Early announcement

🐝 Spelling Bee 🐝 

Think you can spell your way to victory?
Then, join us for a fun and friendly Spelling Bee competition where you can test your English skills and compete with others! 

Who can participate?
- Anyone with a B1+ level of English
- Limited spots available - registration required!

Don't want to compete?
Come and cheer for your friends, participate in mini-games, and enjoy the atmosphere!

Just register as an audience through the link

📅 Friday, May 30
⏰ 17:00
📍 9, Lomonosova, room 3220

What if stepping into the unknown helped you find your truest self? 🤔

For Sara Samine, studying at ITMO wasn’t just about earning credits — it was a bold adventure into self-discovery. Reflecting back on her time at ITMO, she says:

“I discovered that I’m much stronger and more adaptable than I thought. Before going to ITMO, I feared I wouldn’t make friends or that I would struggle with everyday tasks. But over time, I became more independent, flexible, and surprisingly good at handling freezing temperatures!”

In this latest interview, you’ll learn how Sara found friendship, confidence, and a second home in Russia’s cultural capital. Click here to read on 👈

#itmofaces

What are you plans for the extra days off?

👨‍💻 — Catch up on my studies
🌭 — Barbecue!
😴 — Good night’s sleep and digital detox

Spring vibes & soundwaves: here’s what’s on in St. Pete this week 👇

🏙 Urban Poetics. Leningrad in the 1950s-60s
• May 9 | 11 AM - 6 PM | 400 RUB

Discover Leningrad of yore through rare photographs by actor and director Evgeny Zlobin, now on display at ROSPHOTO.

🎼 Music club at Community: psychedelic rock
• May 10 | 6 PM | 250 RUB

Embark on a journey with King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and their latest orchestral experiment at this week’s music club session.

🌳 Spring at Botanical Garden
• May 11 | 10 AM - 5 PM | 900 RUB

Trees, blooms, and birdsong await you at the Botanical Garden – the perfect green escape right in the city.

🪣 Sand Sculpture Festival
• May 12 | 10 AM - 9 PM | 500 RUB

Explore WWII history through stunning sand sculptures by artists from Russia and abroad.

Want more spring plans? Find the full lineup on ITMO.NEWS 👈

#events

Fun ways to stay active without actually doing sports!

🥔 Help a friend plant potatoes
👕 Go on a shopping odyssey
🐕‍🦺 Volunteer at an animal shelter

When rolling out your yoga mat or going to the gym is just not a vibe, there’s still a bunch of ways to close your activity rings. Discover more ideas in this story.

Here’s your latest roundup of ITMO buzz – from bold strategies to spelling bees 🐝

🎯 Andrey Volkov, the director of SKOLKOVO’s Public Strategy Institute, stopped by ITMO’s PI School to share why the future of universities lies not just in knowledge, but in building real-world tech and products.

📺 Want to immerse yourself in Russian pop culture? Here are 5 iconic game shows that have kept generations hooked – brainy, sporty, and sometimes just plain wild!

And now, let’s revisit two key posts from last week 👇

🗣 Got the words? Prove it at ITMO’s English Spelling Bee on May 30 – or come for the vibes, mini-games, and good times with friends.

🚶 Skip the tourist traps and take a quirky city walk around Malaya Okhta – where Swedish forts meet kettle-shaped buildings and shawarma joints.

#newsdigest

Big news: ITMO will receive 160+ million rubles to train world-class IT professionals!

ITMO has been selected as one of Russia’s top universities to train world-class IT specialists in 2025-2030. The competition was held by the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media and the Analytical Center for the Government of the Russian Federation.

Click here to learn more 👈

#itmoinfo

From a Master’s student to a multitasking powerhouse! 🌠

Meet Alena Ermochenko, a PhD student, lecturer, program manager, and more. But how does she do it all?

Oh, it’s a challenge for sure, but I love it :) Now it’s particularly tough because it’s the last six months of my PhD program, and I am finishing my thesis. […] I’d say that being at the faculty helps me a lot: all of my responsibilities are connected to it and its staff, so it’s not that challenging to keep all my to-do lists under control. It could be that some projects even turn out more successful because I can approach them on multiple levels.

Read the full interview now 👈

#itmofaces

Global urbanism: how Gulf cities are reshaping the Middle East 🌆

What connects Doha’s futuristic skyscrapers, monumental museums, and ancient quarters?

Join the open lecture by ITMO Fellow professor Ali A. Alraouf — a leading architect and urbanist from Qatar — to:

• Discover how knowledge is becoming the new “oil” for Arab megacities
• Peek behind the scenes of World Expo and FIFA and see how mega-events reshape entire cities
• Learn how urban identity is crafted — where tradition meets high-tech vision

🗣 Language of instruction: English
📅 May 19, 11:30 AM
📍 Kronverksky Pr. 49, room 1419

🔗 Register here

#events

From heroes in art to boats and beats – here’s what’s up in St. Pete this week 👇

🐕‍🦺 The Lives of Remarkable Dogs
• May 16 | 10 AM - 6 PM | 800-1200 RUB

Explore how dogs have been immortalized in Russian art, from portraits and landscapes to sculptures and coins.

🗿 Night of Museums
• May 17 | 6 PM - 6 AM | 300-750 RUB

Celebrate the Night of Museums with live music, talks, and hero-themed exhibits all across the city – don’t wait to get your ticket!

⛵️ Radio yachting
• May 18 | 10 AM - 7 PM | Free

Try your hand at radio-controlled boat racing and sailor’s knots this weekend at New Holland Island.

🎖 Leningrad. Meeting Victory
• May 19 | 10 AM - 9 PM | Free

Feel the wartime spirit of Leningrad through 120+ powerful images and artworks that capture the city during and after its historic siege.

For more weekend wins, head to ITMO.NEWS and check out the full list of events! 👈

#events

This week at ITMO: drones take flight, science earns global applause, and more! Check them all out 👇

🛩 ITMO teams up with Geoscan to launch a student bureau for design and testing of autonomous aircraft – opening this September!

🌟 ITMO’s nanophotonics session named the best out of 119 at PIERS 2025 in Abu Dhabi – global recognition for cutting-edge science!

🧠 With 5.5 million diabetes cases in Russia, early diagnostics matter more than ever – ITMO Fellow Dr. Yuri Rykov is on a mission to revolutionize diagnostics with AI. Learn how.

And now, two key posts from last week:

🎉 Registration for ITMO Family Day is now open! Join the summer’s most heartwarming celebration on July 12 at 300th Anniversary Park – bring your loved ones!

📋 Are you an international student? Help us make your ITMO journey smoother by filling out this short arrival survey – your voice matters!

#newsdigest