

“The Chinese group appeared much more uneasy to interact with, as it was difficult for them to rely on voice only, without text. Most of all, they were intrigued by an old Chinese book,” shares Arina Azanova, a project participant. “The guys from Peru were easier to communicate with, we felt more spontaneous and confident, and maintained to run a dialogue. Sometimes it seemed that it was them who made the tour. Despite the groups were quiet different, we managed to get an extraordinary cultural experience.”

“It was truly exciting to create the original product of ours. No one gave us a ready-made text for translation. Surely, we did rely on materials available, including tours by the Museum staff, books and articles on PSU history. Our task was not just to collect data, but also transform it and adapt for another ‘mindset’. It’s been important for us to find balance within the text without overloading it with unnecessary information, and at the same time, make it interesting,” notes Evgenia Demchenkova.

“Not only did we try to immerse international students in the university history, but also create a kind of new tradition – the one that reflects our hospitality towards foreign guests, and eagerness to interculturally communicate,” says Elizaveta Mayorova. “As far as we discovered, tours around Museum of PSU History have not been conducted in other languages, before. So, we feel like a part of new trend or University tradition, which we do hope to develop!”

59 students from the Faculty of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures prepared 12 reports aimed at both the University community and Perm Territory residents, as well as wider Internet audience. A distinctive feature of the group projects is their target audience focus, offer and demand character, ability to run dialogue with an employer, and customer-oriented result. Students practice creating multi task teams, using individual talents and knowledge, and challenge themselves with new objectives – like creating websites, shooting videos, recording podcasts, designing posters and writing press releases.

The project activities for the Faculty students in 2023 included the support of the LAMPA International Film Festival, supervision of PSU international students, support of environmental initiatives and comfortable campus space, running city tours and helping University museums, child training in robotics, interaction with PSU partners, promotion of language centers and PSU Academic Library, popularization of local urban folklore and Komi-Permyak culture.

“It was great to realize that our students’ initiatives have something in common regardless their association with different faculties. Taking that cross-field path is extremely promising and important for the University, especially when such initiatives aim at implementing socially significant tasks, contributing to the overall University progress,” notes Olga Meshcheryakova, Vice-Rector for Youth Policy and Extracurricular Activities, PSU.

Iranian Literature in the Russian Mind, Reflected

As the summer trimester is heading to its end, many PSU international students are about to leave for home vacations. We have talked to Hannane Saddat Badiee Hamse Fahrt, 27-years old Iranian post-graduate student from the Faculty of Philology, about her first year of studies in Perm, and more.   

– Hello, Hannane! Please, introduce yourself. Where are you from?

– I come from the capital of Iran – Tehran, a big, flourishing and beautiful place, both large and consistent of multiple small areas. The city is multinational: we have many Afghans, for example, as well as people from other Iranian settlements. There are more opportunities in the capital, which is probably why. The main religion is Islam, but there are many Christians, plus large national and religious minorities – Armenians, Assyrians, Kurds, Jews, Baha’is, Zoroastrians. While the population of Iran is 95 million people, our capital population is about 13 million. Despite the fact that Tehran has a rich history (the first settlements here date back to the 6th millennium BC), today it is a modern progressing metropolis full of life. I was born and have lived here all my life, so I love it a lot.

– Could you please tell a few words about your family, Hannane?

– My family is not really big: my mom, dad, me and my older brother. My mom has always been a housewife. My dad is now retired, he used to work for an airline company. My brother studies and works at the university, he is a post-graduate student, he studies economics and management, and specializes in futures contracts.

– Please tell us about the school. Where and what did you study further?

– At primary and secondary school, we usually study for twelve years. Schools in Iran are separate for boys and girls. My favorite subjects were English and chemistry. I remember that I was particularly delighted with the table of the famous Russian chemist Dmitry Mendeleev. At school, we learn it by heart. Schools in Iran are public and private. My parents paid for the private school, but studying at the university was free.

In Tehran, I completed four years of bachelor’s and two years of master’s studies. The male and female audience at the university is mixed – very unusual, after school. On the other hand, our group was mostly female: twenty one girls and three guys, the latter attended classes much less frequently than we did. The university life in Iran is very rich – uniting studies, science and research, sports, and creative arts. We have no opera, ballet or dance, but we do theater and cinema, so students are engaged in drama and related performance activities. There are more arts outside the university, of course, and women are involved there, too. Speaking about cultural venues, I would mention Russia friendship weeks, where we cooked traditional Russian food, and talked about holidays.

As a child, I knew absolutely nothing about Russia. I began to study Russian language and Russian literature first as a bachelor’s student at the Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran, and then continued my master’s degree there. This is a well-known Iranian university that cooperates with many Russian universities. In my third year, I was offered a trimester at the Chelyabinsk State University. While we did study Russian literature of the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries back home, our curriculum in Chelyabinsk included classes in Old Church Slavonic language and the literature of the Urals. During my master’s course, I studied translation – from Persian into Russian, and vice versa. Since the postgraduate study at the Allameh Tabatabai University in Tehran assumes a pedagogical profile, I started thinking of studying Russian literature in Russia.

– Are there any other languages are studied at your university? And, how did you start learning Russian?

– At the Allameh Tabatabai University we study Spanish, Arabic, English, French, Chinese, Turkish, Urdu. I chose Russian by chance. Prior entering the University, we announce our language preferences, based on our entrance exams’ results. My first choice was English, then French and Spanish, with Russian in the fourth place. Since studies at universities are paid by the state (unless you are a distant-learning student), it is the Ministry of Education of Iran which decides about the exact direction. So, I was assigned to the Russian language group.

– Do you still have connections with any of your student mates? Have you made new friends here, in Perm?

– One of my best friends from Iran is now studying psycholinguistics at Moscow State Linguistic University. The second friend of mine is also staying there, studying world literature. We all did our bachelor’s degree together.

Almost all of my hostel mates here speak Arabic or Chinese. I have not yet met students from Iran here. There is one girl from the prep course in Russian, but we rarely see each other. I cannot boast of a large number of friends, so far.

– Remembering your first touch with Russians, what seemed the most unusual thing to you?

– It seems to me, Russians are quite serious or even ‘dry’, by nature. Iranians are more of a cheerful type, always smiling. I find Russian girls very beautiful, while eastern men are more attractive, in my view.

– Did you learn any Russian sayings or proverbs?

– Yes, we studied them as undergraduates. I remember, for example, “like drops of water” (“two peas”, in English) and “beat the buckets” (“sit around”).

– What was your first impression of Russia?

– They are connected with Chelyabinsk, when I first came here during my third year of undergraduate studies, five years ago. I recall it was March, early spring, so the weather and the city appeared gloomy to me. The locals acted rather strangely, as if they were frightened speak. I arrived in Perm in October 2022, and I liked the city and the people. The most frequent question from the locals is, “Are you from India?” And, when they find out that I am from Iran, they are still interested. I have three years to do my postgraduate studies at PSU, so I hope to know more about the place and the citizens.

– How did you make your way to PSU?

– I came to Perm by accident. First, I registered on www.education-in-russia.com, a website by Rossotrudnichestvo which is quite famous in Iran. I uploaded my resume and all the certificates. For free studies in Russia, out of many applications, three hundred people had been selected, and I was luckily thirty-third. I think my certificates, especially those ones from Russia, which I acquired during my multiple distance courses during the coronavirus, had a positive effect on that.

On my scale of preferences, I put Moscow State Linguistic University on top. However, this university does not teach Russian literature, only world one. That was probably the reason they refused me. My second choice was Moscow State Pedagogical University. The third and fourth were Saint Petersburg State University and Kazan Federal University. At that time, I knew nothing about Perm, but the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Russia, along with Rossotrudnichestvo decided that Perm State University (PSU) was the most suitable option for me. Initially, the decision appeared strange to me – neither Moscow, nor St. Petersburg, nor Kazan, yet  precisely Perm… At the same time, my graduate supervisor back in Iran said this was is a worthy choice, so we decided it was the right moment to take that chance.

I really liked Perm, then. Unlike in Iran, where the temperature might get as high as +40’C, the summer doesn’t seem so hot here. The Kama river and the embankment are among my most favorite places. I also like your parks and forests. I did go to the forest during the winter time, and tried some skiing there, but once I fell, I realized that wasn’t probably for me. Personally, I am afraid to break my arms and legs. Of the “cultural” venues, I have been to a drama play at the Theater-Theater, where I watched “Anna Karenina”, it was quite an interesting experience! I haven’t been to ballet or opera yet. I wanted to book for the “Swan Lake”, but had to refuse it, since the time of the performance fell on my trip back home.

– What’s your relationship with the local food? And, how’s your life at the hostel?

– I tried traditional Russian dumplings and pancakes, I enjoyed it very much. I believe the cottage cheese to be tasteless, but then I didn’t give it a try. I haven’t tried mushrooms, even a look of them screams they are ugly. We do have yogurts in Iran, so, I like them, I also find sour cream delicious. I really wanted to try the borscht soup, but so far, I have not been able to.

It is still difficult to get used to life at a student hostel: the people around, the hygiene, you know… Like, Turkmen guys living nearby, they might get noisy. The shared toilet and shower, both for boys and girls, is unusual, too. The situation was different in Chelyabinsk, where we lived in blocks – four rooms for girls, and four rooms for guys. Here and there, there are, of course, certain restrictions regarding international students’ residence. Besides, renting an apartment is fairly expensive.

– How’s your study postgraduate process going? It does require a lot of self-constraint, doesn’t it?

– The first challenge was the history of the philosophy of science – the first postgraduate exam I have recently passed for my future PhD (candidate of sciences) degree. I think I was lucky to have our teacher, Professor Alexander Vnutskikh, Doctor of Philosophy from the Department of Philosophy, by my side. He has been very helpful and in constant touch – sending me questions for exams and providing explanations via e-mail. I hope to see the same attention from my academic supervisor  Professor Svetlana Burdina, Doctor of Philology, Head of the Department of Russian Literature, PSU.

I study literature, particularly, the similarities between Iranian and Russian literature. Let’s take village prose, for instance: both had been formed in the 19th century, and flourished in the second half of the 20th century. Both developed female images, explored the sense of unity with the land, and life of the rural person, in general. Let’s also bear in mind the impact of Iranian poetry on Russian poets – like Saadi (1219-1292) and Shirazi Hafez (1325-1389) influencing Alexander Pushkin. Much later, a Russian poet Velimir Khlebnikov visited Iran and reflected its images in his works. Although never guests to our country, yet being fond of our culture, Nikolai Gumilyov and Sergei Yesenin Persian let Iranian motifs run into their poetry.   

Since Iranian and Russian poetic traditions, as well as their interaction have been studied fairly well, the situation with prose is a bit different, or, should I say, difficult. So, I am treating prose as a source for exploration, an opportunity to do something new. In this sense, Andrei Volos, a Russian writer and scientist, translator and poet (also published in Tajikistan), deserves to be mentioned. Andrei Volos’s novel “Return to Panjrud” won the Russian Booker Literary Prize (2013) and became a finalist for the Big Book National Literary Prize (2013). One of the novel’s plot lines spins around old Abu Abdallah Jafar ibn Muhammad Rudaki, a former court poet of Bukhara, who, by the will of fate, was expelled from his native city and blinded. He protagonist takes a journey to his native village of Panjrud, a real site in Tajikistan, now and then. On the way, he enjoys a company of a young man Sheravkan, whom he teaches to read and write. Since there is little information about the real poet, Andrey Volos presents the plot in an artistic, fantastic light, which is of a research interest, as well as the general image of Iran and the East in modern Russian prose.

– When Russians talk about Iranian literature and culture in general, do they really understand it, or imagine it?

– Yes, I think they  do. This is what I have to explore and comprehend. This is a mutual process, the same thing is happening in Iran, your literature and culture receiving fair attention in our country. It will also be interesting to know more about the differences in our traditions, as well as show the modern vision of each other.

– Sounds like a promising field for research. Thank you for sharing your story with us, Hannane. Good luck with yours studies!

– Thank you and good luck to Perm State University!

Interview by: PSU Press Office

Babel Mic at PSU Garden: Dive into Chinese Poetry and Tea

On 6 June, the Babel Mic project, a flashmob and a public reading event will take place at Perm State University, uniting PSU Botanical Garden, Academic Library and Department of Public Relations.

As part of the Babel Mic format, students, staff and graduates of the University, residents of Perm city and other territories get together both on campus and digitally to read poems by their favorite poets, prose or archive documents. This is the eighth event of the kind since February 2019; three out of seven Mics have been held online.

The recent venue will be held in the Oriental Yard of PSU Botanical Garden. Dr. Boris Kondakov, director of the Center for East Asian Studies, PSU, will give a lecture on Chinese classical poetry. Tatiana Margina, head of the Merchant Tea Co, will talk about tea varieties and its cultural phenomenon, including the history of Chinese tea in Perm territory – followed by a tea brewing ceremony at the Garden.

The audience will read poems both in Chinese and translations, accompanied by the sounds of the Garden and world music. Original poems will be accompanied by comments in Russian, so that the listeners could comprehend their meaning, along the rhythm and melody of the Chinese originals. Personal translations will also be made by PSU students and poetry fans.

The venue will be held on 6 June from 5pm till 8pm, Perm time (3pm – 6pm Moscow time). For a detailed program, please see here. For participation, please register here.

Interested in participating or other events of the kind? Got ideas or want to share practices? Please, contact Svetlana Solaryova, Head of PSU Academic Library, at solar@psu.ru, VK page or by phone: +7 (342) 2 396 505.

On the Roots of the Babel Mic

While the Tower of Babel traditionally serves an image of misunderstanding, it’s image picked by PSU community to explain the roots of multiple languages, praising identities and overcoming  communication failures.  

According to the myth, the generations of humanity following the Great Flood spoke a single language. Uniting their efforts, people agreed to build a city and a tower tall enough to reach Heavens. The builders gradually lost communication, and were scattered around the world.

Challenging the opportunity, the University staff, including international and Russian students, present extracts of their favorite works in various languages and topics – paying tribute to national identities and unifying values.

PSU Team Takes Gold in International Chess League Competition

53 teams from Russia, Serbia, Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan, best in their countries and territories, took place in the Competition. The Univer Sports Club from Perm State University (PSU) united Ivan Volodin (Faculty of Physics), Dmitry Radostev (Faculty of Economics) and Artyom Polonsky (Department of Physical Culture and Sports, PSU).

The Competition finals took place at the lichess.org platform. In addition to PSU participants, three universities – Saint-Petersburg State University of Industrial Technologies and Design, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University participated in the finals.

The Univer Sports Club scored 24.5 points in total, the highest result among teams, bringing gold awards to PSU. The second place was taken by the Gazprom team (23 points), the bronze award went to the Rostelecom team (22.5 points). The results can be found here.

“The finals have been quite tough, bringing together masters and candidates for master of sports. Not only we did have to compete with other universities, but also strongest corporate teams from various institutions in science, education, IT, fuel and energy complex, finance and transport,” confessed Sergey Solovyov, Head of Univer Sports Club, PSU.

PSU Publishers in Geology Win International Competition

A publication project by PSU geologists “Sulphate Karst of Perm Krai” received the 1st degree diploma in “University Book-2023” Competition as the best publication in natural sciences.

The project data is based on years of research on sulfate karst of Perm krai, regarding its territory-based characteristics, its spread and development in the region.

Caves, lakes, rivers and other karst formations are unique natural attractions of Perm krai, some of them declared as protected natural areas. The Kungur Ice Cave is the oldest tourist cave in Russia. The Ordinskaya Cave is the longest underwater gypsum cave in the world, globally known as a center for underwater speleology.

The publishing project is led by Professor Nikolai Maksimovich, Deputy Director for Natural Science and Research Institute, PSU; Dr. Olga Kadebskaya, Head of the Kungur Stationary Laboratory, Mining Institute, Perm Federal Research Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ural Branch; Olga Meshcheryakova, Senior Researcher, Laboratory of Geology of Technogenic Processes, Natural Science and Research Institute, PSU.

“Compared to more common, world-known carbonate karst, the sulfate one has specific features associated primarily with the high solubility of gypsum and anhydrite. Ground and surface waters contain a large amount of calcium sulfate, which in some cases makes them unsuitable for water supply and creates inconveniences for the local population, explains Olga Meshcheryakova. – A serious problem in sulfate karst areas is the development of sinkholes that provide damage to buildings and structures, industrial enterprises, communications, as well as cause mortal cases. At the same time, gypsum and anhydrite are a valuable mineral and construction resource. Here we have about 270 objects of sulfate rocks in 20 administrative districts of Perm Territory.”

The international industry competition of educational and scientific publications “University Book” has been held since 2012. In 2023, 135 books by 415 authors have been presented in 20 nominations of the competition. The monograph by PSU scholars had previously received a grant by the Ministry of Education and Science of Perm Territory, with a further publication by Springer. The book addresses geologists, geographers, ecologists, karst explorers, speleologists, local historians, teachers and students in earth sciences, as well as a wide range of amateur researchers of karst and caves.

PSU Students from China Present Perm on Regional Contest

PSU postgraduate students Dong Ziteng, Li Xinjie, Tan Yunxiao, Jiang Yuying and Yu Ping (China) from the Faculty of Philology took part in the 5th Regional Forum “The Journey Across Perm Lands”, becoming the finalists of the competition.

Supervised by Professor Maria Shirinkina and Associate Professor Natalya Solovieva from the Department of Russian Language and Stylistics, the students have developed an audio guide on Perm city local culture. In 2023, the competition received 235 applications from 35 territories of Perm region. The winners’ projects served a basis for a set of TV documentaries. 

Within the Forum framework, the contestants presented the tour “Perm Through Foreign Students’ Eye” in the nomination “Youth Tourist Route”. The contestants described seven cultural attractions of Perm city in Russian: Perm City Planetarium, the “Happiness Is Not Far Off” installation, Perm Museum of Local Lore, Perm State Art Gallery, St. Nicholas the Miracle monument, Perm Opera and Ballet Theater and the Church of St. Mary – each object accompanied by photo and audio guide support.

The Forum participants intended to show Perm in many ways, including science, culture, art and religion.

“Building a story around famous Perm attractions allowed us to deepen and expand the current historical and cultural knowledge, as well as appreciate their location and natural sights in general, allowing us to feel the charm of Perm. This also helped us to develop our Russian language and intercultural communication skills,” says Li Xinjie, 2nd-year postgraduate student.

“The Journey Across Perm Lands” competition has been held since 2017, supported by Chief Federal Inspector for Perm Krai, the Ministry of Education and Science of Perm Krai, the Ministry of Tourism of Perm Krai, the Agency for Youth Affairs of Perm Krai and the Council of Young Teachers at All-Russian Trade Union of Education, Perm Krai branch.

PSU Students Win PolitPRpro’2023

The Optimum Pareto team won the 14th PolitPRo International Student Competition in political communications (30-31 March, St. Petersburg, Russia). In the finals, the Pareto Optimum competed with student teams from the Higher School of Economics, Saint Petersburg State University and Volgograd State University. Upon the final contest, including the public debates, the Pareto Optimum were granted an internship placement at the Nikkolo M Agency for Strategic Communications.

The Pareto Optimum team consists of four female students in Political Science, International Relations and Public Administration, studying at the Faculty of History and Political Science, PSU.

“Everything was just brilliant, you could see it in the eye of the jury members during the last stage of competition – the debates. The team’s performance produced a dramatic heart-piercing effect by the arguments given. Following the task, the roles played were so intentionally cynical, that no one stayed indifferent. That speaks of the contestants as a strong, well-built and professional team,” says Igor Mintusov, chairman of the Competition Jury, founder and chairman of the board of directors at Niccolo M Agency for Strategic Communications, member of the Board of the Russian Association of Political Consultants.

The PolitPRpro is an international competition of student projects in political communications, where future professionals compete and communicate with masters and experts in the field of political consulting, PR and GR. The founder and organizer of the competition is the Institute “Higher School of Journalism and Mass Communications” at St. Petersburg State University.

PolitPRpro has become a synonym for a real strength test. We did participate with no intention to prove something or amuse anyone. By reaching the finals, outperforming teams from the country’s leading universities, building our own brand, we have shown that politics can have a female face. We are thankful to the Faculty of History and Political Science at PSU, our coach Dmitry Korovin and our fellow Perm team POLITYFIX, whose support and help helped us win the finals,” says Valeria Yurtova, captain of the Optimum Pareto team.

In 2023, 135 teams from Russia and CIS countries took part in the Competition. The largest number of applications came from St. Petersburg, Moscow, Perm, Tomsk and Vladivostok. According to the results of the correspondence stage, nine teams went to the semi-finals of the competition, including two student teams from Perm – the Pareto Optimum and the POLITYFIX.

“Our participation in a competition of such a rank is surely an experience to be remembered for a lifetime. Although our team remained half a step away from the finals, at the end we did feel like real winners! We are very happy for our female team, they did deserve the victory achieved in the political technology tests. Being just freshmen, our team is ready to move on – setting more ambitious goals for ourselves,” admits Alexey Zenkov, captain of the POLITYFIX team.

Held at St. Petersburg State University, aimed at sustainable educational and professional interaction, the PolitPRpro is a platform that attracts students, experts, academic specialists and practicing professionals  in political communications from all over Russia and abroad. The competition was initiated in 2010 by the Department of Public Relations in Politics and Public Administration of St. Petersburg State University. In 2019, the PolitPRpro was received a high praise by the expert community and became the winner of the XX International Communications PROBA Awards.

PolitPRpro‘s partners include the Russian Association of Political Consultants (RAPC) and the European Association of Political Consultants (EAPC). Since 2019, the competition has been held with the support of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation. The permanent general partner of PolitPRpro is the Niccolo M strategic communications agency.

Visioning New Economics – Eco-Friendly, Local-Based, Global-Wide

On 10-11 February, PSU scholars contributed to Perm Winter School’2023, titled “Low-Carbon Economy and Decarbonization”. The School united related scholars and practicing experts in a set of workshops and research reports, as well as a case-championship in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) – heading to a sustainable future through industrial adaptation to climate change. 

The School key speakers were Anna Romanovskaya, Director, Yu.A. Israel Institute of Global Climate and Ecology, and Nikita Vorobyov, Director in Ecology and Climate, NLMK Group made presentations on climate agenda and carbon footprint, enterprise ESG transformation and industrial decarbonization – aiming to review possible local scenarios, globally.

“Since the first School in 2011, the topic has been evolving year by year, the discussion of progress,  climate change and risk management remaining its core line,” comments Sergey Ivliev, Head of the Laboratory of Cryptoeconomics and Blockchain Systems at PSU, fintech entrepreneur. “For me, the School has become a meeting place with like-minded people, promoting dialogue in cutting-edge ideas.”

In 2023, Perm School was run by the Laboratory of Cryptoeconomics and Blockchain Systems, Faculty of Economics, Perm State National Research University (PSU), and Perm National Research Polytechnic University with the support by Vlinder.

Two key speakers represent NLMK Group and Yu.A. Israel Institute of Global Climate and Ecology. The first one is a leading international manufacturer of high-quality steel products with a vertically integrated business model – incorporating raw material extraction and production in low-cost regions, and manufacture in close proximity to key consumers of Russia, North America and the EU. Yu.A. Israel Institute of Global Climate and Ecology studies global and regional climate changes, caused by human and natural factors; their environmental, social and economic consequences, as well as opportunities for the adaptation and control. The Institute actively cooperates with international organizations at monitoring and supporting ecosystems.

Perm Winter School unites students, teachers and industry representatives addressing complex problems in pop-science format. The School committee sees its mission in creating ties between the academy and the industry, encouraging students to participate. Previous schools brought together more than 3,000 participants representing leading universities and organizations from around the world.

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