Congrats on your graduation! What went through your mind as you walked across the stage on graduation day?

A whirlwind of emotions. Pride, nostalgia, and excitement for the future. It felt surreal to see years of hard work culminate in that moment, surrounded by friends, professors, people, and the city that shaped me.

What made you choose robotics, and why ITMO in particular?

Since I was a kid, I have been fascinated by how machines can solve real-world human problems, as well as the stories of engineers and inventors. And ITMO seemed like the perfect place to turn curiosity into expertise.

Looking back, what’s the weirdest or most unexpected thing you ended up learning as a robotics student?

How much robotics relies on failure! I used to think progress was linear, but debugging a misbehaving robot taught me that setbacks are where the real learning happens. The weirdest moment? Realizing my robot’s "personality" changed based on tiny coding tweaks. One day it was stubborn, the next it was oddly polite. It felt like raising a moody AI pet!

Many people think robotics is just code and circuits. What’s something surprisingly human you discovered while studying this field?

That every robot carries the fingerprints of its creators! Behind every line of code and circuit board, there are human decisions – about how it should move, respond, or even fail gracefully.

Robotics also taught me patience. Like how a machine learning model mirrors the human learning process. It stumbles, gets frustrated (figuratively), and needs encouragement (in the form of better data). The most “human” moment would be when our team celebrated the first success of our robot like proud parents. It turns out that nurturing intelligence, artificial or not, requires empathy above all else.

You’ve spent years in St. Petersburg. What will you miss most?

Without a doubt, the people. Even though I’ll stay at ITMO for my Master’s, parting ways with the friends who became my second family over these four years is truly bittersweet. Endless study nights, laughter-filled debugging sessions, even the chaos of the dorm kitchen – these ordinary moments became extraordinary because we experienced them together.

The city's grand architecture and white nights are stunning, but what I'll cherish most is the warmth we created, how we turned a foreign city into a home. The snowy streets of St. Petersburg will forever remind me of our laughter echoing in the cold air.

What was your proudest moment during your time at ITMO?

Two moments stand out equally. One for technical triumph, the other for human connection.

The first was winning a regional robotics olympiad with my team. After many prototype failures, seeing our robot perfectly execute its final task was electrifying. But what made me proudest wasn't the trophy, it was how our team's diverse skills fused into something none of us could've built alone.

Second, co-organizing ITMO Culture Fest. As an international student, helping to turn the campus into a global village, with Vietnamese food stalls, a Russian folk dance workshop, Myanmar’s traditional chinlone game, etc., showed me that robotics is not my only language. Seeing everyone’s smiles and joy in the multicultural atmosphere proved ITMO's magic isn't just in its labs, but in its people.

If you had to sum up your university experience in one word, what would it be?

Transformative.

Lastly, what advice would you give to the next wave of international students starting their ITMO journey now?

Embrace the experience! Step outside your comfort zone, make friends from different backgrounds, ask questions, and dive into all that ITMO, St. Petersburg, and Russia have to offer. Your potential is limitless if you stay curious and bold.