The new modern coworking space is ready for all kinds of educational activities: jere, students will be able to rest and work, as well as join strategy sessions, open lectures, seminars, and workshops by leading experts and Alfa-Bank representatives. With the new space, students also gain access to real-world cases from the industry. The coworking space is fully stocked with sofas, tables, and individual workdesks with power outlets for students’ devices.

“Our partnership with Alfa-Bank is a sign of how deeply the university is connected to and integrated into business. We started with joint events, then launched several educational programs for both students and lecturers. For example, we’ve recently completed the second run of an AI tech course for university lecturers from all over the country. This coworking space is the next step: we are creating a collaborative infrastructure for our projects. This is strategic partnership in action,” says Kirill Alexandrov, the first deputy head of ITMO’s Admission Office.

To celebrate the launch, Alfa-Bank organized an event dubbed Alfa-Friday: participants could receive career consultations, get a special design engraved on their Alfa-Bank cards, get custom Alfa x ITMO merch, and chat with the blogger and TV host Danya Kraster. This new coworking space became the next logical step after the opening of the bank’s first classroom at ITMO. 

“By opening a flagship coworking space at ITMO, one of the country’s leading tech universities, we are creating a point of attraction for talents and significantly expanding the opportunities to interact with us – from a classroom to a modern hub. This is a tech space where breakthroughs are born and implemented and future specialists gain practical experience while working with industry experts,” shares Marat Ismagulov, the head of HR at Alfa-Bank. 

Together, ITMO and Alfa-Bank work on initiatives aimed at developing education and professional training. Recently, ITMO University opened the corporate Master’s program AI Product, where students learn by solving real-world cases, guided by the bank’s experts and ITMO’s partners. Moreover, ITMO and Alfa-Bank continue developing the field of AI in education: recently, the partners have concluded their second professional development course in the field for university lecturers from all over the country.