Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
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Alexey Mordashov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Severstal and CEO of SeverGroup, received the title of Honorary Doctor of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The diploma and gown presentation ceremony took place during the ceremonial meeting of the university's Academic Council on February 12.
The title of "Honorary Doctor" is the highest form of recognition at SPbPU, and has been awarded to outstanding figures in government, science, and industry. Among them are: Nobel Prize laureate in physics Zhores Alferov, statesman and academician Yevgeny Primakov, and First Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov. Chairman of the Management Committee of PJSC Gazprom Alexey Miller and others.
"Alexey Alexandrovich has done us a great honor by agreeing to run for the title of Honorary Doctor of the Polytechnic University, and, of course, the members of the Academic Council unanimously voted to award him this high title," SPbPU Rector Andrey Rudskoy opened the ceremony. "This step marks a harmonious development of the Polytechnic University's long-standing and fruitful collaboration with a leading metallurgical company."
SPbPU and Severstal have been collaborating for over ten years. Their goal is to accelerate the onboarding of young engineers so that graduates arrive at the company with a deep understanding of real-world production technologies. Since 2005, more than 20 joint projects have been implemented, including the development of new steel grades, the modernization of converter production units, and the creation of materials for additive manufacturing based on metal powders. In 2025, Severstal's total investment in the development of SPbPU's educational infrastructure amounted to 20.9 million rubles.
Last December, with the support of Severstal, A renovated laboratory for heat treatment of metals and alloys was opened, equipped to industrial standards. It includes muffle heating furnaces, universal and microhardness testers, and metallographic microscopes. The company donated seven VR simulator systems to the university, simulating over 20 technological operations. The upgrade affected not only the technical aspects but also the learning environment—the lab has become modern, functional, and comfortable for students and faculty.
Furthermore, Severstal experts, together with the university, developed a unique multi-track model for training research engineers in metallurgy and materials science. In 2024, it was awarded the St. Petersburg Government Prize. The first 28 students enrolled in the program in 2025.
Every year, SPbPU graduates come to work at Severstal: 22 people were employed in 2024, ten in 2025, and 41 students completed internships at the company.
SPbPU and Power Machines, a SeverGroup company, are also jointly reviving key educational programs in power engineering and creating unique laboratories, such as the Center for the Study of Electrical Insulating Materials. In November 2020, the student design bureau "Power Machines – Polytechnic" was opened. Recently, Polytechnic and Power Machines The largest blank in Russia was printed using the electric arc method Steam turbine seal housings weighing over 750 kg. The work was carried out at the Polytechnic University's Lightweight Materials and Structures Laboratory.
Dmitry Karpov, SPbPU Academic Secretary, spoke in more detail about the collaboration between the Polytechnic University and Severstal. In his introduction to the new Honorary Doctor, he mentioned the book "Is It Possible to Make a Soviet Plant a World Leader in Metallurgy? The Short Answer Is 'Yes!'" published by Severstal for the 70th anniversary of the Cherepovets Iron and Steel Works, and cited Alexey Mordashov's work directly from it. This made the meeting with Alexey Alexandrovich particularly vivid and lively, revealing his outstanding qualities as a manager, leader, and entrepreneur through specific examples and personal experience, and enriching the audience with valuable knowledge. A top manager's statement, for example, is particularly telling: "It's important to accept as an axiom that each of your employees understands their business much more than you do, and the manager's job is simply to help them realize their potential."
This book is worth recommending to students studying in a wide range of educational programs: economics and technological entrepreneurship, management and organization of knowledge-intensive industries, sociologists, historians… This book contains invaluable facts about the country, the industry, the market, the development of the enterprise, and, as they say, the role of the individual in history. It's practically a textbook, noted Dmitry Karpov.
The gown and diploma presentation ceremony took place to the accompaniment of the Gaudeamus anthem performed by the Polyhymnia youth choir. The doctoral gown and cap were carried into the Academic Council Hall by students wearing the uniform of the Polytechnic University from the early 20th century. Andrei Rudskoy presented Alexei Mordashov with a medal and an Honorary Doctorate certificate.
In his response, Alexey Alexandrovich thanked the Polytechnic University and expressed hope for continued collaboration: "The history of the Cherepovets Plant and my own once again confirm this truth: we live in an era where knowledge is becoming a decisive force. The most important thing a business can do is not machines or components, but people with a certain culture and knowledge. Understanding this, we have always placed great emphasis on the development of people. And here, cooperation with the Polytechnic University has always been a very important, a very serious element. The history of the Polytechnic University is fascinating and inspiring. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that it combines science, education, and cutting-edge achievements. Today, our group has almost 200,000 employees, and we, like everyone else, are involved in the battle for talent. The kind of people who will join us tomorrow is crucial for us. We work extensively with universities, and our collaboration with the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University is particularly important. It is gratifying that the number of graduates joining us is growing." This is a sign that together we can achieve so much. For me, today's event, on the one hand, institutionalizes my membership in the large Polytechnic University family, and on the other, it recognizes the contributions we've made together over many years. I thank the Academic Council for their trust; it's a great honor and joy for me to join the ranks of honorary doctors of the Polytechnic University. May our partnership continue to bear fruit, so that we can achieve more together.
After the graduation ceremony, Alexey Mordashov visited the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials, and Transport. He spoke with students in the Large Chemical Auditorium and offered these words of encouragement: "What happens to you today will shape your entire life. My destiny is proof that a person is capable of so much. I was born in Cherepovets. I graduated in 1988, never having earned a single B. I don't know how that happened; it was just interesting. Now I work as an entrepreneur. I recently read that the Forbes list includes approximately 3,000 billionaires. Of these, about a thousand inherited their fortunes, and two thousand earned theirs themselves. Including me. This shows that anything is possible. It's important that the university can help you succeed. The level of knowledge and culture you acquire here will determine your success. I sincerely wish you to seize this opportunity and become successful. Polytechnic University has a huge, inspiring history, and you are part of it."
Then Alexey Mordashov visited the laboratory for heat treatment of metals and alloys, where he and Andrey Rudskoy tempered a piece of metal in a furnace and then answered questions from metallurgy students.
— Where is metallurgy heading now: are we developing new products, or are we mastering the technologies we've invented and simply trying to promote them?
"We have developments that need to be improved. We're making our products thinner, stronger, and continually improving their performance. In principle, yes, we will be developing new types of products, which is why cooperation with Polytechnic University is so important."
— How do you manage to manage such a large company, and do you have time to switch to something else?
— With difficulty. (Laughs.) But I don't really do anything with my own hands. I recruit people, motivate them, and develop them so they can do their jobs better. In that sense, I'm a service provider. Of course, I participate in strategic discussions and act as an expert. But it's the people who achieve results! Do I manage to switch off? Yes. No one can stay stressed forever. I have vacations, and at 60, I decided to learn to play the piano. Plus, there's physical exercise.
— What specialties are most in demand in the company?
"We definitely need engineers across the entire spectrum of specialties. In fact, we need specialists in all fields—from economists to lawyers. I would advise you to get the specialty you enjoy. You'll be most successful in it. If you're a specialist in anything, but a good one at that, you'll always find a job."
You often visit businesses in person and interact with employees. Have you ever learned anything from them and put it into practice?
"I'm not the only one doing this; we have a whole system for collecting feedback. For example, there were a lot of ideas about continuous improvement, and we completely reconfigured the process based on that. To a certain extent, our job is to collect feedback and understand what's going on at the company."
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