🌿 Every year on the day of the spring equinox, millions of people around the world celebrate Nowruz – the start of spring and a new year!

We asked our international students what Nowruz means to them and how they celebrate 💛

🇮🇷 Raman Khan Ahmadi, Iran:

Nowruz is nature’s rebirth and our own fresh start. We perform Khane Tekani (deep-cleaning of our homes), refresh our wardrobes, set up the Haft-Sin table, and bake traditional Talesh bread. Every year, after visiting the elders, I travel to the Barzov Waterfall, where the first green shoots and blue flowers remind me that the earth is waking up again.

🇹🇯 Ulugbek Oripov, Tajikistan:

Nowruz is a time of togetherness — everyone goes out for walks, visits relatives, and celebrates together. The highlight for me is cooking Sumalyak with neighbors and family for about 20 hours, stirring in wishes for the year ahead.
May your home be filled with joy, abundance, and laughter!

🇦🇫 Ramin Jalalpoor, Afghanistan:

Nowruz, to me, is a new beginning. My favorite tradition is picnicking outdoors with family to welcome the year with fresh energy.
May this year bring peace, prosperity, and endless opportunities for all. Eid-e Nowruz Mubarak!

🇮🇷 Dorsa Abbasi, Iran:

Nowruz reminds me of my grandfather’s house — family, laughter, and warmth. This year, I celebrate far from home and I can’t help but miss those familiar faces and traditions. However, I’ve found a new family here in my international friends. It’s a reminder that Nowruz transcends borders, bringing people together no matter where they are.
Wishing everyone joy, renewal, and harmony!

Happy Nowruz to all who celebrate it! May this new year bring happiness, success, and new beginnings 🌸

How are you celebrating Nowruz? Let us know in the comments!

8 podcasts for Russian learners 🎧

Among the many tools and resources for mastering Russian, podcasts are a perfect fit even for the busiest bee. We’ve put together a few that will not only help you boost your language skills, but also immerse you in local history and culture.

Tune in, learn, and immerse yourself — here’s the list!

#russia

Live from ITMO Family Day mini on the Kronverksky campus! Beware of cuteness overload! 🥺

Print your docs for free at ITMO 📄

Simply make use of the Telegram bot @ITMO_print_bot. With this service, students and staff can print 50 pages for free each semester.

Learn how to use it with our tutorial.

Share your thoughts on tourism in Russia✈️

We invite international students to participate in a survey about your experiences traveling in Russia.

Conducted by the Russian Ministry of Science and Education and the Agency of Strategic Initiatives for the Promotion of New Projects, the survey aims to identify the demands, interests, and preferences of international students visiting and traveling within Russia.

It will take just about 10 minutes — your insights will help make our country a more comfortable destination for your memorable trips!

🔗 Fill out the survey by March 28 here

Happy birthday, ITMO! 🎉

For 125 years, our university has been shaping science and setting trends in education. None of this would have been possible without our ITMO Family — a community of passionate individuals.

Today, we want to express our gratitude to our amazing students – for always being in the thick of it, to our dedicated teachers – for their unending enthusiasm, to our researchers — for advancing science in Russia and around the globe, and to all our staff members — for fostering a warm, welcoming environment anywhere at the university.

Here’s to many more years of even greater achievements and unstoppable growth!

Snow, banya, and coding. Willy’s time in St. Petersburg was fun – to say the least! ❄️

What’s it like to swap Indonesian sunshine for the Russian winter? For Willy Cahyadi, his five months at ITMO were packed with a few challenges, a handful of local traditions, and plenty of life-changing experiences. Now, back home, he looks back on the lessons he learned and the memories he’ll never forget.

Living abroad pushed me out of my comfort zone. I learned that failure isn’t the end – it’s just a part of the learning process. Oscar Wilde said, “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” ITMO gave me plenty of both, and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.

Curious about his biggest challenges and surprises? Read the full story here 👈

#itmofaces

Spring is near, and so is a week full of music, film, and art! 🎭 Here’s what not to miss this week in St. Petersburg:

🎋 Botanical Holidays
• Mar 28 | 10 AM - 5 PM | 600 RUB

As the first flowers bloom, soak in the beauty of early spring with a peaceful stroll through St. Petersburg Botanical Garden.

🏛 World War II Exhibition
• Mar 29 | 11 - 9 PM | 250-350 RUB

Marking 80 years since the end of WWII, this major display at the Manege examines the struggles and triumphs of wartime workers through 100+ artifacts and historical records.

🎬 Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
• Mar 30 | 12:20 PM | 430-450 RUB

Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom (2012) returns to the big screen this Sunday at Out Cinema. Expect a heartfelt tale of first love, youth, and adventure.

🎺 Jazz music evening
• Apr 2 | 7 PM | 500-700 RUB

More classics await at St. Petersburg Philharmonia, where an unforgettable tribute to Bach, Mozart, Vivaldi, and others will be performed by world-class musicians.

For more of this week’s events, read the full guide on ITMO.NEWS 👈

#events

What makes a great university even better? A commitment to innovate and the right support! 🤝

The Vladimir Potanin Foundation provided just that by awarding five ITMO lecturers 500,000 rubles each to revamp educational programs and shape the next generation of top specialists!

ITMO was also ranked among the top 3 universities for the number of approved applications and among the top 5 – for supported initiatives.

Read more here 👈

#itmoinfo

Fresh breakthroughs, cool perks, and learning hacks – stay ahead with ITMO’s weekly news digest 🍀

🔥 ITMO scientists have developed a laser metallization method for any surface. The discovery allows for fast and cost-effective metal patterning on various materials.

💾 ITMO researchers have created ultrathin 2D crystals for data storage. These new self-transforming metal-organic frameworks could make memory devices and AI platforms more efficient and affordable.

✨ A new workshop on laser art at ITMO lets students and artists create stunning designs using lasers. Don’t miss out!

And now, here are a few posts worth revisiting from the past week:

📄 Students and staff at ITMO can print up to 50 pages per semester using the @ITMO_print_bot on Telegram. Check out our tutorial to get started.

🎧 Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, these podcasts will enhance your skills while immersing you in Russian history and culture. Check them out here.

#newsdigest

Embrace career opportunities at ITMO Careers forum!

This year, the event is leveling up: more areas, more experts, and more career opportunities for students from all faculties.

Who’ll be there

🖥 IT: Young&&Yandex, VK, Nexign, BIOCAD, and more
🔧 Engineering: Axenix, StarLine, Avito, Baltika, and more
📱 Information Security: SRS/RRI, Evercode Lab, VK, StarLine, Avito, and more
📊 Economics and Innovations: Evercode Lab, VK, Gazprom Neft, Axenix, Sber, and more
🔬 Biology and Chemistry: Baltika, PromIngredients, BIOCAD
💡 Physics: EVM
🎨 Design: Evercode Lab, VK

On the agenda

✅ Speed interviews
✅ Workshops from top speakers
✅ Career box giveaway
✅ Companies’ interactive zones
🍕 And, of course, pizza!

📅 April 1
📍 Kronverksky Pr. 49
🔗 Register here

#opportunities