Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
Large-scale ocean research begins in the classrooms of the country's leading universities. Fourteen students from the RUDN University Institute of Ecology participated in the All-Russian scientific and educational program "Floating University." They passed a rigorous competitive selection process and received personal invitations to the Winter School, which took place from February 7 to 14.
The Floating University is a unique ecosystem that fosters a professional community of young ocean researchers. For RUDN students, the trip became a true springboard into science, allowing them to progress from theory to practice under the guidance of leading Russian scientists.
The participants from the Institute of Ecology spanned a wide range of years, from first-year students to graduate students, each finding their own research focus. They worked at leading institutes and laboratories in the Northern Capital, studying the ocean's role in the carbon cycle, molecular biology, and satellite oceanography.
Direction for a future career
Third-year student Diana Fortuna admitted that the decision to participate came spontaneously, but exceeded all expectations.
"I've known about the Floating University for a long time from our scientific community, GreenLab. I tried to enroll in my first year, but it didn't work out. This time, after a consultation, everything worked out. The program not only met but exceeded my expectations—I saw a completely new direction for my future career," says Diana Fortuna.
The girl particularly noted the lecture on toxic algae in Kamchatka, which opened up an unexplored area of research for her, and the work in the laboratory.
"We've mastered the full cycle of genetic research into bacteria capable of oxidizing plastic—from seeding to DNA sequencing. This is invaluable!" — Diana Fortuna.
Student Alexandra Erbaeva, a participant in the "Role of the Ocean in the Carbon Cycle" track at St. Petersburg State University, shared that she was fortunate to work at the O. Yu. Schmidt Laboratory at the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute, where the school participants not only learned about research methods but also saw the equipment in action.
"But the most striking event was the satellite oceanography workshop. We used MATLAB to create real-world maps of chlorophyll-a concentrations in the Gulf of Finland based on data from 1970 to 2025. It's one thing to read about it in textbooks, but quite another to see for yourself how the ocean 'greens' in summer in satellite images," says Alexandra Erbaeva.
Alexandra was also impressed by the lecture on coastal protection issues, which used real-life examples to demonstrate how engineering errors can destroy the coastline.
"It made me think about the complexity and responsibility of our future profession," says Alexandra Erbaeva.
A new stage lies ahead
The mission of the Floating University is to attract talented young people to Earth sciences and build a community of professionals. Judging by the feedback from RUDN students, this mission is being successfully accomplished. The students not only immersed themselves in current oceanographic issues, from the carbon cycle to microplastics, but also established connections with future colleagues and mentors.
Our students' participation in the Floating University 2026 Winter School confirms the high level of training at the university and their commitment to solving fundamental and applied problems of our time. A new stage lies ahead for the students: processing the data they receive and, perhaps, participating in real marine expeditions, where they will apply their acquired knowledge in the open ocean.
The RUDN delegation at the Floating University-2026 Winter School included: Alina Nazmieva, Diana Fortuna, Ekaterina Benyuk, Daria Dobrova, Valeria Loseva, Anastasia Kireeva, Polina Logunova, Veronika Menshikova, Natalia Dianova, Daria Popova, Vadim Solastey, Galina Stogova, Valeria Topilina, and Alexandra Erbaeva.
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