Kazan Federal University opened its doors to the participants of the "Summer university" project. Partners are involved in the implementation, including major enterprises and state institutions: the Ministry of Youth Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Academy of Youth Diplomacy, the Russian Society "Znanie", the Khazine National Art Gallery, the G. Kamal Tatar Academic Theatre, the Kazan City Development Institute, the B. Rameev IT Park, and others. The key partner of the "Summer university" this year will be the Rosatom State Corporation, which will hold an event for participants at KFU for the first time.
The opening ceremony took place with the participation of the Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs of the Republic of Tatarstan, Ruslan Semenov, Chairman of the Academy of Youth Diplomacy, Dilbar Sadykova, Vice-Rector for External Relations of Kazan Federal university, Timurkhan Alishev, directors of KFU institutes, and other officials.
The event was launched by the Minister of Science and Higher Education of Russia, Valery Falkov. His address was read from the stage:
"I am delighted to welcome you at the launch of a project that has become, over several years, not just an educational program, but a space for intercultural dialogue. Over the previous years, more than 5,000 students from 45 countries have joined us. Many participants of past years are now students of Russian universities. Your presence here is the best proof of the unifying power of science and education. We live in an era of rapid changes. Today, it is not enough to possess knowledge alone. It is important to be able to work with uncertainty, adapt quickly, and unite efforts with people from different cultures and disciplines. Following these principles, we annually develop the educational programs of the 'Summer university', consistently updating them to meet changing trends and global challenges."
Over 20 educational programs in Russian and English are planned for the initiative's participants. Among them are programs in artificial intelligence, sustainable development, innovations in tourism, mining metallurgy, nuclear energy, and others. Guests can expect an intensive educational program, work with real cases from Russian high-tech companies, as well as an introduction to Russia in all its diversity, during the two weeks.
"On behalf of the Rais of our republic, Rustam Nurgalievich Minnikhanov, and the Ministry of Youth Affairs of Tatarstan, I welcome you to the opening of the 'Summer university 2026'. First and foremost, I want to address our dear international students. Thank you for finding the opportunity to be here and participate in this wonderful project. I hope you will fully immerse yourselves in university education, in the cultural part. I am confident that each of you will fall in love with our city, and in two weeks, you will definitely leave here with tears in your eyes, saying, 'I will come back here again, I will come for knowledge.' In two weeks, you will all surely become friends. Friendship gives birth to both knowledge and a perception of the situation you see around you. Tatarstan, Kazan possess their unique culture," noted Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs Ruslan Semenov in his speech.
This year, 330 students from 25 countries are participating in the project. The geography of this season's participants includes: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Abkhazia, Transnistria, Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, India, China, Morocco, Mongolia, Oman, Chile, Vietnam, Malaysia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tajikistan, Sudan, Peru, Zimbabwe, and Russia (represented by 100 people).
Vice-Rector Timurkhan Alishev highlighted the event's importance for the university. He reported that over 3,000 applications were received this year.
"This year, there is quite a large geographical diversity. This has never happened before! The students are interested, all of them are senior bachelor's students considering the possibility of enrolling in master's programs. Our task is to show them Kazan Federal university so that they can make an informed decision. The phenomenon of the 'Summer university' lies in the fact that our founders, and most importantly, the students themselves, provide feedback, considering the project successful. Many maintain ties with our university. We already have master's graduates who enrolled with us after the first 'Summer university'," he emphasized.
The "Summer university" program at KFU will include the following tracks: "Russia Opens Doors"; "Software Engineering: Data, AI, Digital Products"; "Business Analytics 5.1: From Data to Management Decisions"; "Astronomy and Astrophysics: From Elementary Particles to the Structure of the Universe"; "Hybrid Environment: Architecture, Design and Technologies"; "Evolution of Life: From Survival to Adaptation".
Source: KFU press service.