This summer, SWW received over 170 applications from natural science majors, 33 of whom passed the selection process and were invited to complete a week-long training session in St. Petersburg. Participants arrived from Kazan, Krasnoyarsk, Tyumen, Penza, Novocherkassk, and four other Russian cities.

Students could apply for one of the two school tracks: experimental (lab work) and digital (AI and other contemporary tools for chemistry and biology). Each track offered four team projects to work on. Students could try their hand at developing a novel method for genotyping Neisseria gonorrhoeae, coming up with new medical compounds with desired characteristics, producing high-entropy alloys that reduce carbon dioxide emissions, or designing electronic parts for flexible sensors.

In addition to practical classes, leaders of research and engineering teams at ITMO delivered lectures on AI in petrochemistry and biomolecular design, flexible electronics trends, 3D printing of functional materials, as well as metagenomics and energy technologies. The school also featured workshops where participants could practice their public speaking skills.

Project defenses marked the culmination of SWW. Participants were presented with professional development certificates and an opportunity to enter one of the two Master’s programs curated by ITMO’s Advanced Engineering School exam-free: Chemistry and Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Chemistry for Energy Technologies. What’s more, students were invited to intern at ITMO’s laboratories and publish a research paper covering the results of their work at the school.

The next SWW is scheduled for February 2026. Follow ITMO’s Advanced Engineering School on Telegram to keep up with the latest news and registration start. 

Read on to learn more about the key takeaways for this year’s participants. 

Get into a dream university

Yulia Vasilyeva

Fourth-year student at the Institute of Fundamental Training and Technological Innovations, St. Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation (SUAI)

This is my second time at SWW. When I applied for the first time, I was eager to pursue my Master’s at ITMO. I was drawn by the university’s industrial connections. I immediately pictured how I’d work on real-world cases and combine my studies with a career.

The school was a chance for me to learn what it's like to study at ITMO. Within the week, I was able to “try it on” and see if it was the right fit: I got to know the university’s laboratories and programs, as well as the staff. That helps a lot when you want to choose your future alma mater. 

The two schools I took part in helped me immerse better in laboratory activities. Here, I ran my first study using a scanning electron microscope, ion chromatograph, and X-ray diffractometer; worked with high-entropy alloys to reduce carbon dioxide; coded algorithms to predict the parameters of magnetic nanoparticles; and synthesized selective membranes based on metal-organic frameworks to efficiently extract lithium from brines. 

Any school is not only a source of new skills, but also a way to meet new people. I met like-minded people and experienced mentors who inspire and support me.

Decide on a Master’s project

Galina Novikova

Third-year student at the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Penza State University

I have tried to get into the school since my second year at the university – I applied twice, but the third was a charm. I believed it was my past experience that helped me to get in: on my list are the I Am a Professional contest, the international engineering championship CASE-IN, the International Natural Sciences Tournament, and the Tournament of Three Sciences.

I’m a third-year student now, so I have one more year to decide what I want to do for my Master’s. SWW offers a variety of projects to all likings. I jumped at this opportunity and opted for electrochemistry to see if it was for me. If so, I could carry on with this field in my Master’s. 

For the school, my team and I worked on the synthesis of high-entropy copper-based alloys to convert carbon dioxide into hydrocarbons and thus reduce its emissions. It was a rather intensive experience. In a short time, I had to learn a ton about research methods and electrocatalysis and pick up new skills. For one, before SWW, I had never used a scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, nor an energy-dispersive detector; neither had I run studies using cyclic voltammetry or gas chromatography. I’m thrilled how much we managed to do in a week! I think the skills I got here will be helpful in my future research as a Master’s student.

Change your major

Platon Vasiliev

Fourth-year student at the Faculty of Biotechnologies, ITMO University

I graduated from the program Biotechnology (specialization: Biotechnologies in Pharmaceutics) at ITMO, but my thesis, term papers, and research were on chemical sciences. That’s why I decided to change my focus and delve more into chemistry. I applied for SWW because I wanted to try myself at crystal chemistry and enroll in one of ITMO’s Advanced Engineering School’s Master’s programs without having to take any entrance exams.

Here, my team and I developed co-crystals based on inorganic salts and organic acids. These are crystalline single-phase materials that are common in various industries, for example, agrochemistry. Co-crystallization holds great potential for new methods of fertilizer delivery. The reason is that it allows a more flexible setting of the substance stability, bioavailability, evaporation, and other properties, which means higher efficiency of fertilizers. Our team worked on two- and three-component co-crystals; within a week, we produced several samples and analyzed their properties. 

Thanks to the school, I got to be a crystal chemist for a moment and gained an unforgettable experience bringing a project to life in a very short time. I had the chance to talk to my colleagues from other universities, boost my teamwork skills, and move up a notch in scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction.