Please introduce yourself to our readers.
I am Rahim Hakimov, a third-year Bachelor’s student at ITMO, pursuing applied mathematics and informatics. I have lived in St. Petersburg for 2 years now, working as a software engineer at Yandex.
What differences or similarities have you noticed between Tajikistan and Russia?
The two countries are not far apart, but there are many differences – all the way from language to food. The climate is not identical. My hometown is sunnier than St. Petersburg, where seeing the sun is quite rare. There are noticeable differences in culture and religion, too.
Speaking of similarities, I think the people of both countries are very kind and hospitable to foreigners.
Do you have any favorite traditional dishes?
I am a rice person. Hence, I consider plov to be my favorite dish.
What attractions would you recommend to tourists visiting your country?
I would recommend to tourists our scenic mountain ranges. They calm you down and give you a taste of what peace feels like. One would also not want to miss the museums. They house some really interesting artifacts.
What motivated you to study here?
I believe that technology and education are really advanced in Russia, better than in any other country to my knowledge. I was more inspired to pursue my higher education in Russia when I learned about ICPC (International Collegiate Programming Contest). ITMO became my #1 priority when I found out that this university has bagged the first prize seven times!
Were you enrolled in the Foundation Program?
No, I did not have to. I studied Russian right from first grade in my country, so language wasn’t really a barrier for me.
What has it been like to study at ITMO?
I found the teachers to be very considerate. My first year as a student at ITMO happened during the COVID-19 outbreak, so I had to continue my studies online from Tajikistan. I encountered numerous network issues, but fortunately, my teachers recorded their lectures and uploaded them to the YouTube channel of our program. This helped me a lot, as I could download those lectures and rewatch them later when I had better internet access.
Rahim has represented ITMO at various competitions, including ICPC. Photo courtesy of the subject
What do you admire or dislike about St. Petersburg?
I really love the architecture of St. Petersburg and the overall vibe of the city. I like to wander about for 2-3 hours every day. Summer in St. Petersburg is an absolute joy.
What motivated you to pick this program?
I was amazed to know that students from ITMO University have won ICPC seven times. I immediately looked up the program these participants were enrolled in and came across the program Computer Science and Programming. As it best suited my interests, I applied for it.
So, did you get a chance to participate in ICPC?
Oh yes! I participated in it last December and even sailed through to the semi-finals. Our team secured second place in that round.
How does it feel to work for Yandex?
I did an internship at Yandex previously, after which I worked at Huawei for 1 year. Then, one day, the HR at Yandex wrote to me, informing me about an opening. I followed up and went in for an interview with the team – after which I was selected.
It is so good to work at Yandex – you garner lots of useful experience. You can always consult with your colleagues if you are stuck and seek guidance. At Yandex, you are exposed to a positive environment where you learn something new every day.
What kind of projects do you work on at Yandex?
I work with the business team at Yandex, which deals with the external integration of advertisements. I write code for them using Java. When I was at Huawei, I worked with PetalSearch, a team that creates search engines. That experience is coming in handy now.
“Working at Yandex is a big learning experience,” says Rahim. Photo courtesy of the subject
Is it necessary to know the Russian language to land a job at Yandex or Huawei?
At Huawei, I had many colleagues from China who didn’t know Russian at all. At Yandex, I have a colleague from Spain who isn’t fluent in Russian. Yet, they are contributing successfully to these companies. I believe that if someone is a specialist in their trade, language is not much of a barrier.
Of course, basic proficiency in English or Russian is important for daily communication with officials and colleagues.
What are your plans after you graduate?
I plan to pursue a Master’s degree after I graduate, maybe at ITMO or at a university in any other European country like the UK or Germany.
What is your advice for younger students who wish to work at big companies like Yandex?
I would advise my juniors to dream big, set a goal, make a plan to reach that goal, and jump into action. Nothing can be achieved without action.
