Meet Pham Dang Trung Nghia from Vietnam, a first-year Bachelor’s student of software engineering at ITMO. In this interview, he shares a lot about his country, Vietnam, and its beautiful culture.

When asked about the reason why he decided to pursue IT, he said: “It is considered a pillar of the digital economy. IT plays an important role in driving technological advancement and the way we work, communicate, and solve problems.”

Read on to learn more about Nghia’s academic pursuits, hobbies, and plans for the future.

#itmofaces

One aspect of adapting to a new culture is learning how to navigate local names. How well do you know Russian ones? Take our quiz to find out 📇

We miss you, cafeteria on Lomonosova 🥺

We adore all those disciplined enough to bring their own lunch to classes, but also understand that it may not be feasible or enjoyable for everyone. That’s why we wandered around the campus to find out where our students have lunch these days. Watch these first-hand recommendations.

React with ⚡️ for the cafeteria to open a bit earlier!

What does your perfect week look like? For us, it’s filled with exciting activities such as the ones listed below!

🗿 Russian Sculpture of the 20th Century
• Oct 12 | 12-9 pm | 350 rubles

The exhibition merges sculpture and film with a selection of artworks created throughout the 20th century from all across Russia.

🖼 Pavel Kuznetsov exhibition
• Oct 13 | 10 am - 6 pm | 350 rubles

For the first time in 30 years, the Russian State Museum presents an exhibition of works by the prominent 20th-century Russian painter and an avid follower of symbolism.

🥐 French festival
• Oct 14 | 10 am - 10 pm | Free entrance

The celebration at Kirov Palace of Culture will be filled with essential French foods, insightful talks on culture, and workshops on dancing.

🌊 Market by the Sea
• Oct 15 | 12-9 pm | Free entrance

The traditional Sevkabel Port event, with more than 150 stalls packed with local goods ranging from ceramics and home decor to clothing.

Read the full guide to plan your next week.

#weekends

Would you like to be a voice for ITMO in your home country? 🌍

Our new competition gives you the chance to share your unique experience with the world and help future students make their educational choice.

Here’s how to take part:

✔️ Record a short video (max. 1 minute) in English or in Russian, telling your story: why you chose to study at ITMO, in Russia, or at your program in particular. Feel free to share personal experience!
✔️ Please stick to landscape format and remember to use a quiet location – for example, your room or one of ITMO’s coworking spaces 😉
✔️ Send your work to int.news@itmo.ru by October 23.

What do you get?

🥇 A chance to get your video showcased at an educational fair + a certificate to ITMO/STORE
🥈 An ITMO mug + ITMO passport case
🥉 An ITMO passport case + ID wristband

We’ll choose three lucky winners on October 25. Stay tuned!

Beware! It’s not just any Friday, it’s the spookiest day of the month - Friday the 13th! But don’t worry. Our news digest will not scare you 😈

😺 ITMO student Eva Avocado won the ArtMasters Championship with her simulator game about Hermitage cats and walked away with a cash prize of 500,000 RUB.

💊 Chemists at ITMO have designed an AI-based platform that identifies nanoparticles with selective cytotoxicity to cancer cells. Their work was published in the journal Small.

🔋 Dmitry Pobedinsky, the host of the Physics by Pobedinsky YouTube channel, shares with us his top 6 world-changing breakthroughs in modern physics.

🥣 Porridge, or kasha, is a very popular type of dish in Russia. Have you ever tried it? If you are looking for recipes, here are a few innovative ways to make a kasha.

📱 All of ITMO in a single app! Learn more about my.itmo, the all-in-one app developed by ITMO students and graduates using Yandex Cloud technologies.

#newsdigest

Want to speak Russian like a pro? We’re here to help!

If you already know these phrases, follow the link at the bottom of this post for advanced tips 👇

Learning a few common Russian phrases can go a long way in helping international students navigate daily life in Russia. Here are some essential words and expressions to get you started:

▶ Greetings and common words:

🔸 Здравствуйте (Zdrastvuyte) – Hello
🔸 Доброе утро (Dobroe utro) – Good morning
🔸 Спасибо (Spasibo) – Thank you
🔸 Пожалуйста (Pozhaluysta) – Please

▶ Finding your way around:

🔸 Где это? (Gde eto?) – Where is this?
🔸 Магазин (Magazin) – Store
🔸 Вокзал (Vokzal) – Train station

▶ Complaining (or not) about weather:

🔸 Холодно (Kholodno) – Cold
🔸 Тепло (Teplo) – Warm
🔸 Дождь (Dozhd’) – Rain
🔸 Солнце (Sontse) – Sun

▶ Celebrating holidays:

🔸 С Новым годом (S novym godom) – Happy New Year
🔸 С Днем рождения (S dnem rozhdeniya) – Happy Birthday
🔸 С Рождеством (S rozhdestvom) – Merry Christmas

▶ Student phrase book:

🔸 Уроки (Uroki) – Classes
🔸 Библиотека (Biblioteka) – Library
🔸 Столовая (Stolovaya) – Cafeteria
🔸 Учебники (Uchebniki) – Textbooks

▶ Digging into the Russian psyche and past:

🔸 Литература (Literatura) – Literature
🔸 История (Istoriya) – History
🔸 Культура (Kultura) – Culture

▶ And finally – &%@!:

🔸 Блин (Blin) – Darn
🔸 Чёрт (Chyort) – Dang
🔸 Офигеть (Ofiget’) – Oh my!

For more advanced lingo, visit this article.