SPbPU Rector told at TASS press conference about the achievements of the Polytechnic University in implementing the UN Sustainable Development Goals

An online TASS press conference focused on the results of the universities’ impact on the process of implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for the period up to 2030. Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University Rector, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Andrei RUDSKOI, told about topical issues of higher education, priorities for the dynamic and sustainable development of the university, the university’s contribution to the country's socio-economic development and national projects, as well as new formats of work in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

On April 22, the British Times Higher Education, which specializes in covering topical issues of higher education, and one of the leaders in the field of assessing the quality of university activities, published the worldwide ranking “The Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings 2020”. The ranking is dedicated to assessing the impact of universities on the process of implementing the sustainable development goals (SDGs, for more details see below “For reference”), formulated by the United Nations for the period up to 2030. SPbPU got 37th position, ahead of all Russian and many foremost foreign universities.

Andrei RUDSKOI underlined that today the university’s global mission comes to the forefront; therefore this ranking is so significant. “The Polytechnic University, through its research, educational, innovative activities, produces a tangible socio-economic effect at the level of our state,” the Rector said. “The Polytechnic University has always been not only the center of education and research, but also the source of the culture formation. It has had a huge impact on the economy, the level of human capital, and the innovative potential of the region and the country.”

The Rector told that in 2020 the ranking includes 766 universities from 85 countries, 47 of them are Russian universities. They all have different achievements in terms of their contribution to SDGs. SPbPU has been in the TOP-100 in terms of 12 SDGs, and in the TOP-50 in terms of 8 SDGs. Such a high position of the Polytechnic University ensured that the university was ranked in the TOP-5 in terms of 2 SDGs and TOP-30 in terms of two more SDGs. For further information you can refer to our ranking data.

Journalists were interested in what the university needed to improve in its activities in order to take even higher positions next year. The Rector emphasized that this is possible via carrying on taking efficient steps in the field of topical issues of higher education: “In every aspect of its activity, the Polytechnic University seeks to implement the national projects“ Science ”and“ Education ”, and this is the most relevant agenda of today's higher education. We succeed due to the formed scientific, educational and innovative ecosystem of the university, which provides solutions to the urgent tasks of the dynamic and sustainable development of the university as an essential component of the socio-economic system of Russia. ”

Andrei RUDSKOI as well underlined what indicators helped to take such high positions in the ranking. He commented: “As a participant in the Russian Academic Excellence Project 5-100, the Polytechnic University has significantly increased its presence in international databases of scientific publications and in subject rankings of Times Higher Education. Now we take different positions in eight subject ratings of THE ”.

Today, the results of our research work and the development of the Polytechnic University are recognized by the international academic community, and the solution of applied problems of industrial partners confirms the status of the integrator of large projects to meet national challenges.

At the press conference, the university’s achievements in implementing the national projects “Education”, “Science”, “Healthcare”, “Ecology”, “Digital Economy” were also considered. The Rector especially noted the creation of a ground-based point for receiving signals from Earth remote sensing satellites (ERS), the educational project “Time to Grow” with Toyota LLC, work on unpiloted catamarans, the development of Russia's first medical complex for ultrasound removal of neoplasms, and the cooperation of the SPbPU National Technology Initiative Centre in cooperation with Kuzbass Government in the framework of the federal project of integrated water resources management "Digital Ob-Irtysh Basin". It is the National Technological Initiative Center “Advanced Manufacturing Technologies” under the supersivion of Professor Alexei BOROVKOV, Vice-Rector for Advanced Projects of the Polytechnic University, that is the leader in innovative digital developments in our country.

Andrei RUDSKOI as well answered the questions related to the most challenging problem today - the spread of coronavirus. The Rector said that the Polytech has been actively involved in the fight against the infection: “At the beginning of this year, the research groups of the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology, the SPbPU RASA-Center won two international grants from the Russian Science Foundation to work on joint projects with colleagues from Belgium (Free University of Brussels and the Catholic University of Leuven). One of the projects is aimed at creating a therapeutic vaccine against HIV. The concept underlying is that the vaccine obtained as a result of research can be used in the fight against other diseases, including coronavirus. ” In addition, the development of a mathematical model of the spread of infection is being carried out by a group of scientists led by Alexei BOROVKOV in cooperation with colleagues from the Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza. Andrey VASIN, Director of the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology, also takes part in research work.

Other issues were as well referred to at the press conference, for example, support for SPbPU students and teachers during a pandemic, online learning at the Polytechnic University, future admission campaign, etc.

“The issues of higher engineering education are one of the most urgent tasks that we have, because this is a crucial component of the economic well-being of our country. It is engineers, designers, scientists who create the industry of the state, - summarized Andrei RUDSKOI. - Take care of yourself, your loved ones, and stay at home. I am sure that we will cope with all the challenges with dignity. "