New at ITMO: Educational Module on Sustainability in IT and Construction

Within the new module, students will be able to choose from one of the tracks, each consisting of two subjects. The first track, co-organized with NIIURS, includes courses on ESG in construction and consumption of energy and water; while the second track, co-created with Beeline, features courses on current issues and challenges, as well as ecological and social factors. The curricula for all courses were created by the partners’ experts with support from ITMO lecturers.

“One of the main ambitions of our faculty is to heavily emphasize applied learning and allow students to enter the job market as fully trained specialists ready to apply everything they learned in practice. Moreover, it’s important for our students to be aware of trends in construction, telecommunications, and IT, because these fields play a key role in reaching the goals of sustainable development. Understanding sustainability principles will help future specialists integrate energy efficient solutions and low carbon footprint technologies into their projects,” shares Ekaterina Tambulatova, the dean of the Faculty of Ecotechnologies.

Students will be able to study these subjects in the second semester of their third year or the first semester of their fourth year of studies. This way, students will be able to do their summer practical training at NIIURS or Beeline, collecting all the necessary data for their Bachelor’s thesis and enriching it with relevant insights.

“It’s the first module on sustainability in construction in Russia. And not only that, we have created a community that is ready to work together. Personal connections play a role here as well: when you see the enthusiasm of students and colleagues, you know that you are doing more than just a course. Such initiatives contribute to the future of the field and the whole country. NIIURS will introduce our students to Green Zoom, the national sustainable development system in construction, and Socio Zoom, which will help them navigate standards and efficiently implement them in practice,” adds Vera Burtseva, the head of NIIURS. 

The new module is part of ITMO’s Sustainable Development Ecosystem, which aims to unite the business and academic communities to develop Russia’s main economic sectors.

“Beeline’s part in the educational module will focus on digital solutions applied in the field, involving students in real-life Russian and international cases and developing new projects in green approaches to current and future engineering technologies. During their first lecture and practical class, ITMO students have already demonstrated their desire to actively engage in solving the suggested problems. This inspires us; it’s a sign that our future is in safe hands,” shares Evgenyia Chistova, Beeline’s head of sustainable development.