ITMO University Schools

RUSSIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

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RUSSIAN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

COVID-19 has affected our lives for the time being: quarantine, restrictions, closed borders… Therefore, ITMO University is here to encourage students to devote this time to self-improvement! Confirming the origin of the word ‘university’ (latin ‘universum’ – ‘universe’, ‘infinity’), ITMO expands its horizons, introducing a new world of Russian culture: all you need is Internet access from the comfort of your own home – and you will find yourself studying Russian with experienced lecturers, taking the most interesting tours in St. Petersburg, viewing exhibits from one of the best museums in the world, enjoying ballet in magnificent theatres and even honing your culinary skills, learning the secrets of Russian cuisine!

The benefits of online education are obvious:

saving money on flights, accommodation, and teaching material (everything needed for the lessons, including audio and video files, is sent to the students via email in advance)
excellent quality and great value (experienced teachers with Master’s degree or PhD qualification)
simultaneous training of all basic skills such as reading, writing, listening and speaking (the communicative approach is used)

Online training is conducted in Zoom. Classes are four academic hours long (one academic hour is equal to 45 minutes) and are held on business days. Each course lasts for one week (20 academic hours), and worth 2 ECTS. The course includes project work and extracurricular activities. The online format of the school allows students to choose the most convenient time for classes, anywhere from 9 am to 6 pm (GMT+3). The latest class can be held from 6 to 9 pm (GMT+3). Upon successful completion of the course, you will receive an official ITMO certificate.

Please use the "Tell Me More" button to request more information or contact our International Admission Office, international@itmo.ru

Application deadline :

Depends on the school.

In 2023, ITMO offers schools both online and on-campus!

You can read about our international students' feedbacks and stories on ITMO.NEWS.

Which school course is right for you?

Summer School in the Russian Language and Culture

Place of Study: online/on-campus

Language: Russian/English

Duration: 1-4 weeks (July 3-28, 2023)

Outcome: 1 week – 2 ECTS, ITMO Official Certificate

Deadline: on-campus – June 1, 2023; online – June 20, 2023

10,000 RUB per week*

Winter School in the Russian Language and Culture

Place of Study: online/on-campus

Language: Russian/English

Duration: 1-4 weeks (January 9 - February 3, 2023)

Outcome: 2 ECTS per week, ITMO Official Certificate

Deadline: on-campus – November 25, 2022; online – December 20, 2022

10,000 RUB per week

What is included in the fees?

Registration
Virtual tour around St. Petersburg
Online cultural tour

Certificate awarded by ITMO University (ECTS)
Tuition
Visa invitation letter (for offline schools)

Orientation tour on campus (for offline schools)
All taxes
Online materials

How to apply

Select your course

Click APPLY NOW

Find out the details

Application deadline depends on school. Make sure you send us your APPLICATION FORM by this date

Important application tips:

You can apply for our Schools if you are aged 18 or more (14 or more for Russian Language and Culture course participants). We will ask you to provide a copy of your passport.
In order to apply, you will need to fill in an online application form and prepare your passport or national ID
For offline schools, please make sure you have a valid travel and health insurance, and passport valid at least 6 months after the day you leave Russia.

Reviews from our students:

Péter Kocsis (Hungary)

Summer Research Camp in Photonics

What prompted me to choose ITMO over other universities was the opportunity to work with a digital micromirror device. Working with ITMO professors and researchers allows you to gain valuable experience whatever you do. The knowledge I acquired here will definitely come in handy in my future research in Finland where I’ll continue to study this kind of technology.

Yagyaansh Khaneja (India)

Summer Research Camp in Photonics

Generation of THz radiation in liquids is a relatively new field. There are few laboratories in the world involved in such activities, with ITMO University’s laboratory being one of them. After the Research Camp in Photonics, I’d really like to pursue my Master’s degree at ITMO and continue my current research.

Soudná Zuzana (Czech Republic)

Summer Research Camp in Photonics

I wanted to learn more about photonics and optics, so I googled where I could get a good education in this field and found this summer school at ITMO. It was very easy to apply: all you had to do was to fill in an application form, submit some additional documents, and apply for a visa. The program of the summer camp lets each student work on their own research projects. Mine focused on the development of holograms of historic cultural objects. I took photos of various statues, then created their 3D models, and worked with them. In the long run, my project is aimed at preserving historical and cultural monuments.

Allan Zea (Venezuela)

Summer Camp in Competitive Programming

I heard about ITMO’s impressive reputation in competitive programming and considered the camp a unique opportunity. Moreover, I also wanted to visit Russia. The training was intensive and the things we studied were similar to the tasks that companies normally assign during job interviews. So, I have no doubt that the camp will help me achieve my career goals, and I will definitely come back next time.

Shahin Umsu (Turkey)

Summer Research Camp in Optical Systems Design

I’ve been to the camp twice. I keep choosing ITMO University because I know I will receive quality education and learn how to tackle different issues. I’ve been actively applying these skills to my own work. I am able to point out problems and their causes. I have also learned to efficiently solve problems with the help of different means. Thanks to the school, I've acquired a number of handy skills that I can apply now in my work and, above all, I can design systems that bring me one step closer to my goal.

Jiawei Ding (China)

Bio&Art Summer School

I really appreciated the Bio & Art Summer School, it gave me an opportunity to expand my horizons in a field that I’m very curious about. After this school, I realized that there are many bioart works related to my field of interest (biology, biochemistry, environment, food technology, etc). Before that, I focused only on the scientific part, but now thanks to this course, I have the opportunity to appreciate them from a completely new perspective. I’d really love to learn more about it in the future. Also, I had a chance to participate in an online exhibition for the first time in my life. It was a mind-blowing experience.

Ishii Naoki (Japan)

Summer School in the Russian language and culture

Because of the pandemic, I couldn’t practice my Russian regularly, so this summer school was my best choice. I’ve never spoken that much in Russian as I did during online classes. The teachers were extremely helpful and thanks to them, I improved my language skills, especially colloquial Russian and Russian grammar.

Roland Knoblauch (Poland)

Summer School in the Russian language and culture

While studying at ITMO’s summer school, I’ve learned way more about Russia and Russian culture than at any other language school. I had the opportunity to communicate with Russian lecturers who are also native speakers. Thus, this experience will certainly be helpful for those who want to comprehend the vibrancy of the Russian language.

Stefanie Reichel (Germany)

Summer School in the Russian language and culture

This course reinspired me to study Russian. I understood how much I can say even if it is not always correct. Especially since the other participants came from different countries, you couldn't simply switch to your native language, so you had to find a way to express yourself in Russian. I also enjoyed the online format and workshops on weekends. It was fantastic how the organizers tried to bring us a bit closer to St. Petersburg and Russian culture.

Sefa Senlik (Turkey)

Summer School in the Russian language and culture

Back in 2019, I was an exchange student at ITMO University. I was struck by both the experience of living in Russia and the memorable time I had in St. Petersburg so I’ve always dreamed of coming back here one day. I’m sure that this experience will help me avoid difficulties while adapting to Russian lifestyle. I'm sincerely grateful to my teacher who made this course entertaining yet very informative and useful!

Zhou Zhi (China)

Camp in Programming

ITMO was right for us, and we had the most powerful team of teachers to organize training. I learned a lot of knowledge and technology, felt the foreign learning atmosphere and the system, enriched my own experience. All of these can help me in the future study and life to get more inspiration.

Steffi Caroline (Indonesia)

Russian Language and Culture

St. Petersburg is a beautiful place with good people. I made new friends and witnessed breathtaking architecture. I was impressed with professionalism of the lecturers. What remained in our hearts was not what we learned, but impression towards Russian literature and deeper understanding of richness of Russian culture.

Frederique Lambert (Belgium)

Russian Language and Culture

It was better than my expectations. The summer school was perfect, the teachers were the best I ever had, and I truly want to come back. The program could not be more effective to me, except if I can stay a year in St Petersburg!

Du Xiaoxue (China)

Camp in Optical System Design

A summer program at ITMO was totally an unforgettable experience. The teachers were always kind and patient. The atmosphere was relaxed and suitable for your abilities’ promotion. What’s more, making friends with classmates from other countries is memorable experience.

Marta-Teodora Boboc (Romania)

Summer School in the Russian Language and Culture

Even though I have a PhD in Philological Sciences and at the moment I teach Russian as Foreign Language at the University of Bucharest, I gladly joined an online-course at Summer School in Russian Language and Culture. I’ve noticed that professors are very loyal and friendly with international students. I enjoyed everything about the School – materials, organization of the course, and atmosphere. I have greatly expanded my vocabulary in Russian and would love to take the winter course, too.

Samuel Innes (the UK)

Summer School in the Russian Language and Culture

I would definitely come for a course to St Petersburg when it’s possible. But now I found an online-school through the Internet and it was really good - I really enjoyed it. It’s cool to meet people who also learn Russian. I have been really impressed by the quality of teaching. The teachers’ enthusiasm has really motivated me to study harder and has made the course very enjoyable and engaging. I hope to be able to take another ITMO Summer/Winter School soon!

Laura Ponzo (France)

Summer School in the Russian Language and Culture

I’m from France and currently, I teach English at school in Vietnam. I jumped at the opportunity to study Russian in Saint Petersburg. It’s amazing how online learning can expand our horizons! I think the Russian language course was really cool and intensive thanks to the qualified professors. It’d be great to join the winter school, and of course, I would love to come to Russia for the summer, too.