STUDENT PROSPECTUS 2015/16
WELCOME TO SKOLTECH
WELCOME
Welcome
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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WELCOME TO SKOLTECH
Take a look at the facts
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STUDENT PROSPECTUS
But did you also know:
№1
80%
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Aid and support package for graduate students in Russia.
Of Skoltech MSc and PhD students have spent at least one month at MIT.
Our students’ active involvement in startup projects and applications’ development is the highest in Russia — 45%.
TOP 10
50+
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Skoltech students were finalists at international competitions such as the cleantech challenge and MIT’s 100k competition.
Open doors days, hackathons, innovation workshops, internships, guest seminars, and sports events in Moscow, across Russia and worldwide each year.
WELCOME
Perhaps you have already heard about Skoltech. We are building a Moscow-based technological, research and science university, designed in collaboration with our academic partner, MIT — the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (which is ranked best university in the world by the QS World University Rankings.)
Crosscutting PhD and MSc programs in Information Technology, Energy, Space, Biomed, and Advanced Manufacturing.
WELCOME
LE T TER FROM THE STUDENTS’ OFFICE
Everywhere I go, I tell people that I have the best job in the world — because I have the privilege to work with some of the world’s best postgraduate students at the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology.
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In just three years, Skoltech has incubated an international student community of innovators, hackathon enthusiasts, scientists, engineers, and tech entrepreneurs. We have one of the highest rates of student entrepreneurship of any university in the world. More than one-fourth of our students have spent an academic year in residence at our primary partner – the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (more than 40 Skoltech students will go to MIT in 2014-2015). Our students engage in research early and often in their Skoltech careers, and spend their summers in industrial immersion programs at some of world’s most exciting tech companies, such as Yandex, Intel and Google. Our students come from 20 countries and speak more than 30 languages. Oh, and it is all 100% free. Skoltech does not charge tuition and offers a generous fellowship package to all admitted students. And it costs nothing to submit an application. This year, we will once again double our student population. We hope to see you among the students who will start their Skoltech journeys in September 2015. Cheers, Bram Caplan Director for Education and Student Affairs
I’d like to introduce you to Skoltech – a new model in Russian higher education, bringing science and innovation to impact our world. Within our international community of scholars and researchers, we are doing more than graduating leaders. We are preparing agents of change. We have formulated our educational programs to foster students’ interdisciplinary understanding and ability to solve open-ended problems. Departmental barriers do not pose a problem here, and students can cross boundaries between disciplines while they apply their knowledge. In team environments and project-organized learning experiences, they also build communication skills, learn how to work in teams and gain the confidence necessary to take risks and innovate. International experience is another central part of a Skoltech education. We view our network of partner universities around the world as one of our most valuable assets. Through our Centers for Research, Education and Innovation, students can travel to one of our partner universities to do research and innovation. I would like to personally invite you to become a pioneer. We are at the forefront of education and science, and our goal is to help build a smarter society and economy. Please read this prospectus and see what makes me so excited and proud when I say that I am part of Skoltech. And so can you. Mats Hanson Dean of Education
CONTENTS
WELCOME 2 4
WELCOME
Welcome to Skoltech Letter from the students’ office 6 Skoltech explained 10 Collaboration with MIT 14 International and Russian partners 16 Unique educational model PROGRAMS
FACULTY AND RESEARCH 30 Professors, instructors and postdocs OPPORTUNITIES 34 Careers 36 Entrepreneurship success stories OPEN DOORS 38 Events and information 39 Admission 40 Scholarships and support 42 Community and free time 46 Contacts and location
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STUDENT PROSPECTUS
18 Degrees and research Initiatives 20 Biomed 22 Energy 24 IT 26 Product design and advanced manufacturing 28 Space
SKOLTECH E XPL AINED
WELCOME
9 Things You Need To Know About Skoltech:
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We are going places
We recruit pioneers. When people say that Skoltech is a groundbreaking project, unlike any other in Russia, they are right. We are building from the ground up a completely new model for a Russian university. Skoltech has one goal: to prepare students to impact Russia and the world through scientific discovery and technological innovation. We believe that the best way to achieve that unique combination is by connecting the tradition of Russian scientific excellence with the best practices from all over the world. The curriculum and learning experiences are designed accordingly. But how do you succeed in achieving something that was never done before in Russia? How do you build a world class research university from scratch? We look for the best people. That is why Skoltech focuses not only on what prospective students already know, but on what they can achieve in the future. The university attracts and supports an outstanding group of young scientists who have the capacity to become agents of knowledge exchange, innovators, company founders, and leaders. We find creative pioneers. And then we connect them. (FOR MORE INFO ON APPLICATION AND ADMISSION SEE PAGES 38-39)
THE SKOLTECH ADVANTAGE
In just three years since Skoltech was founded in collaboration with MIT, our growing community of graduate students and faculty has already initiated research projects, cooperated with peers worldwide and launched companies and startups. Skoltech is a unique university, offering crosscutting graduate degree courses (also called “tracks”) in Information Technology, Energy, Space, Biomed and Advanced Manufacturing. OUR COURSES AND RESEARCH PROJECTS ARE EXCEPTIONAL BECAUSE THEY ARE:
Flexible
Masters and PhD students are welcome to mix and match modules and courses from different fields of research and science. Fundamental studies and real-world problem solving skills are seamlessly combined. We help you every step of the way – but you choose your own path.
Innovative
We support students who start their own projects and companies. A whole system will accompany you in the journey from idea to impact, from laptop through lab to market. Academic mentors, world renowned researchers, experts on innovation, industry immersion programs and hands-on experience are all available.
Connected
You will be in constant touch with universities and industry worldwide and in Russia.
SKOLTECH E XPL AINED
WELCOME
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STUDENT PROSPECTUS
Divya Shankar “When it comes to space exploration, Russia has been the first on so many fronts. There is something about Skoltech that revives that pioneering spirit. Plus there is the cooperation with American institutions, especially MIT. For me, coming from India, it is a very appealing combination. Russia and the US are space superpowers; learning closely with and from these pioneers is a boon for my space career.”
WELCOME
WELCOME TO SKOLTECH
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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Kirill Kalinin “What makes this university amazing? The research opportunities here are really endless: professors are genuinely happy to work with you. You are encouraged to take any courses regardless of your chosen program. We have a tough academic workload, but nothing beats solving complicated problems. Joining Skoltech was the best decision I have ever made. By far.”
Jelena Nadj “The thing I like the most about Skoltech is that sometimes I simply forget that I am an IT student – the group of people involved is so diverse that you cannot avoid diving into all kinds of different areas of science. Today, being able to cross barriers between disciplines is the most important factor in becoming a tech scientist and professional ready to take on the real world.”
THE SKOLTECH ADVANTAGE
Being connected to Russia and the world can be done only by people and through human connections. That is why we make sure to provide an opportunity for any talented person who is ready and willing to join our community of technology and science researchers and innovators.
35% of all PhD and Masters students are women
20% of our students are international Students hail from 20 countries: Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Canada, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United States, Vietnam
WELCOME TO SKOLTECH
(FOR MORE INFO ON COLLABORATION WITH MIT SEE PAGES 10-13)
(FOR MORE INFO ON OUR INTERNATIONAL
AND
RUSSIAN
PARTNERS
SEE PAGES 14-15)
We are building a brand new campus and state-of-the art labs and facilities. This completely new infrastructure is tailored to the needs of leading scientists (including Nobel laureates) so that they can conduct research with real impact on society and the economy. Research is mainly done in our CREIs, which are Centers for Research, Education and Innovation. The CREIs are led and managed by Skoltech, in cooperation with at least one international and one Russian partner.
(FOR MORE INFO ON FACULTY AND RESEARCH SEE PAGES 30-33)
Multidisciplinary experimentation and crosscutting research are crucial to success. Faculty and students can find the best way – their way – to build all kinds of capacities. As of September 2014, the institute
SKOLTECH STUDENTS SPEND UP TO A YEAR AT MIT WHERE THEY EITHER TAKE COURSES OR DO A RESEARCH AND INNOVATION PROJECT
while solving a real-world problem). Skoltech provides access to grants VCs and angel investors, helps early stage projects with patenting and intellectual property support, and offers students opportunities for industry internships. We also provide mentorship and advice by scientists and successful entrepreneurs. These activities are mostly managed by the CEI – Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. (FOR MORE INFO ON CAREER OPPORTU-
Want to hear, see or read some more about us?
Take a look at our website in English or Russian
NITIES SEE PAGES 34-35; IF YOU WANT TO LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUCCESS STORIES, CHECK OUT PAGES 36-37)
We speak English in class, so that all our students are ready to compete and contribute anywhere they go. But in our labs, lecture halls and cafeterias you can hear the sound of Russian, Bengali, Spanish, Hindi, Italian, Swedish, Dutch, Urdu, and many other languages. (FOR MORE INFO ON ACTIVITIES, CLUBS
SKOLTECH.RU/EN SKOLTECH.RU/?LANG=RU
You can also find us on social media Facebook (English)
FACEBOOK.COM/SKOLTECH
Vkontakte (Russian)
AND FREE TIME READ PAGES 42-45).
offers PhD and MSc degrees in five “tracks”: Information Technology, Energy, Space, Biomed, and Advanced Manufacturing. It is not unusual that students take courses from more than one program or team up with peers from other tracks. Skoltech listens to feedback from people inside and around it. This is how we continuously improve the way multidisciplinary research becomes an effective part of our daily practice. (FOR MORE INFO ON OUR COURSES AND DEGREES SEE PAGES 18-29
Skoltech supports innovation and commercialization. The university develops various real world simulations and unique programs such as the “Innovation Workshop” (a four-week course, which creates foundational experience in entrepreneurship and innovation and focuses on personal and interpersonal skills) and “App Periods” (which put elementary knowledge into practice in an experiential hands-on activity
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We support students financially so that you can focus on the important things. Skoltech offers one of the most generous financial aid packages in Russia because we believe the best students need and deserve the best support. The university covers all tuition fees so that education is free of charge, supports students with a monthly allowance, and covers registration and travel costs when students visit other universities or attend professional conferences (such as the ESRI International User Conference in California, for example). In return for all this we ask our students to contribute something precious to the university. We ask for their commitment and — most importantly — talent and creativity. Because when you study at the only university of its kind in a vast area of the world, you need to be more than smart. (FOR MORE INFO ON SCHOLARSHIPS, FINANCIAL AID AND SUPPORT SEE PAGES 40-41).
VK.COM/SKOLTECH
Twitter (both languages)
@SKOLTECH
@SKOLTECH_RU
@SKOLTECH
Or watch some videos on youtube:
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/USER/ SKOLTECH
And you are always welcome to send an email to the student affairs team at ADMISSIONS@SKOLTECH.RU
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
We grow a community of world renowned scholars, entrepreneurs and students. The focus of the institute’s activities is in Moscow and Russia, but Skoltech offers plenty of opportunities for international and local exchange and collaboration. We invest a lot of energy and resources in building a network of international and Russian partners. We collaborate, for example, with research teams and individual scientists at MIPT in Russia; The Whitehead Institute, Harvard Medical School, Caltech, the University of Texas at Austin (USA); Cambridge, Imperial College and Warwick universities in the UK; Delft TU and the University of Groningen (the Netherlands); KU Leuven (Belgium); HKUST (Hong Kong) and many other institutions.
They address critical challenges in five major “tracks”: information, biomedicine, energy, space, and manufacturing, as well as cross-cutting areas.
WELCOME
We connect talented students with the best research centers and scientists from all over the world. That is why we signed a collaboration agreement with MIT in 2011 and created, with our partners, a hands-on educational experience. Our Masters students can apply for the Skoltech-MIT FLEX program and attend one semester at MIT. Students either take courses or do a research and innovation project with an MIT advisor.
WELCOME
COLL ABOR ATION WITH MIT
Meet our strategic partner: MIT PHOTO COURTESY OF NIET NAGEL, FLICKR
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6 Things You Might Want To Know About the Skoltech MIT Partnership 1 Skoltech Masters students conduct research and study at MIT. MSc students on their second year of studies can apply for the Skoltech-MIT FLEX program and attend up to one semester at MIT. Once they are in Cambridge, students either take the coursework they need in order to complement and complete their MSc degree paths, or do a research or innovation project with an MIT professor. 2 Members of MIT teaching staff instruct and teach students in Moscow. Professors from the American institute oversee our students’ work on projects, such as, for example, building robotic arms at a system engineering class, or hacking an electric bike at the Innovation Workshop. 3 MIT scholars and researchers, including Nobel laureates and leading scientists, make frequent journeys from Cambridge to Moscow. Some give lectures and special seminars. Others, like Professor Alessandro Golkar for example, decide to stay and become part of the Skoltech faculty.
COLL ABOR ATION WITH MIT
WELCOME
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STUDENT PROSPECTUS
WELCOME
WELCOME TO SKOLTECH
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4 Skoltech’s president, Professor Edward Crawley, has a long and distinguished track record as an MIT engineering professor and researcher and was head of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. He is also working with NASA to design human exploration and earth observing systems. The rector has served as founding co-director of an international collaboration on the reform of engineering education. He conceived the project-oriented CDIO approach. 5 Skoltech faculty and staff visit MIT and gain hands-on experience in key areas such as patent registration, bootstrapping a start-up business and securing funding for research. 6 MIT has a historical connection to Russia: it was partially modeled on the “Russian School” of engineering education, founded at the Moscow State Technical University in 1830, thirty years before MIT itself opened its doors for students.
Alexander Vidiborskyi “The MIT experience pushes you to reveal all of your strengths, talents and, what is more important, your will. To get the most out of it, you must have superefficient time management. Want to have lunch? Combine it with reading business cases for entrepreneurship class. Going home by subway? Plan your research schedule for next day. I never thought I would be able to study in the library from 8 a.m. till 8 p.m. on a Sunday, and that I would actually want to do that. Every minute counts if you want to be effective when you study and work at the best technological university in the world.”
WELCOME TO SKOLTECH
Feel free to write to us at the student affairs office
WELCOME
Want to learn or read some more about study and research opportunities with MIT?
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ADMISSIONS@SKOLTECH.RU
For the flex course catalog please see:
INDEX.CGI
THE SKOLTECH ADVANTAGE
On October 26, 2011, the newly created Skoltech signed an agreement with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Skolkovo Foundation, and launched a key partnership. The collaboration’s goal is to build capacity and skills in education, research and entrepreneurship programs at Skoltech.
The result is the MIT Skoltech Initiative, which serves as a portal connecting the two scientific communities. MIT acts as an advisor to Skoltech on programs, structure, and curriculum, while students and researchers at both institutes benefit from new opportunities for intellectual exchange, network building and shared research. It is a core strategic partnership dedicated to further building and enhancing capacity at Skoltech, and to advancing Russian participation in the global innovation community.
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
STUDENT.MIT.EDU/CATALOG/
WELCOME
INTERNATIONAL AND RUSSIAN PARTNERS
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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At Skoltech, we recognize that science is an international endeavor. From the very beginning, we have given our students opportunities to spend part of their studies at partner universities both inside and outside of Russia. Skoltech students have spent time at MIT, Imperial College London, ETHZ and EPFL in Switzerland, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, the University of Groningen, MIPT and MSU in Moscow, and more.
Connect to global community THE SKOLTECH ADVANTAGE
Skoltech works together with numerous institutions in Russia and worldwide. Partnerships include collaboration on research projects and educational programs. Among our INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS are institutions such as MIT, Harvard Medical School, the Whitehead Institute, the University of South Carolina, University of Texas at Austin (US), The Universities of Cambridge and Edinburgh (UK), Groningen School of Medicine, Hubrecht Institute, KNAW and Delft University of Technology (the Netherlands), KU Leuven (Belgium), ETH in Zurich EPF in Lausanne (Switzerland) HKUST (Hong Kong), Tokyo University of Electro-Communications (Japan) Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (Abu Dhabi) and many others. We also take great pride and see a lot of importance in working with RUSSIAN PARTNERS such as, for example, MSU, National University of Science and Technology (“MISIS�), MIPT, Institute of General Genetics RAS, (in Moscow), Far Eastern Federal University (Vladivostok), St. Petersburg University of Information Technologies, Mechanics and Optics (ITMO), and the Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics.
INTERNATIONAL AND RUSSIAN PARTNERS
WELCOME
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than 30 languages, including Hindi, Serbian, French, Urdu, Spanish, German, English and, of course, Russian. Our international students can expect to take all of their courses in English, while also having the opportunity to learn and practice Russian—sometimes side by side with Skoltech faculty.
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
Skoltech provides generous funding for students to attend academic and professional conferences, as well as accelerator and startup events, both inside and outside of Russia. Students come to Skoltech from 20 countries, including Canada, India, Italy, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, and the USA. And we speak more
WELCOME
UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL MODEL
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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Skoltech is a new model in the Russian higher education landscape, integrating two crucial kinds of knowledge — the scientific and the useful, the fundamental with the innovative.
Learn and do much more Skoltech students who return to Moscow after gaining experience at MIT are often asked by other Russian students, “Are MIT students smarter than we are?” They usually answer, “Russian students might know more, but MIT students can do more with what they know.” Here is your opportunity to have the best of both worlds. At Skoltech, we take students who know a lot — about computing, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology — and equip them with even more knowledge but also skills to develop innovative solutions to society’s most challenging technological problems. Our curriculum is all about action and results. When Skoltech students take part in The Innovation Workshop (for first-year M.Sc. students), participate in our one-week Application Period at the end of every eight-week course, or experience Industrial Immersion in summer — they are busy doing.
UNIQUE EDUCATIONAL MODEL
WELCOME
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“Skoltech means to take risk: to apply, to study, to dream about your own project – and realize it. This is not just a demanding international academic environment. It is where I started up my own company which received international status when it was chosen to the ‘100 Innovators’ program. Add to that the people — students, faculty, researchers, staff. Everyone treats you not as a student on a conveyor belt, but as a hand-made, unique person. I’m so glad I took the risk.”
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
Dmitry Smirnov
DEGREE S AND RE SE ARCH INITIATIV E S
PROGR AMS
Programs
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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DEGREE S AND RE SE ARCH INITIATIV E S
Within programs, our students can focus on one or a combination of the following areas: big data, computational mathematics, quantum computing, oil and gas engineering, energy systems, energy storage, systems and computational biology, genomics, stem cells, infectious diseases, space systems engineering, space data, product design, manufacturing, and composite materials. At Skoltech, we have no academic departments, and no artificial barriers between professors and students of different specializations. In fact, students are able to design their own individual pathway through the curriculum and take the courses that best serve their interests and needs. There will be guidance available from academic advisors and the Skoltech faculty, but you will make many independent choices along the way. We give you a roadmap to success — you get to use it the way you choose.
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SKOLTECH.RU/EN/EDUCATION/
SKOLTECH.RU/EN/ADMISSIONS/
Alexander Tyshkovskiy “Before coming to Skoltech, my education background was in biological science from Moscow State University and Business Development from MIT. But it was mainly focused on theory. This is why I applied for Skoltech: because it’s all about making this journey from theory to practice to business to life.”
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
Grow your knowledge and skills
For more info on our programs, initiatives and a list of courses, please follow these links
PROGR AMS
Education and research at Skoltech are centered around five major Initiatives: Information, Energy, Biomedicine, Space, and Advanced Manufacturing.
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PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT HEINZEN, ELIZABETH FISCHER AND ANITA MORA, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES, NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
PROGR AMS
STUDY AND RE SE ARCH TR ACK S: BIOMED
BIOMEDICAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
STUDY AND RE SE ARCH TR ACK S: BIOMED
PROGR AMS
For more info on our Biomedicine initiative and a list of courses, please follow these links
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SKOLTECH.RU/EN/EDUCATION/
Brendan Wilcox “I chose Skoltech because I wanted a challenge. In my case, it was a decision that sent me to the other side of the planet, to learn a language and culture I knew very little about. The other exciting prospect was the chance to be there from the start; to be a “founder.” There are so many opportunities to find a biomed professor who is involved in leading innovative science, and is willing to work sideby-side with you. I still can’t believe that I’m waking up in Moscow every morning, and attending one of the most promising universities in the world.”
IMAGE COURTESY OF MAGGIE BARTLETT, NHGRI
The Skoltech program in Biomedical Science and Technology offers students outstanding research opportunities with leading professors (Such as Konstantin Severinov, Anton Berns, Victor Kotelianski and Philipp Khaitovich) in some of the most challenging and promising areas of the life sciences: stem cells, immunology, functional genomics, molecular biology, systems biology, and bioinformatics. In the first year, we offer courses and seminars while students identify their research topics. Research is conducted primarily in our centers for Stem Cell Research, Innovative Biomedical Therapies, Infectious Diseases, and Systems Biology. While labs at Skoltech are being constructed, students may conduct research at partner institutions, including MIT, the University of Groningen, Harvard Medical School, and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
SKOLTECH.RU/EN/ADMISSIONS/
STUDY AND RE SE ARCH TR ACK S: ENERGY
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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PHOTO COURTESY OF ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY, FLICKR
PROGR AMS
ENERGY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Our two-year MSc in Energy Science and Technology covers a broad range of issues critical in the twenty-first century: exploration, distribution, consumption, and efficiency of our energy resources. Want to focus on the built environment and redefine smart grids and homes? Check. Want to build cutting-edge energy storage devices? Check. Want to explore oil and gas discovery in hard-to-reach places? Check. At Skoltech, MSc students in Energy can focus on Energy Systems, Hydrocarbon Recovery or Quantum Materials, in which they gain technical knowledge and skills, as well as take courses such as Global Energy Decisions, Markets and Policies—because technical solutions for today’s energy problems can only succeed in a societal and global context. MSc and PhD Students in the energy program conduct research in our CREIs on Electrochemical Energy Storage, Energy Systems, Hydrocarbon Recovery, Quantum Materials, Nuclear Systems and Materials, and Advanced Structures, Processes and Engineered Materials. Each of our CREIs collaborates with world-class institutions inside and outside of Russia, and opportunities exist for students to take courses and conduct research with partner universities and labs.
STUDY AND RE SE ARCH TR ACK S: ENERGY
Entry Requirements
Ade Adebayo “Energy has been and will continue to be the driver of innovation. Skoltech offers a unique approach of education, research and innovation that holds promise in tackling the energy challenges of our age. That is why I am here. To learn how to innovate through impactful energy solutions.”
Dinara Zhussupova
“Skoltech is the place where you just have to create and make your most insane engineering ideas come true. And because I always wanted to invent — this is valuable for me. The scope and breadth of studying, innovation and business experiences is just immense. I never thought that I could gain all this know-how in one place and at one time. But you see? It is possible.”
“As an energy student specializing in nuclear physics, I find collaboration with top international institutes simply crucial. And the thing that I love about the academic system here at Skoltech is that we are able to take courses not only in IT or physics, but also to mix and match them to our needs.”
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SKOLTECH.RU/EN/EDUCATION/
SKOLTECH.RU/EN/ADMISSIONS/
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
With few exceptions, the strongest prospective students are those who have prior training in physics, chemistry, oil and gas engineering, applied mathematics, materials science, and related disciplines.
Aliya Khayrulina
PROGR AMS
For more info on our Energy initiative and a list of courses, please follow these links
PROGR AMS
STUDY AND RE SE ARCH TR ACK S: IT
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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IT INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Our two-year MSc in Information Science and Technology is not just any computer science. Whether following the Big Data or the Computational Mathematics tracks, students not only gain technical know-how, but the business and societal context of information science and technology. All students complete company-based projects as part of our Industrial Immersion program, as well as do research on their MS thesis in our Skoltech Center for Computational and Data-Intensive Science and Engineering, a partnership with MIT, University of Texas at Austin, and Moscow State University.
Entry Requirements With few exceptions, the strongest prospective students are those who have prior training in computer science or engineering, or related disciplines.
STUDY AND RE SE ARCH TR ACK S: IT
Marina Munkheova
Science and Engineering Courses include: Computational Control Optimization Methods Machine Learning Building a Computer Vision System Fast Methods for Partial Differential Equations Bayesian Methods Data Management Technologies Language Technologies
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SKOLTECH.RU/EN/EDUCATION/
SKOLTECH.RU/EN/ADMISSIONS/
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
“I heard about Skoltech from my classmate just as I was about to graduate with a BA in information systems and management. For my master’s degree I really wanted to focus not only on managerial but also on scientific themes. I shopped around for MSc programs in applied mathematics and informatics, and couldn’t find the one that is right for me. Time was running out. Then I heard about a great opportunity to do this here, and applied. Apparently I did it just in time. Here I am!”
PROGR AMS
For more info on our IT initiative and a list of courses, please follow these links
PROGR AMS
STUDY AND RE SE ARCH TR ACK S: ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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PRODUCT DESIGN AND ADVANCED MANUFACTURING: COLLABORATION WITH MIT
In 2012, Skoltech and MIT launched a pilot collaborative program in Product Design and Advanced Manufacturing designed to prepare students to assume a role of technical leadership in industry. Combining formal coursework with hands-on industry-based experience, the degree program is for future leaders in existing and emerging industries. Students are exposed to the full range of topics for manufacturing excellence. A critical mass of Russian industry partners has been cultivated to support this new program, and students are the backbone. Our students complete industrial immersion projects aimed at solving manufacturing and operations problems in a meaningful way that benefits both the company and the students.
STUDY AND RE SE ARCH TR ACK S: ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
“Designing a new type of nano fiber material manufacturing process at a real factory, experimenting, seeing real results and even receiving a job offer at the end – Industry Immersion was an incredible experience. And a very useful one, too.”
For more info on our Advanced Manufacturing initiative and a list of courses, please follow these links
PROGR AMS
Andrey Vyatskikh
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STUDENT PROSPECTUS
SKOLTECH.RU/EN/ADMISSIONS/
STUDY AND RE SE ARCH TR ACK S: SPACE
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA
PROGR AMS
SPACE SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
STUDY AND RE SE ARCH TR ACK S: SPACE
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Simone Briatore
SKOLTECH.RU/EN/EDUCATION/
Entry Requirements
SKOLTECH.RU/EN/ADMISSIONS/
The strongest prospective students are those who have prior training in aerospace engineering, applied math and physics, computer science, or related disciplines.
Science and Engineering Courses include: Systems Engineering Satellite Engineering and Space Mission Design Systems Architecture Human Spaceflight Project Management Space Data Space Environment Space-based Measurements Big Data Analysis Navigation and Communications Space Industry Exploit space data for services and applications. Advance capabilities for human spaceflight. Design and launch space missions and spacecraft. Investigate the space environment. Oh, and you can spend a year at MIT or EPFL. Our two-year MSc in Space Science and Technology, with tracks in Systems Engineering and Space Data, provides students with a holistic view of space missions and systems, and offers a unique opportunity to complete part of the program in residence at partner universities in the US and Switzerland. Skoltech MSc and PhD students work on a variety of research projects, from federated satellite systems and human safety in spaceflight, to space particle science and radiation. PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
“Why did I chose Skoltech? After completing my bachelor degree in Electronic Engineering and traveling between Italy and China, I heard about the Space program here. I saw an opportunity to fulfill a life dream of studying in Russia, a country with an incredible history, where space science took its first steps. But I study in a 21st century university, where I merge technical knowledge and innovation processes. This is expressed in the focus on group activities and team work and the incentive to literally build things with our own hands�
PROGR AMS
For more info on our Space initiative and a list of courses, please follow these links
FACULT Y AND RE SE ARCH
PROFE SSORS, INSTRUCTORS AND POSTDOCS
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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Faculty and Research
Work with leading scientists Skoltech opens a door for you to do much more — and much faster — than at an ordinary graduate school in sciences. Skoltech has defined five initiatives for its mission to create science that has real impact on society and economy — Biomedicine, IT, Energy, Space Science, and Science cutting across these areas (e.g., materials, advanced manufacturing, etc.). In labs spread across Moscow, Russia and the world, our top researchers collaborate with colleagues from institutions such as Harvard Medical School, MIT, Cambridge University, MSU, Delft TU, the University of Groningen — and with you, the students. In order to pursue innovative research in these fields, we are establishing 15 international Centers for Research, Education and Innovation (CREIs.) These are the key building blocks in the effort to develop a world-class graduate university that combines education, research and innovation seamlessly. The CREIs will pursue leading research in their fields, deliver world-
Professor Ivan Oseledets
Professor Konstantin Severinov
SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING GROUP
DIRECTOR OF BIOMEDICINE PROGR AM
“My students and I work on developing basic computational algorithms that are broadly applicable in biology, chemistry, physics, and social networks. For example, we investigate computational material design and applications for 3D printing. We are also involved in large-scale social network analysis. Our main research focus and challenge is to break “the curse of dimensionality”: the exponential complexity growth for high-dimensional problems. To do that, we need to work closely with other Skoltech groups and various research centers.”
“The overreaching theme is that when we study gene expression of bacteria and viruses or when we study antibiotics — we really do it for fun. Yes, there is a bit of a childish thing to being a scientist. It is like a riddle game. There must be an answer out there to a problem you are studying, but you do not know it, and you keep looking for it. This is how science and innovation grow.”
PROFE SSORS, INSTRUCTORS AND POSTDOCS
FACULT Y AND RE SE ARCH
Dmitry Ghilarov RESE ARCH SCIENTIST
“For me it was crucial to conduct my own research right from the start of my studies. We got into the lab really fast. Now I am part of a team synthesizing genes and producing molecules that could be the basis for the next generation of antibiotics.”
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STUDENT PROSPECTUS
Professor Alessandro Golkar
Professor Natalia Berloff
Professor Anatoly Dymarsky
D I R E C T O R , S T R AT E G I C
D E A N O F F A C U LT Y
“My ultimate goal is to provide Skoltech students with knowledge that will enable them to thrive in the most competitive environments around the world. The point here is not to follow in someone’s footsteps. We have to create our own way.”
I N N O VAT I O N R E S E A R C H G R O U P
“My students and I are working on Federated Satellite Systems, which is essentially a revolution in space. And we focus in our lab on concurrent engineering projects. Unlike traditional workgroups in which different teams work separately, developers and designers work together on satellite parts, spaceships or robots. The idea is to take complex multidisciplinary projects and create new concepts and new markets.”
“The fluidity and flexibility offered by Skoltech are a unique advantage. We don’t have rigidly defined departments so students can fine-tune their own study program”.
FACULT Y AND RE SE ARCH
PROFE SSORS, INSTRUCTORS AND POSTDOCS
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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Professor Iskander Akhatov D I R E C T O R , S K O LT E C H CENTER FOR HYDROCARBON RECOVERY
“The only way to tackle complex IT, physics and engineering issues that are inherent to this age is to build a hub which collaborates with major companies and international schools.” class graduate education programs which are aligned with a European (Bologna) structure in a Russian context, and generate results that can form the basis for innovation and entrepreneurship activities at Skoltech and in Russian industry. Importantly, they will build capacity of all kinds at Skoltech, and will be designed to have broad impact on Russia. The establishment of CREIs in close cooperation with one (or more) international and Russian academic partner institutions is done because we believe this is the most efficient and fastest way to establish a new world-class graduate research university complementing the existing research and educational system in Russia and develop a gateway between Russia and the rest of the world.
THE SKOLTECH ADVANTAGE
Yes, you are asked and expected to produce high-quality research that will make real difference in the real world. But with Skoltech, you also become part of a scientific start-up, along with some of the world’s best researchers and professors. This is where you get a chance not only to hear about the brightest minds, but also work with them. And even better so – become one yourself. And fast. Right from the start of their time with Skoltech, students enjoy various opportunities to team up with researchers. Moreover, PhD students are encouraged to pre-defend their thesis proposals at a very early stage of their careers with Skoltech, freeing time for more flexible research work.
PROFE SSORS, INSTRUCTORS AND POSTDOCS
PHD STUDENT
For more info on Faculty and Research Opportunities take a look at
Skoltech’s faculty portal with profiles of all professors and members of faculty
FACULTY.SKOLTECH.RU
The research portal which details Skoltech’s strategy as well as concrete opportunities to work with CREIs (centers for research edcuation and innovation)
SKOLTECH.RU/RESEARCH/EN/
Online version of the faculty prospectus
SKOLTECH.RU/EN/2014/09/ FACULTY-PROSPECTUS-AVAILABLE-NOW-ONLINE/
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STUDENT PROSPECTUS
“As a PhD student of space technology, this is a huge opportunity for me to become part of a research team working on distributed space system architectures. The study and deployment of fractioned and federated satellite systems is just at its early phase, and it might grow faster than we imagine in the next decade or two. Everyone — nations, space agencies and industries — can benefit from creating collaborative networks of satellites that share resources. The benefits for earth and space science, telecommunications and navigation are there to be harnessed. Now it’s our job to provide the research to make this happen.”
FACULT Y AND RE SE ARCH
Ignasi Lluch I Cruz
CAREERS
OPPORTUNITIE S
Opportunities
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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Start right here and now 6 Things You Might Want To Know About Career and Job Opportunities
1 Thanks to our flexible course schedule some Skoletch students begin to gain work experience while still studying. 2 Recruiters have already set their sights on students and dozens have landed jobs and paid internships in startups and established businesses. 3 The Industry Immersion Program which arranges internships with leading companies provides students with a real-world, hands-on experience of work and research with high tech companies. It also boosts career prospects. Many students have already been offered paid internships and full positions with companies from Moscow to Novosibirsk. 4 Leading global companies such as Cisco, Intel, Microsoft, IBM, Schneider Electric and others have opened R&D
CAREERS
Check out our video about the industry immersion program
Anna Dubovik “After visiting Google in Silicon Valley, I knew I wanted to not only know about search – but actually gain some real experience. So I interned at the head office of Yandex in Moscow. They threw us right away into an ocean of data, and it was only up to my team and me to swim, survive and thrive. This is how real tech experience should be: you get a feel of the real impact your actions have. Yandex is a company that is driven in a way that is not common in Russia. It is really innovative. And so is Skoltech.”
centers in Skolkovo – or plan to do so in the near future. It is an indispensable part of the strategy underlying the ecosystem that comprises a complete high-tech city with a number of private international research and development centers and startup incubators. When our new campus building opens in 2016, reaching the business and tech community will be a matter of picking up a cappuccino at the cafeteria — and going for a stroll. 5 Several startup projects have already emerged from Skoltech. 6 The Career Services Center provides advice and support for students who are looking for jobs (or just dreaming of changing the world.)
or read this story about students’ internship at Intel
SKOLTECH.RU/EN/2014/08/ FROM-SMART-FRIDGES-TO-THEINTERNET-OF-THINGS-SKOLTECHAND-INTEL-RUSSIA-COMPLETE-1STJOINT-INTERNSHIP-PROGRAM/
THE SKOLTECH ADVANTAGE
Each year, students at Skoltech take part in an Industry Immersion Program. Students participate in internships with leading companies such as Google, Intel, Yandex, Tion, Dauria Aerospace, Biologica and many others. The idea and goal of the internship programs is that students apply their knowledge, gain hands-on experience , make valuable contacts and develop real products. They become skilled high-tech professionals — ready to work with a company or start their own business. And it looks pretty nice on your resume: when Skoltech students network or apply for high tech jobs, they can always mention that summer they spent with Google in Moscow...
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STUDENT PROSPECTUS
WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V= 4MOElTbP9YE
OPPORTUNITIE S
Want to hear, see or read some more about career opportunities and internships?
ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUCCE SS STORIE S
OPPORTUNITIE S
Company logos of ImageAiry, EasyTen and Karfidov Lab — startups established by Skoltech students.
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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Build your own project or company
5 Things You Need To Know about Starting your own Company or Project 1 45% of Skoltech’s Masters students are actively involved in a startup project. Some have secured funding, others already have significant revenue. 2 A Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) operates at Skoltech. Its main goal is to make Skoltech an engine of economic growth by rapidly implementing ideas to create impact, by engaging students and faculty in E&I (entrepreneurship and innovation), and by accelerating research outcomes toward commercialization and broader social impact. 3 The Knowledge Transfer office (KTO) provides intellectual property protection, management and commercialization services for Skoltech inventions. 4 Easy ten, a startup project co-founded by Skoltech student Nikita Pestrov, raised $450,000 USD in seed funding. The investment was announced by Russia’s Internet Initiatives Development Fund (IIDF), which hosted the project for a three month acceleration program. 5 In 2013, IT student Anastasia Uryasheva gained Skolkovo Resident status for her start-up company Sadko Mobile. Her idea of mobile search application Askeroid had transformed from a course project into a service with more than 130,000 users.
THE SKOLTECH ADVANTAGE
Almost half of Skoltech students are actively involved in a startup company, an app or project they initiated. Impressive as it may be, what does this statistic actually prove? It goes to show that innovation and entrepreneurship are at the core of our mission. It demonstrates the university’s commitment to having a real impact on society and the economy. It proves that Masters and PhD graduate students are ready to tackle head on real challenges in the real world. And most of all it makes us optimistic about the future. As more and more graduates run their own companies, the significance of the institute’s role in building a knowledge based economy in Russia becomes clearer.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUCCE SS STORIE S
Students startups securing funding (Easy Ten and ImageAiry)
LOOKS-EASY-SKOLTECH-STUDENT-SSTARTUP-EASY-TEN-RAISES-450K-INSEED-FUNDING/
SKOLTECH.RU/EN/2014/06/HERESLOOKING-AT-YOU-SKOLTECH-STUDENT-STARTUP-SECURES-1-5-MILLION-RUB-FUNDING/
Easy Wallet team with Qiwi Accelerator (in Russian)
Nikita Pestrov “Currently my startup Easy Ten’s revenues are three times higher than what it spends on attracting users. The project, which helps non-native English speakers to learn ten new words a day, is planning a business expansion through adding a hundred new language pairs. The entrepreneurship skills and self- confidence I gain at Skoltech accelerate all of that.”
HTTP://APPTRACTOR.RU/DEVELOP/ ALEKSANDR-IVANOV-EASYWALLET-INTERVIEW.HTML
THE SKOLTECH ADVANTAGE
Innovation Workshop is a joint Skoltech-MIT course held every summer just before the beginning of the academic year. During the three week long ‘bootcamp’, students experience the hardships and satisfaction of building a startup project from scratch. Just like in real life, they fight fatigue, boredom – even a broken down air-conditioner – as they make the journey from idea to prototype. When students are done navigating the intersections between physical and virtual, hardware and software, business model and working model, they are more than ready to try their hand at extremely complex and very real challenges. Read more here: HTTP://WWW.SKOLTECH.RU/EN/2014/07/MIT-AND-SKOLTECH-KICK-OFF-INNOVATIONWORKSHOP-FOR-THE-1ST-TIME-IN-MOSCOW/
IMeetU, DreamBeamer and a life saving bracelet for babies presented at a get together with visiting German students
FACEBOOK.COM/MEDIA/SET/ ?SET=A.625999710819290. 1073741862. 219605978125334&TYPE=1
ImageAiry at the ESRI conference
FACEBOOK.COM/SKOLTECH/ POSTS/671766666242594
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STUDENT PROSPECTUS
SKOLTECH.RU/EN/2014/06/IT-ONLY-
OPPORTUNITIE S
Learn a bit more about how our students can combine science with entrepreneurship
E V ENTS AND INFORMATION
OPEN DOORS
Open doors
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For more detailed information on our calendar of events please follow us on
Say hi to adventure and opportunity
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/SKOLTECH
Learn about and connect with Skoltech staff on-campus, online, or in a city near you. Check our admissions event calendar regularly at https://www.facebook.com/skoltechadmissions and learn about our education programs that bring together the best students and faculty. If you want to receive a personalized email with updates on events that are happening near you, please contact us at admissions@skoltech.ru Attend Skoltech’s presentations that outline what we have to offer to our students, our application procedure, education process and research opportunities. Talk to professors, staff and current students who will be available throughout the events to answer any questions about studying at Skoltech and the application procedure.
THE SKOLTECH ADVANTAGE
At the students’ affairs office we know very well that there is nothing like the human touch and person-to-person connection. After all, this is our job. That’s why we not only produce online materials, videos and brochures like the one you are reading right now. We would like to meet you personally wherever you like to hang out: at your university with friends and professors, or at one of our events like open doors days and hackathons where you can meet Skoltech students and faculty. The choice is yours. We are always available and happy to provide information.
ADMISSION
OPEN DOORS
Apply in 2 easy steps
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
Are you ready to change the world around you? Or even beyond you? If you are comfortable with start-up and fast-changing environments and are looking for new exciting scientific and entrepreneurial opportunities, then Skoltech is a place for you. Learn more about the programs we offer and the types of students we seek. The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology welcomes applicants from all over Russia and the world. Here at Skoltech we are looking for entrepreneurial students, future leaders interested in innovation, advancement of scientific knowledge, and fostering of new technologies. We are looking for students from Russia and around the world who are in the last year of their undergraduate program or who have already received a higher degree (BS, BSc, BA, or higher). Applicants should have outstanding academic performance in a relevant field (engineering, mathematics, applied sciences, materials science, physics, chemistry, biology, petroleum engineering, space systems engineering, etc.)
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THE SKOLTECH ADVANTAGE
Before you apply make sure you understand Skoltech’s admission requirements and give yourself enough time to collect all of the necessary materials. THERE ARE 2 EASY STEPS IN THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS. IT IS SIMPLE, STRAIGHT FORWARD, AND –YOU’D BE SURPRISED – CAN EVEN BE FUN.
1
Complete your application online here (for M.Sc. programs) http://apply.skoltech.ru/ or here http://apply. skoltech.ru/phd if you are a PhD candidate. You will be able to make changes to your application and add supporting materials at any point before you “submit” your application to us.
2
From the pool of online applications we receive, the Selection Committee will select and invite to Moscow semi-finalists to a “Selection Weekend” for two days of group activities (science, engineering, technology, and design challenges) and interviews.
Then it’s decision time. Ours, and yours.
OPEN DOORS
SCHOL ARSHIP S AND SUPPORT
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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Skoltech recognizes the academic excellence of its students. We recruit not only smart people, but those that have the potential to become real leaders in science and technological entrepreneurship.
Receive the best financial aid package in Russia 5 Things You Need To Know About our Scholarships and Support System:
Every admitted student is provided with a great internationally competitive financial package. The fellowship includes: 1 Tuition waiver, which means free excellent education with no charges 2 A generous stipend, which helps you pay for your flat and concentrate on your research and studies. 3 Extended medical insurance which takes away the worries about medical costs (let’s hope you won’t need to use this extensive coverage). 4 Exchange opportunities with international and Russian universities, including MIT. And there’s one more thing: 5 We have open hearts and minds. We are always here, ready to listen. We won’t be judgmental, we will be professional and supportive.
Feel free to ask for more info about fellowships: Contact the Office of Student Affairs: admissions@skoltech.ru
SCHOL ARSHIP S AND SUPPORT
OPEN DOORS
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STUDENT PROSPECTUS
THE SKOLTECH ADVANTAGE
Joining a new university, perhaps even moving to a new city or country, can be an awesome adventure and a life changing experience. It might also be a challenging and stressful. That is why we at Skoltech support our students as best as we can. We provide a whole array of support services, financial, medical, and personal help. We will assist with a personal emergency or just share with you the secret location of the best coffee in town. And to make sure that you can afford life in Moscow and focus on your studies and research we offer an excellent package: how about not paying any tuition fees, receiving top-notch education and an allowance to rent a flat and travel to conferences? Sounds good, right? It is.
OPEN DOORS
COMMUNIT Y AND FREE TIME
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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Enjoy life and people in Moscow
COMMUNIT Y AND FREE TIME
OPEN DOORS
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STUDENT PROSPECTUS
We could write a polished marketing message about how amazing it is to go for boat excursions on the Moskva river with your classmates, debate policies at the Student Council (which received important advice from MIT students), play football with your professors and American football with your MIT peers, savor international cuisine at midnight in a lecture hall, go ballroom dancing on the Red Square or hit the Moscow clubs with a bunch of system engineers. Instead, we decided to let the pictures do the talking.
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
OPEN DOORS
COMMUNIT Y AND FREE TIME
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COMMUNIT Y AND FREE TIME
OPEN DOORS
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STUDENT PROSPECTUS
OPEN DOORS
CONTACTS AND LOCATION
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
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Give us a call or just drop by for a visit
Contacts The Office of Student Affairs is currently located on the sixth floor of the Hypercube building in Skolkovo Innovation Center. Mailing Address Office of Student Affairs Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology ul. Novaya, d. 100, Karakorum Building, 7th Floor Skolkovo, 143025 Russian Federation Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Skoltech http://facebook.com/SkoltechAdmissions Email admissions@skoltech.ru Telephone +7 (495) 280-1481
CONTACTS AND LOCATION
OPEN DOORS
CONTENT DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGY
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Ilan Goren GRAPHIC CONCEPT AND DESIGN
Denis Landin TEXT
PHOTOS BY
Anastasia Belyakova Vladimir Eremin Ilan Goren Aleksei Kalabin Sergey Kasatkin Andrey Kolchanov Alexei Lokhov Maxim Nazarov Vitaly Shustikov Brendan Smith Boris Urman Elena Volochine IMAGES COURTESY OF
Skolkovo Foundation, Skoltech, Wikipedia and Flickr users (under Creative Commons License, see images on pages for credit and attribution) PLEASE NOTE Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information in this Student Prospectus at the time of going to print. However, changes and developments are part of the life of the university and its research centers and alterations may occur to programs, staff and initiatives described in the prospectus. Please refer to the Skoltech and Student Affairs websites for the most up-to-date information. HTTP://WWW.SKOLTECH.RU/EN/ HTTP://APPLY.SKOLTECH.RU/ HTTP://WWW.SKOLTECH.RU/EN/STUDENT-LIFE/STUDENT-AFFAIRS/
STUDENT PROSPECTUS
Bram Caplan Ilan Goren Ekaterina Malyuzhinets
For more information
Take a look at our website in English or Russian
SKOLTECH.RU/EN SKOLTECH.RU/?LANG=RU
You can also find us on social media Facebook (English)
FACEBOOK.COM/SKOLTECH
Vkontakte (Russian)
VK.COM/SKOLTECH
Twitter (both languages)
@SKOLTECH
@SKOLTECH
@SKOLTECH_RU