Category: Russian Universities

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NSU has developed a system for the automatic recognition of decision books from volost courts dating back to the early 20th century.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Master's student Faculty of Information Technology Stepan Gudkov (NSU Faculty of Information Technologies) has developed software that automates the recognition of handwritten historical documents, specifically the decision books of volost courts that existed in Russia in the early 20th century. The project aims to introduce these court decisions, which reflect many aspects of the lives of Siberian peasants, into scientific circulation. The development is part of Stepan Gudkov's master's thesis, which he is preparing under the supervision of Vladimir Borisovich Barakhnin, Doctor of Engineering Sciences and Professor in the Department of General Informatics at NSU Faculty of Information Technologies.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the peasant class in Russia had so-called volost courts, which dealt with civil matters. Their decisions were recorded in thick journals, bound with cord and sealed with a seal. They represent a treasure trove of information—a description of the lives and daily routines of Russian and Siberian peasants in the pre-revolutionary era.

"Although these are court documents, they're not really about the court; they're about life in its various manifestations. Reading these decisions, we get a picture of the different peasant occupations, learning about their daily lives, their daily concerns, their personalities, and their habits. We see all this diversity in the decisions of the volost court. They give us a glimpse of peasant Russia, which later disappeared during the 20th century, when the country became completely different. It's a photographic portrait of peasant Russia," said Alexey Kirillov, senior researcher at the Institute of History, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences.

Thus arose the idea of making this knowledge accessible to a wide range of historians and interested individuals, not just selecting 100 solutions, but digitizing and recognizing a large number of documents, presenting them in a form understandable to the modern reader, so that all this would be easy and accessible.

"By my estimates, at the beginning of the 20th century, volost courts across Russia issued approximately 1 million decisions annually. Of these, only a tiny fraction have survived. Archives in Siberia currently contain several tens of thousands of decisions, and across the country, I believe, we can count on hundreds of thousands. To introduce them into scholarly circulation and begin studying them, they first need to be recognized and translated into modern text. We are currently manually transcribing them, which is a very labor-intensive process. I can give you an example: we will soon publish two books presenting several hundred volost court decisions. This work took us three years. If we set the goal of recognizing the texts of all decisions, then, if done manually, it would take several decades. The use of information technology, however, allows us to automate and significantly speed up this work," added Alexey Kirillov.

Historians approached the NSU Faculty of Information Technology with this task. To introduce a handwritten historical document into scientific circulation, it's not enough to simply digitize it as an image; it must be recognizable in text form.

"The text must, at a minimum, be indexed, with all words extracted. Then the text must be processed, extracting the most important general terms describing the subject matter of a given decision; the document must be cataloged. Then it will be possible to assemble a comprehensive information system that will allow specialists and the general public to access decisions of the district courts. Where should we begin here? Of course, with the translation of the handwritten text, its recognition, and its conversion into a machine-readable format," explained Vladimir Barakhnin.

Existing text recognition systems are not applicable to such documents due to various characteristics, so it was necessary to develop an algorithm suitable for working with handwritten documents.

When recognizing handwritten texts, specialists face a number of challenges that must be addressed. First, the volost court decision log is composed of ruled pages, including vertical ones. However, in reality, writing wasn't always done strictly in columns; often, the text ran continuously across the page, making it difficult to understand. Second, there are different handwriting styles. Although the volost register was typically written by a single scribe and a certain number of documents were written in the same handwriting, handwriting varies from book to book. Third, pre-revolutionary orthography differs from modern orthography. Finally, the scribes' limited literacy and the use of various abbreviations and proper names all complicate text recognition and processing.

To solve the problem of recognizing such texts, NSU developers applied machine vision algorithms that allow them to recognize lines, individual symbols, and letters.

"The system takes as input an image of a page from a book of decisions of rural district courts. It is broken into several small fragments, each of which is divided into individual lines of text, which can be done using neural networks like YOLO. After this, the image of the line must be converted into text. There are several approaches: running a dynamically sized window over the line, cropping the letter images and feeding them to the recognition model (an ensemble of convolutional neural networks can be used); solving the problem of transforming a sequence (handwritten text) into a sequence (printed text) using convolutional recurrent neural networks or transformer-based networks, which requires a large number of manually transcribed lines to train the model; or using a training method with a small number of training samples, which we have not yet tested and has an undeniable advantage since it requires very little data to train the model. The recognized text will, of course, contain errors, so post-processing is required: at least checking it against dictionaries. The result should be a text file containing the recognized text," Stepan Gudkov explained.

A machine vision algorithm has now been developed that helps train a neural network to recognize words as a set of symbols, without any processing or correction. Further refinement of the algorithm is intended to enable the system to suggest possible spellings and corrections based on meaning and context, allowing a human to decide which version is correct.

"Further text processing requires some thought; reading word-by-word doesn't produce a perfect result; errors and recognition difficulties are possible. Solving this problem with IT alone will be difficult; we need to develop an application that, when it encounters unfamiliar words, underlines them, marks them for correction, and suggests the most likely variants. Therefore, it's essential to involve specialists with a humanities background," Vladimir Barakhnin added.

The future plan is to create a full-fledged information system with search interfaces. In such a system, each document is provided with all metadata, all words are extracted, and it is machine-readable. The system allows for contextual searching and selection by various criteria—by village, person, case category, etc.

In the future, this development can be applied to the analysis of any handwritten documents from archives—letters, diaries, etc., created in the pre-revolutionary period—from the mid-19th century, when the modern Russian language emerged, until 1917.

Photo: Photos used from https://volsud.sibistorik.ru/

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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The first international roundtable discussion, "Law, Bioneuroconstitutionalism, and Human Rights in the Age of Genetic Information and Bioneurotechnology," was held at NSU.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

On December 5, Novosibirsk State University hosted its first international roundtable discussion, "Law, Bioneuroconstitutionalism, and Human Rights in the Age of Genetic Information and Bioneurotechnology." The event was timed to coincide with Lawyer's Day and the 1993 Constitution Day of the Russian Federation. Leading experts in bioethics, biolaw, and neuroscience from universities and research centers in Novosibirsk, Tomsk, Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Tyumen, Kazakhstan, and China spoke at the roundtable.

The round table was supported by the Russian Science Foundation grant No. 25-18-00338 “Anthropological bioconstitutionalism and the achievement of bioethical well-being in the system of ensuring humanitarian biosecurity: human dignity and new human rights in legal ontology and biosocial reproduction.”The grant is for three years and, in addition to the roundtable, includes interdisciplinary research into anthropological bioconstitutionalism and human biorights, as well as the publication of Russia's first scientific research encyclopedic dictionary, collective monographs, and proposals for amendments to current Russian legislation.

The round table was initiated by scientists Institute of Philosophy and Law (IPL) of NSU.

"Different sciences come to the forefront at different times. The 21st century is the century of life sciences, including, of course, biomedicine and neuroscience. Law is also a life science, no less important than medicine, because jurisprudence teaches us how to live in society, how to live while observing the laws. In my opinion, the main characteristic of the modern world is uncertainty; nothing is constant except change. In this environment of uncertainty and volatility, guidelines are essential, and in this sense, our constitution plays a crucial role, setting guidelines by which the ship called Russia can navigate. Therefore, the topic of the roundtable is particularly relevant. I am very pleased that the event generated great interest among our graduate students—we have about 60 of them, some attending in person, some online," noted Vladimir Diev, Doctor of Philosophy and Director of the NSU Institute of Physical Problems, at the opening of the event.

The project's director is Igor Kravets, Doctor of Law, Professor, Head of the Department of Constitutional and Municipal Law, and Chief Research Fellow at the Institute of Physical Problems at NSU. Speaking about the genesis of the roundtable discussion, he emphasized its interdisciplinary nature and the existence of research centers that address this issue, noting the importance of biocentrism in law, medicine, and healthcare.

"This is an interdisciplinary topic based on the development of human biorights, bioethics, and biomedicine in the context of achieving bioethical well-being. When we initiated this roundtable, we assumed that bioethics centers already exist at universities where biolaw is being developed and human rights in biomedicine are studied. Therefore, we invited colleagues from Moscow State Law University, the Center for Bioethics and Human Rights at the Ural State Law University, and the Higher School of Economics, as well as other leading specialists from Russian academic schools working on these issues," explained Igor Kravets.

The roundtable discussion included four scientific panels: Bioneuroconstitutionalism, human rights, and new technologies; Reproductive technologies, biomedicine, and human rights; Biomedical law and the status of individuals and citizens in light of new technologies (domestic and international experience); Bioethics and neurophilosophy facing the challenges of new technologies; and a youth panel.

"The topic of bioethics, the focus of this roundtable, is extremely important because significant changes in scientific knowledge are currently underway, and this is reflected in a new interdisciplinary synthesis—firstly, the sciences related to biology are merging; secondly, new technologies are emerging, primarily artificial intelligence and neural networks; and thirdly, legal science must respond to these changes. Therefore, it is crucial to approach the topic of bioethics from the perspectives of philosophy, biology, and law," commented Andrey Medushevsky, Doctor of Philosophy and Professor at the National Research University Higher School of Economics.

Elena Titova, Doctor of Law and Professor at the Law Institute of South Ural State University (Chelyabinsk), spoke at the roundtable. She discussed the relationship between the category of bioconstitutionalism and biosafety rights, as well as scientific approaches to developing this doctrine. Titova specializes in litigation involving individuals and medical organizations when rights are restricted or when it is necessary to ensure the protection of rights in the field of biomedicine.

Mikhail Kotlovsky, MD, PhD, Chief Researcher at the N.A. Semashko National Research Institute of Public Health (Moscow), focused his presentation on the ethical challenges facing professionals implementing new technologies in healthcare. The focus was on the extent to which ethical standards and ethics apply to artificial intelligence when it is used in medicine. This applies to medical research and healthcare institutions, as much data is currently generated and systematized using artificial intelligence—so-called biodata. The expert provided a comprehensive assessment of the potential of using artificial intelligence to process biodata.

Igor Kravets discussed in more detail the issue of bioethical dignity from the perspective of international and national biomedical law.

"UNESCO's international instruments provide for a law enforcement and enforcement mechanism that considers human rights in the field of biomedicine in the context of their relationship with human dignity. For example, human dignity and genetics, human dignity and biorights, human dignity and biosafety. I see this as a new paradigm. That is, bioethical dignity is not only the dignity of a person participating in medical research or exercising reproductive rights; it is the dignity of various living beings that exist on our planet and that may have various forms of vulnerability. For example, if we consider humans, these include people with disabilities, children, and pregnant women. Bioethical dignity demonstrates the degree of their autonomy and vulnerability, which should be reflected in the structure of state guarantees. Bioethics also considers the rights of animals and the ability of humans to participate in their care within the context of the dignity of living beings," explained Igor Kravets.

Continuing this theme, Irina Krylatova, PhD in Law and Director of the Center for Bioethics and Law at the V.F. Yakovlev Ural State Law University, presented her research findings. She discussed the role of bioethical principles in conceptualizing the bioethical dignity of the individual.

Vladislava Boyarinova, PhD in Law, Institute of Philosophy and Law, Novosibirsk State University, shared her thoughts on the current challenges of informed consent when collecting neurophysiological data for analysis using artificial intelligence technologies, as part of a study supported by a grant from the Russian Science Foundation.

Particular attention was paid to the application of bioethical principles in family relationships. Daria Sennikova, PhD in Law and Associate Professor at the Law Institute of the National Research Tomsk State University, presented a paper on the right to protection from violence, raising the question: how to help without harming?

Experts from other countries participated in the roundtable. Zhang Yueping, Doctor of Law, Junior Research Fellow at the Institute of Russian Language at Heilongjiang University, was a year-long intern at the Institute of Legal Philosophy at NSU. Her presentation focused on the specific understanding of biolaw in China and the status of citizens of the People's Republic of China from this perspective. Anton Didikin, Doctor of Philosophy and Candidate of Law at the Maqsut Narikbayev University Graduate School of Law (Kazakhstan), a graduate of NSU, has a long history of studying neurophilosophy and neurolaw. He presented a paper entitled "Transformation of Legal Responsibility in the Age of Neuroscience," which examined how the concept of legal capacity is changing under the influence of technological advances. This primarily concerns criminal liability, as advances in neuroscience call into question free will and the awareness of one's actions.

The field of neurophilosophy in Russia is currently most developed at one university—the Higher School of Economics. And HSE Professor Andrey Medushevsky's presentation was devoted specifically to neuroscience and its relationship with law.

"The essence of neuroscience is that it unites various fields of knowledge related to the study of the brain. And currently, some researchers are declaring a true revolution in brain research. This is linked, firstly, to the emergence of cognitive sciences and psychology. Secondly, it's biology, bioethics, and artificial intelligence. This revolution in brain research lies in the emergence, for the first time, of technologies that allow us to track the processes of cognition, meaning formation, and thought. And the most important of these technologies is, without a doubt, cerebral cortex scanning. Humanity is gaining a unique opportunity to empirically study subjective states," commented Andrey Medushevsky.

Lawyers face new challenges: firstly, a whole new field of legal research related to neurolaw is emerging; secondly, the question arises of how to approach these technological advances from a legal perspective, in particular the legality of using neuroevidence in court.

The presentations by experts in the field of reproductive technologies from the perspective of both biolaw and public health generated great interest.

Valentina Komarova, Doctor of Law and Professor at the Kutafin Moscow State Law University, addressed the highly specific issue of the relationship and safeguarding of private and public interests in the use of reproductive technologies.

Andrey Kondrashev, Doctor of Law and Professor at the Law Institute of the Siberian Federal University (Krasnoyarsk), spoke online about the problems of regulating the post-mortem use of reproductive technologies in Russia (with comparative aspects).

Ekaterina Abrosimova, PhD in Law and Associate Professor at MGIMO University (Acting Head of the Department of Innovative Jurisprudence and Information Law), spoke online about the issue of the private legal status/regime of cryopreserved embryos.

Evgeniya Mossberg, a junior researcher at the Institute of Philosophy and Law at Novosibirsk State University, shared the results of her research (both under a grant from the Russian Science Foundation and for her dissertation) on the topic "Cryopreservation of human germ cells and embryos as a way to ensure human reproductive rights in the post-COVID period: the experience of BRICS countries."

Also of interest was the youth panel, which featured presentations by graduate students from the NSU Institute of Philosophy and Law. Maria Solodkina (Igoshkina), who has been working on information technology in constitutional law for over a year, presented a paper on the impact of information and digital technologies on the legal regulation of bioinformatics and biodata security. This is one of the issues related to the digitalization of healthcare.

Vitaly Kamorny, a civil law specialist by training, is interested in the issues of liability for harm caused by artificial intelligence in the fields of biolaw and biotechnology. It's possible that his research will expand to include exploring how artificial intelligence influences the development of biolaw.

Ivan Kuzmenkin is writing a dissertation on genetic constitution, which is related to international biolaw and the development of rights in Russia regarding genetic information. Genetic constitution, broadly defined, is a set of rights to the preservation and use of genetic information. The topic of his presentation at the roundtable was "Implementation of the Constitutional Principle of Human Dignity in Human Cloning," and human cloning is precisely part of the realization of rights to bioengineering and genetic constitution.

Roundtable participants expressed a commitment to scientific communication on complex issues of biolaw, biomedicine, neuroscience, and healthcare, and demonstrated the importance and potential of an interdisciplinary approach.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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A student family from NSU took part in the 5th Congress of Young Scientists

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Novosibirsk State University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

The Congress of Young Scientists was held in Sochi at the Sirius University of Science and Technology from November 26 to 28. The event brought together prominent leaders of Russian science, representatives of leading scientific schools from across Russia, scientific and educational organizations, government agencies, industrial partners, representatives of businesses and state corporations, and, most importantly, young scientists, grant winners, and students and schoolchildren from Russia and abroad. This year, the anniversary congress included a separate section entitled "The Scientific and Demographic Potential of Student Families—the Foundation of the Country's Future." NSU was represented in this section by a married couple, Danil and Tatyana Sboev.

Tatyana is a second-year master's student Faculty of Physics, and Danil is a second-year postgraduate student Faculty of Mechanics and MathematicsThis summer, they took part in the first All-Russian Festival of Student Families. During the festival's plenary session, Federation Council Chairperson Valentina Matviyenko personally invited Tatyana and Danil to participate in the 5th Congress of Young Scientists.

"We began our presentation at the congress with the story of how we met: we met almost five years ago at basketball practice, when we were both undergraduate students—me in my fourth year of the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, and Tanya in her second year of the Physics Department. Our love for sports and science then bonded us, and we've been married for over a year now," Danil said.

"If we talk about the role of family in our scientific and academic journeys, then, of course, having a partner who is also deeply involved in science provides great support in all areas of life. For example, in scientific endeavors, we can always give each other advice, looking at a situation from a different perspective. In everyday life, if one of us is busy, the other takes on most of the household responsibilities. And emotionally, of course, having a like-minded partner nearby provides great support, both during exams and during class time. We're also never bored; we often go to art exhibitions and try to make time for sports and creative activities together. Of course, balancing studies, science, and family life isn't easy, but the university understands this and provides support to student families," Tatyana added.

The young couple spoke in more detail about the support the university provides to families: legal, social, and psychological assistance, provision of a children's playroom in the dorm, financial assistance for student families with children, and many other types of support. For example, the Sboev family was provided with a room in the graduate student dorm and financial assistance as a young family.

"NSU provides additional financial support to students with children, both during pregnancy and after the birth of the child. This includes waiving dormitory rent for student families with children. You can learn more about all the support measures on the one-stop shop for young families on the website. Akademgorodok itself also has numerous kindergartens and schools, all located close to campus, making life much easier for young families," Tatyana explained.

At the Young Scientists Congress, Tatyana and Danil Sboev proposed their initiatives and listened to proposals from other families of young scientists. According to NSU students, housing issues for student families and families of young scientists were the main topic of discussion at the section "Scientific and Demographic Potential of Student Families—the Foundation of the Country's Future."

"I was amazed by the scale of the congress; 9,000 people came. In my opinion, everything was well-organized and well-run. We also visited the RSF School at the congress, learned about grant programs, how the RSF reviews are conducted, and gained a lot of other information that is useful to us as young scientists," Danil concluded.

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ESU won the "Symbols of Eurasian Integration" competition

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Official website of the State –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

On December 10, 2025, a ceremony summing up the results of the "Symbols of Eurasian Integration" competition, organized by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives with the support of the Eurasian Economic Commission, was held in Moscow.

The competition became the first systematic mechanism for selecting projects demonstrating the practical implementation of Strategy 2025 and strengthening cooperative ties between the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union.

In 2025, winners were announced in eight categories. These included projects in transportation, digital solutions, high technology, tourism, and financial services. The initiatives spanned a wide range of areas, from networked manufacturing to new modes of transport and advanced materials.

The State University of Management, as one of the coordinators of the scientific and educational consortium of the Eurasian Network University (ENU), presented the results of its work as part of the alliance and educational initiatives for the development of human capital in the EAEU.

The ESU project was recognized as the winner in the "Human Capital" category. Experts noted the creation of a common educational space among the five countries, the development of joint programs, student and faculty mobility, and the development of human resources solutions for the Union's future economy.

Dmitry Bryukhanov, Head of the ESU Secretariat and Vice-Rector of the State University of Management, emphasized that the consortium's victory reflects the growing need in the Union countries for modern educational practices and management training tools.

The role of the State University of Management in the project phase of integration

The university made a significant contribution by organizing and participating in the 3rd Forum of the ESU Scientific and Educational Consortium, which was held at Osh State University. The forum included strategic sessions, joint meetings, and an international scientific and practical conference aimed at developing scientific and academic initiatives in the EAEU.

It was these developments of the State University of Management that formed the basis of the ESU application, which was recognized as the best in one of the most significant nominations of the competition.

Education, science and technology as a unified system

The State University of Management actively participates in the development of institutional solutions for scientific and technological cooperation among the EAEU states.

In 2025, the university submitted proposals to establish an Association of Scientists, Engineers, and Entrepreneurs, the "EAEU Center for Innovative Technologies." The initiative aims to expand cooperation between universities, research organizations, and enterprises, as well as to implement new projects in technology and scientific research.

This work is fully consistent with the goals of the "Symbols of Eurasian Integration" competition: its focus is on technological sovereignty, startup development, strengthening scientific infrastructure, and the formation of integrated educational standards.

SUM strengthens its position in the Eurasian educational space

The recognition of ESU as the winner of the competition underscores the importance of SUM's systemic educational work. The university plans to expand joint programs, strengthen international cooperation, and promote new scientific and educational initiatives at the Union level.

The State University of Management will continue to work on developing human capital, supporting technological cooperation, and shaping an innovative environment that will shape the future of Eurasia.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: December 12, 2025.

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Polytechnic University presented its experience at the IAEA conference in Saudi Arabia.

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

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Jamila Idrisova, a senior lecturer at the Institute of Civil Engineering at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, participated in the international conference "Nuclear and Radiological Emergencies: Building the Future in a Changing World" in Riyadh. The event was organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Saudi Arabian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission (NRC).

The event, dedicated to strengthening emergency preparedness and response systems, brought together over 700 representatives from 103 countries and six international organizations. The conference featured 120 oral presentations, over 100 poster presentations, four roundtable discussions, and technical sessions covering ten thematic areas. Experts, emergency preparedness and response specialists, regulators, and technical specialists shared their experiences, presented research results, and discussed practical measures to strengthen global preparedness and response to nuclear and radiological emergencies.

In his opening address, NRRC Director General and Conference President Dr. Khalid Aleissa emphasized: "Through the integration of new technologies, the sharing of practical experience, and close collaboration with the IAEA and international partners, we are working together to strengthen global resilience in nuclear and radiological emergency preparedness and response."

Jamila Idrisova, a senior lecturer at the Higher School of Technosphere Safety and the head of the international educational program "Emergency Preparedness and Response" at the Civil Engineering Institute, presented a report at the "Capacity Building – 1" section on the topic: "Experience in training specialists in the international master's program "Emergency Preparedness and Response" at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University."

During the "Capacity Building 1" and "Capacity Building 2" sessions, Jamila Idrisova participated in discussions on key personnel training issues, including exercise and training programs; training opportunities, knowledge management and education, and postgraduate education programs; best practices in national training programs, including distance, hybrid, and practical training; and mechanisms for knowledge retention and transfer of experience.

Plenary sessions and panel presentations focused on coordination and cooperation in nuclear safety and security, public relations, innovative technologies, capacity building, protection strategies, the interplay between nuclear safety and security, and many other topics. Roundtable discussions addressed current issues of international cooperation, including the use of artificial intelligence in emergency management, effective decision-making under uncertainty, ways to enhance emergency preparedness through exercises, and measures for floating and mobile reactors.

"It was especially gratifying to meet Osama Alzahrani and Tamer Alhakbani, both 2024 graduates of the International Master's Program in Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Institute of Civil Engineering. Both graduates are now employed by the Saudi Arabian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Commission," noted Jamila Idrisova.

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GUU was recognized as "Partner of the Year" at a conference dedicated to sustainable management

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Official website of the State –

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The State University of Management hosted the All-Russian scientific and practical conference "Sustainable Management: Projects, People, Research" and the awards ceremony for the winners of the GPM Awards Russia 2025 National Competition.

The conference was organized by the Project Alliance Project Managers Association, and co-organized by the State University of Management. Official partners of the event were the Association for Sustainable Development of Industry and the National Institute for Energy-Efficient and Green Construction.

This year's meeting was dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the birth of Mark Lvovich Razu, one of the founders of the project management school in Russia. The scientist's son, Boris Razu, attended the event and expressed gratitude for the fact that the scientific school founded by his father continues to thrive and develop in the Project Management Department at the State University of Management.

At the conference's opening ceremony, experts emphasized the importance of developing a project management culture, integrating ESG approaches, and enhancing the role of science in developing sustainable solutions.

During the strategic session, participants discussed key sustainable development trends in Russia and globally, the evolution of the corporate and government ESG agenda, the impact of technological and personnel changes, and the prospects for industry standards in a rapidly changing landscape.

The strategic session was attended by:

Svetlana Gerasimova, Head of the School of CSR and Sustainable Development and Director of the Project Office for Sustainable Development Strategies and Practices; Pavel Zhesterov, Associate Professor at the Institute of Business Career, Deputy General Director of R-Alliance LLC and Member of the Council of the Association for Sustainable Industrial Development; Alexander Chikin, Director of Sustainable Development and Digitalization at the Ecological Service Sokhrani Les; Ekaterina Dorykina, Sustainable Development Specialist at the Center for Ecology and Climate LLC; Alexander Pavlov, Founder and Head of the Project Management School; Alexander Tovb, President of the SOVNET Project Management Association; and Irina Efremova-Gart, Director of Sustainable Development at Mobius Technologies and Co-Chair of the Expert Council on Sustainable Development at GSOM SPbU.

The session was moderated by Ilya Vinokurov, Deputy Head of the Product Development and Support Department at the Analytical Center under the Government of the Russian Federation, and Nadezhda Tsvetkova, Head of the Digital Departments project office and Associate Professor at the Higher School of Project Activity and Industrial Innovation at SPbPU.

The conference continued with specialized sessions, which provided a platform for in-depth analysis of current challenges and the exchange of practical solutions. Participants focused on changing approaches to implementing sustainable development initiatives and enhancing the professional competencies of strategic development directors, project managers, and project offices. Discussions touched on conducting scientific research in the field of sustainable economics and innovative technologies, as well as changing industry models and strategies for long-term sustainable growth.

Experts from leading large businesses, industry leaders, and government leaders from over 50 Russian regions presented their analytical reports, sharing the results of large-scale ESG transformations and successful practices. Particular attention was paid to leadership models that enable significant results in the implementation of major sustainable development projects and create long-term value for organizations and society.

The conference culminated with an awards ceremony for the winners and finalists of the 2025 National Competition for Professional Project Management in Sustainable Development and ESG in the following categories: Projects, People, Research, Green Office, and Industry Sustainability—each with its own evaluation methodology, expert panel, and selection criteria.

In addition, for its systematic support of the association's projects, expert participation and contribution to the training of management personnel, and for its significant contribution to the development of sustainable project management in Russia, the State University of Management was awarded a special diploma "Partner of the Year 2025" from the Project Alliance Association of Project Managers.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: December 12, 2025.

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The Foundation of Statehood: Constitution Day of the Russian Federation

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Official website of the State –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

December 12 marks Constitution Day in Russia—a commemorative date commemorating the adoption of the country's main law. This is more than just a celebration—it's a reminder that our legal system rests on a single foundation that transcends all laws, decrees, and regulations.

The Constitution of the Russian Federation has supreme legal force and applies throughout the country, and any regulations that contradict it are null and void. For the first time in Russian history, it enshrines the direct applicability of constitutional norms: every citizen can defend their rights by directly invoking the Constitution, and the courts are obligated to apply it first and foremost.

A product of presidential confrontation

Sergei Chuev, head of the Department of Public and Municipal Administration, spoke about the complex and dramatic history of coordinating the text of the country's main document:

President Boris Yeltsin and the Supreme Soviet of Russia tried to agree on new "rules of the game" throughout the early 1990s. Each side had its own vision. The Supreme Soviet and the Congress of People's Deputies wanted to retain their status as the country's key governing body. Yeltsin's team, however, defended the idea that the "omnipotence of the Soviet" was outdated and a presidential model was needed. Prolonged debates, discussions, and conciliatory meetings yielded no results.

As a result, in the fall of 1993, President Boris Yeltsin decided to take a radical step – a forceful decision to dissolve the Supreme Soviet, which took place in September-October of that year.

As is well known, a constitution always legally enshrines the balance of political forces that exists at the time of its adoption. Russia's fundamental law was no exception. It cemented the presidential "victory."

Expression of the people's will

On December 12, 1993, a referendum was held. 58,187,755 people, or 54.8% of registered voters, participated. 32,937,630 people voted in favor of adopting the Constitution—58.4% of those who participated.

"Russian citizens supported the final draft with their vote, which effectively cemented the country's new political system," concluded Sergei Chuev.

The Constitution officially entered into force on December 25, 1993, the day it was published. It enshrined the principle of separation of powers, human rights and freedoms as the highest values, and a new federal model.

Since 1994, by decree of Boris Yeltsin, December 12 has been a public holiday and a non-working day. However, since January 1, 2005, following amendments to the Labor Code, this day has been designated a working day, and in July of that year, it was designated a commemorative date in Russia.

It should be noted that the Constitution is not a museum exhibit or a ceremonial document, but a working tool that protects citizens' rights every day, regulates the work of government, and determines the country's future. Therefore, since its adoption, the Russian Constitution has been amended repeatedly, reflecting significant changes in Russian society.

"The text of the Constitution has been amended repeatedly, the most significant of which took place in 2020. Gradually, the model of Russia's political system is being filled with new content and practices, emphasizing that the text of the fundamental law is not a 'sacred cow,' but living matter, evolving over time," Sergei Vladimirovich points out.

Sacred symbol

More than a thousand people worked on the text of the Constitution over the course of three and a half years, and it has no single author—it is a collective creation of the era, a sacred symbol of Russian statehood. This is why the special copy of the Constitution, on which the president takes the oath of office upon assuming office, has special significance in the rituals of supreme power in Russia.

The binding of the country's most important book is made of precious red monitor lizard skin, with a massive silver coat of arms and the gold inscription "Constitution of Russia" on the cover. Although the decree establishing presidential regalia was repealed in 2000, and this copy lost its official status, it is traditionally used at all inaugurations as a symbol of continuity and respect for the fundamental law.

Despite its status as a workday, December 12th is marked by celebratory events across the country. The President congratulates citizens on Constitution Day at state awards ceremonies. Regional events include meetings, concerts, and awards ceremonies for judges, lawyers, and government officials. Schools and universities host law classes, lectures, and discussions on civil liberties and the rule of law.

The State University of Management, as a university that trains the next generation of managers, considers one of its key objectives to be developing a deep understanding of the constitutional foundations of Russian statehood in its students. After all, knowledge of and respect for the Constitution is the foundation of responsible, competent, and ethical governance.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: December 12, 2025.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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The State University of Management will contribute to determining the future of the Arctic

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Official website of the State –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

A young scientist from the State University of Management took part in the XV International Forum "The Arctic: Present and Future" named after A.N. Chilingarov, which took place from December 9 to 10 in St. Petersburg.

The event traditionally serves as the main platform for dialogue between government, business, science, and society on Arctic development. This year, over 2,000 experts from Russia and other countries gathered to identify development vectors for the Russian Arctic zone.

The business program focused on achieving national development goals for the region for decades to come. Over the course of two days, two plenary sessions and more than 50 discussions took place on key topics, from economics and technology to ecology and security. Each session aimed not only to discuss problems but also to find practical solutions. A large exhibition was held alongside the events, where regions and companies presented innovative projects for Arctic territories.

Denis Serdechny, an associate professor at the State University of Management, Department of Innovation Management, and Head of the Laboratory of Digital and Intelligent Technologies for the Development of Territories of the Russian Federation, took an active part in the forum.

"The Arctic today is a zone of major projects, where economic and logistical activity is growing. The region requires comprehensive solutions and new approaches to management. For Russia, this task is comparable in scale to our ancestors' conquest of space in the last century. It's gratifying to realize that our university's research and educational activities can make a significant contribution to solving such an important and ambitious task," Denis Serdechny shared his impressions.

The scientist noted that at the forum, he became convinced of the relevance of the research areas of the "Digital and Intelligent Technologies for the Development of Regions of the Russian Federation" laboratory, which opened at the State University of Management in 2025. The laboratory's interim results will be submitted to the Forum's organizing committee for inclusion in a public resolution.

As a reminder, following a competitive selection process by the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education to establish new youth laboratories, the State University of Management's research project, "Scientific, Methodological, and Practical Foundations for the Development and Application of Digital and Intelligent Technologies to Ensure Sustainable Development in the Regions of the Russian Federation, Including Remote and Hard-to-Access Territories of Siberia, the Far East, and the Arctic Zone," received support.

Thanks to this, our university launched a laboratory for "Digital and Intelligent Technologies for the Development of Russian Regions" this fall. The goals of the research team, which consists of more than 70% young scientists, include:

Analysis and systematization of current scientific and technical problems of sustainable development in the regions of the Russian Federation, including remote and hard-to-reach territories of Siberia, the Far East, and the Arctic zone; study of existing and promising digital and intelligent progressive technologies that can be applied for the sustainable development of the regions of the Russian Federation, including remote and hard-to-reach territories of Siberia, the Far East, and the Arctic zone; development of methods for solving identified scientific and technical problems of sustainable development in the regions of the Russian Federation, including remote and hard-to-reach territories of Siberia, the Far East, and the Arctic zone, through the use of digital and intelligent technologies.

Subscribe to the "Our GUU" Telegram channel. Publication date: December 12, 2025.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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Polytechnic University at Educational Exhibitions in China

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University is actively developing international cooperation with leading educational and industrial institutions in China. Representatives of the Polytechnic University participated in three significant events aimed at expanding its presence in the Asia-Pacific region. The Polytechnic University was represented by Darina Balzhimaeva, Lead Manager of the SPbPU Representative Office in Shanghai, and Anna Kuznetsova and Evgenia Borodina, specialists from the Department of International Educational Programs and Academic Mobility.

A delegation from Polytechnic University took part in the 23rd China International Talent Exchange Conference, which was held at the Shanghai World Expo Center.

The main theme of the exhibition was continuing education. Interest from Chinese colleagues in the university's booth remained strong throughout the event. Requests for advanced training and internships came from a wide range of organizations: from the banking sector, research centers, higher education institutions, medical institutions, educational centers, and industrial corporations.

The goal of Polytechnic University's participation is to develop cooperation in organizing short-term professional development programs for representatives of Chinese companies. During negotiations with organizations such as China Nuclear Industry and China Development and Investment Corporation, the development of programs in information technology, artificial intelligence, materials science, and engineering was discussed.

Participation in the conference contributed to the effective promotion of SPbPU's international continuing education programs. "We are currently seeing a steady increase in the number of inquiries from China," noted Darina Balzhimaeva.

The next step was the university's participation in the prestigious China Education Expo 2025, held in Beijing. The China Association for International Education Exchange (CAIE) holds this annual key event in Southeast Asia, promoting the strengthening of international ties and showcasing the opportunities offered by international education. In 2025, 400 educational institutions from 38 countries participated in the expo.

Representatives of the Polytechnic University participated in a presentation of Russian universities at the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing, as well as in an online broadcast on Chinese internet platforms.

Applicants from China were able to gain a detailed understanding of the educational opportunities offered by Polytechnic University. At our university's booth, they inquired about programs in in-demand fields: IT, construction, computer science, advanced materials, biotechnology, and energy.

Participation in educational exhibitions demonstrates the interest of Chinese students and companies in Polytechnic University programs. Working at the China Education Expo allows us to directly attract talented applicants and strengthen partnerships with Chinese universities.

Our university's delegation also attended the Delta Global Learning Week, an international educational week held at leading Chinese universities: the University of Science and Technology of China, Nanjing University, and Zhejiang University. More than 20 prestigious universities from around the world were represented at the event. At the exhibition, Anna Kuznetsova, a specialist from the SPbPU Department of International Educational Programs and Academic Mobility, presented the university's capabilities, introducing Chinese students to its master's and doctoral programs, as well as summer and winter schools.

Delta Global Learning Week became an effective platform for Chinese students to learn about the Polytechnic's master's and doctoral programs, summer and winter schools, and internships, as well as academic mobility opportunities. Participation in the exhibition opened up a wide range of educational pathways for Chinese students at SPbPU, noted Olga Yemelyanova, Head of the Department of International Educational Programs and Academic Mobility.

Attracting foreign specialists and working alongside them is a stimulus for our scientific schools, offering an exchange of best practices and new opportunities for joint research. The results of the exhibition confirmed that our Chinese colleagues are ready to follow this path together with the Polytechnic University, emphasized Evgenia Satalkina, Head of the International Education Department.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

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A delegation from Henan University of Urban Development (China) completed an educational internship at St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (SPbGASU).

Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –

An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

Kirill Sukhanov, Yana Volkova, Yana Kirk, Svyatoslav Fedorov, Dmitry Ulrich, Dmitry Mikhailov and members of the Chinese delegation

The internship program for faculty from Henan Urban Planning University (PRC) concluded ceremoniously at the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering.

The final meeting was attended by Sergei Mikhailov, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at SPbGASU; Dmitry Ulrikh, Dean of the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Urban Management; and the internship program's developers and organizers: Svyatoslav Fedorov, Head of the Department of Water Use and Ecology; Yana Volkova, Acting Head of the Department of Geodesy, Land Management, and Cadastre; Yana Kirk, Head of the Department of Construction Physics, Electrical Power Engineering, and Electrical Engineering; Kirill Sukhanov, Acting Head of the Department of Heat, Gas Supply, and Ventilation; and Shuainat Akhmadulaeva, Head of the International Affairs Department.

Henan Urban Engineering University was represented by the head of the delegation, director of the Center for Continuing Education Zhu Xinfeng, vice dean of the Institute of Municipal and Environmental Engineering Wang Chaohai, deputy head of the Department of Water Supply and Sanitation Li Songya, senior lecturer of the Institute of Municipal and Environmental Engineering Huang Zhenzhen, senior lecturer of the Institute of Municipal and Environmental Engineering Wang Yong, senior laboratory assistant of the Institute of Materials and Chemical Engineering Li Xiaoyan, senior lecturer of the Institute of Artistic Design Ma Aimin, and an employee of the International Affairs Office Guan Qiongxiao.

Over the course of ten days, program participants visited educational and scientific laboratories of the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Urban Management, learned about the methodological support for specialized disciplines in water supply and sanitation, heat supply, gas supply, and ventilation, studied the organization of the educational process and student engagement, and exchanged experiences with SPbGASU faculty.

"We tried to provide as much detail as possible about our departments, educational programs, work disciplines, and methods of interacting with students. It was gratifying to see such a keen interest in our work," noted Dmitry Ulrikh.

Sergey Mikhailov emphasized: "Visits like these allow us to build strong professional ties, plan joint educational programs, and implement them in the interests of our universities. We thank you for participating in the program and look forward to further developing our cooperation."

Representatives of Henan University of Architecture and Civil Engineering praised the high professional level of SPbGASU's faculty, the warm welcome, and the program's significant practical benefits: "We gained new knowledge every day. We visited laboratories, met with faculty, and broadened our professional horizons. This internship will be an important contribution to the development of our programs in China."

At the end of the meeting, Sergey Mikhailov ceremoniously presented the participants with personalized certificates for successful completion of the program, as well as souvenirs that will serve as reminders of their visit to St. Petersburg and SPbGASU.

University staff expressed gratitude to translator Victoria Komogortseva for her excellent communication, which, according to the organizers, was a crucial component of the program's successful implementation.

Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source. It represents an accurate account of the source's assertions and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.