The conference covered big data analytics, mathematics, applied optics, computer vision, bioengineering, technological management, and innovation. During the foresight sessions by the Student Research Association, participants delved into the best mentorship practices and students’ engagement in student associations. A separate section of the event was devoted to linguistics in the context of natural sciences; participants emphasized that efficient communication between science and society is impossible without understanding the language’s “structure”. In addition, there were quizzes, a round-table discussion, the Science Open Source meetup, and a school conference.
The conference also featured demonstrations, such as that of a trap for charged particles, laser anti-counterfeiting labeling, smart edible packaging, and a VR simulation of Liesegang rings formation.
ITMO staff and PhD students who excelled in academia were nominated for the Top Young Professionals contest held as part of the conference. All in all, 33 participants were recognized for their competition participation, publications and patents, and transfer of expertise and knowledge to the younger generation. Furthermore, the papers of over 30 students from ITMO and and other partner universities were named best; the selection criteria included the paper’s quality, its relevance, and author contribution to the development of the solution proposed.
