In August 2022, ITMO announced its transformation into a research and educational corporation. In this role, the university implements an approach that is more product-based and market-oriented, focusing on developing ready-made solutions for industrial partners, promoting startup culture, and creating a unique environment for talent growth. Dr. Kozlova’s new position is a great leap towards building a brand-new university development model in Russia. 

“ITMO and Yandex both set ambitious goals, share the same values, and grow rapidly,” says Daria Kozlova. “At the same time, the university and the company represent two different cultures and being a part of both presents a unique opportunity to discover new areas of collaboration and growth, as well as to achieve our goals faster. It is in such collaborations that the universities of the future will develop, and I am certain that not only the collaborators themselves but the entire Russian educational market will have a lot to gain from this partnership.”

At the university, Daria will remain in charge of ITMO’s development strategy, developing business thinking skills, and other strategic tasks. At Yandex, she will work on increasing the public’s trust in technologies, creating the agenda at the intersection of science, education, IT, and other fields, as well as engage in the development and expansion of a unified educational environment.