This is the first year that the contest turns international: two of its tracks – Physics and Robotics – will welcome talents from all over the world. In the Physics track, participants can expect to solve theoretical problems from various domains of physics, from mechanics and thermodynamics to photonics and materials science. As for the Robotics track, those who choose it will have to tackle problems that test their knowledge of control theory and robotics, as well as related practical skills.
Over the three previous seasons, ITMO Mega Contest has grown to include a total of 25 tracks in 11 subject fields, from programming and AI to molecular biology and chemistry. In the fourth season, several tracks have changed to include theoretical and practical case-based tasks. Among the tracks added this year are DevOps engineering, chemistry for energy technologies, business analysis, and business management.
Find out more about the contest on its official website (link in Russian).
The contest is held online and includes the following stages:
November 13, 2024 – January 14, 2025: registration period. During this time, Bachelor’s students and graduates wishing to join the contest should register on the website and choose the track(s) they are interested in.
January 20-30, 2025: qualifying round. The participants will have three hours to solve tasks, with solutions being checked by an automated system.
March (weekends) 2025: finals. In the course of four hours, the participants will be solving cases online, monitored by a proctoring system.
April 2025: announcement of winners and runners-up. Those who scored highest will be able to enroll in an ITMO Master’s program without entrance exams. ITMO Mega Contest winners’ certificates are valid for two years. 86 winners and runners-up from the contest’s third season availed of their opportunity to join the university in 2024.
“ITMO Mega Contest traditionally attracts participants from all over Russia, with the number of registrations growing year by year: from 6,346 in 2023 to 9,416 in 2023. This season, we expect to see even more talented participants try their hand at the contest and then join ITMO as our Master’s students,” share the contest organizers.
