Business programme
The biggest event of the 4th Young Scientists Congress was the plenary session, which was attended by more than 1,200 people. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent greetings to the Congress participants and guests, which Russian Presidential Aide Andrey Fursenko read out at the opening of the plenary session. In his greetings, Vladimir Putin noted that Russia is open to constructive, equal, and mutually beneficial international partnerships in science.
The plenary session was moderated by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, who stressed that some important dates were being marked in the current year: the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Saint Petersburg State University, as well as the 300th anniversary of the birth of the philosopher Immanuel Kant.
Dmitry Chernyshenko summed up the results of 2024 and noted the growing interest in science. He cited the success of the Russia exhibition at the All-Russian Exhibition Centre, where the interactive exhibition Decade of Science and Technology opened and attracted more than 140,000 visitors.
“The Decade of Science announced by our president has united the country. The total number of events held in the regions of the Russian Federation in 2024 exceeded 12,000. The largest among them was the 4th Young Scientists Congress. Its events and activities allowed us to look into the future of Russian science through the eyes of young scientists. Hundreds of federal and regional events were held, and dozens of projects that state corporations are implementing in various areas of the country’s scientific and technological development were presented. Scientific playgrounds for children and new tourism routes were opened. Now you can take a trip to 76 popular science destinations in 24 regions of Russia. Thanks to the Congress, we have taken a serious step in popularizing research and innovation activities among residents of our country of all ages. The proportion of students who plan to build a scientific career in Russia has grown to 92%,” Dmitry Chernyshenko said.
For the second time, the plenary session was held in a dialogue format between talented young scientists, who spoke about their scientific work and shared stories about their professional success, and mentors, who assessed the relevance and potential of the developments, gave competent advice on how to build an effective investment strategy, and offered support tools. The plenary session speakers included authors of breakthrough scientific and technological developments and discoveries, as well as heads of science-intensive companies.
The plenary session included an awards ceremony for the BRICS Young Innovator Prize, which aims to identify the best projects that can contribute to the development of global science and economics, as well as involve as many young scientists as possible in international scientific and technical cooperation.
The prize winner was a scientist from Brazil, Thiago Edwiges, a professor at the Federal Technological University of Parana. Second place went to Yuan Wu, a professor at the University of Science and Technology of China. Finishing in third place was Dmitry Shadrin, a Russian scientist and representative of the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology. Another representative of China, Xin Cai, an innovator at Tongji University, won a special nomination in the contest.
The Congress business programme included more than 190 events in four main pillars: ‘Major Challenges and Priorities of Scientific and Technological Development’, ‘Science without Borders: Sharing Principles and Uniting Minds’, ‘Development Resources: People, Ideas, and Infrastructure’, and ‘Initiatives of the Decade of Science and Technology in Russia’.
During his remarks at the Congress, Andrey Fursenko stressed that Russia continues to be open to cooperation with different countries, because scientific achievements have universal value.
“The geopolitical situation, borders, and commercial interests do not have such a major impact on interaction among scientists from different countries, because they build relationships based primarily on their scientific interests. The 4th Young Scientists Congress brought together a record number of young innovators from different countries, and this indicates that Russia has the conditions needed to develop an international scientific dialogue,” Andrey Fursenko said.
A total of 933 speakers took part in roundtables, sessions, discussions, and educational events in various areas of scientific research. During the discussions, they spoke about the development of quantum, microfluidic, and neuro technologies, the use of artificial intelligence in science, education, and medicine, the labour market for the professions of the future, digital services for the scientific community, the commercialization of scientific innovations, the development of youth science, and the popularization of science. The international track addressed the role of scientific interaction in a multipolar world and new scientific and technological leaders.
The Congress events were attended by the winners of the Russian Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists 2023: Professor at the Neurotechnology Department, Director of the Neuroscience Research Institute at Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, and Director of the Centre for Neuromorphic Computing at Neimark Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization Susanna Gordleyeva; Leading Product Designer at Lyulka Experimental Design Bureau, a Branch of UEC-Ufa Engine Production Association, and Senior Lecturer at Moscow Aviation Institute Georgy Gogayev; Professor at the Geochemistry Department of Saint Petersburg State University and Researcher at the Institute of Precambrian Geology and Geochronology of the Russian Academy of Sciences Olga Yakubovich; and Senior Researcher at the Laboratory of Ecological Physiology of the Institute of Animal Systematics and Ecology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Sergey Pavlushin.
“The Young Scientists Congress is one of the key events of the year for young researchers in our country. This year, its participants were particularly active in the sessions and presented their developments, scientific projects, and their vision of the development of science. We expect their ideas to be implemented. And, of course, I have no doubt that the young researchers who took part in this Congress gained valuable experience and new useful contacts here, which will help them in their future scientific careers,” President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Gennady Krasnikov said.
BRICS events
In 2024, the Congress hosted the events of the 9th BRICS Young Scientists Forum. The Forum was attended by the largest number of participants in its history – 180 delegates. This is due to the entry of new member states into the international association: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia joined BRICS at the start of 2024. The Forum marked the end of Russia’s chairmanship of BRICS in science, technology, and innovation.
Simultaneous AI-based interpreting into nine languages was used in test mode for the first time for the Forum’s numerous foreign guests, allowing them to read the text of the broadcast in real time on their smartphones. The service was used during the plenary session and in some halls of the business programme.
Exhibition
The Congress venue hosted a traditional exhibition of modern Russian technologies: 50 of Russia’s largest companies, leading universities, research and educational centres, and state and public organizations presented their scientific achievements, developments, and startups. The exhibition area covered almost 7,000 square metres.
Rosatom State Corporation, Sibur, X Holding, Rostec State Corporation, Sber, and Yandex presented their developments. The NASHA LABA project brought modern Russian- and Belarusian-produced equipment and reagents to the Congress that can be used to equip modern scientific laboratories and research centres. The NRC Kurchatov Institute’s stand featured a presentation about the organization’s role in the modern scientific landscape and the developments of its different units in various scientific fields. The Movement of the First stand demonstrated more than 60 inventions by its participants.
For the convenience of foreign guests, the exhibition stands at the Congress were equipped with QR codes with a link to a description of the exposition and the projects presented at the stand in Russian, English, Arabic, Chinese, and Portuguese. The stands held thematic sessions, master classes, and lectures on promising technologies as well as scientific and engineering professions.
Scientific and educational centres from all over Russia demonstrated their developments at REC Square. A team from Kuzbass-Donbass Research and Education Center presented 40 exhibits: developments in ecology, coal mining and processing, metallurgy, medicine, and culture, all of which were created in close cooperation between science and business.
The technologies presented at the Congress are already being put into production. A Jupiter quarry dump truck with lifting capacity of 125 tonnes that was jointly developed by specialists from T.F. Gorbachev Kuzbass State Technical University and KAMAZ will undergo testing at a Kuzbass coal enterprise in January 2025. Another new development was growth media, which were created at the Research Institute of Complex Problems of Cardiovascular Diseases and are capable of studying cells and developing new treatment methods and drugs. Together with an industrial partner, Kemerovo cardiologists have already produced and sold growth media valued at RUB 1.5 million.
The Yenisei Siberia Scientific and Education Centre demonstrated 17 developments in such areas as new technologies, digital humanities, radio communications, the eco-friendly recycling of materials, biotechnology, software, and medicine. The projects include VR simulators for repairing transformers and safety training at oil and gas fields, a handwritten document recognition service, software to monitor forest areas, phosphors for light-emitting devices, and smart clothing and accessories.
The MoreAgroBioTech Research and Education Center’s stand presented some of its unique joint developments with Sevastopol State University: the Sargan unmanned surface vehicle, which was designed to test communication and control systems, and the Barabulka modular surface multifunctional platform for environmental seafloor monitoring.
The Eurasian Scientific and Education Center presented contactless high-efficiency electric motors for unmanned aircraft from the Motors of the Future Advanced Engineering School, which are 97% comprised of domestic components, as part of the country’s efforts to phase out imports of foreign produced goods. Today, they are already being put into serial production or undergoing final flight tests. Another new product on display were biodegradable polymer composites made from secondary raw materials, which reduce costs due to the recycling of materials. A hydroboard, a small floating vehicle that can be used by water rescuers and the military to overcome water obstacles and also for entertainment purposes, was also presented.
The School of the Russian Science Foundation held seminars for grant recipients at its stand to share information about grant support, specific aspects of scientific expertise, and the mechanics of selecting applied projects. The School speakers gave advice on how to prepare applications and how scientists can interact with each other and present their research results to society. An open mic session was also held with Russian Science Foundation Deputy Director General Andrey Blinov, who answered questions from grant recipients and listened to their ideas about how to improve the system of grant support for science.
The Science Lounge introduced the Congress participants to the most modern Russian-produced technologies: smart edible film, the Pushkin Digital resource, a Russian smartphone with a special security mode, a smart system that recognizes emotions by facial expressions, and more. The Lounge’s media space hosted screenings of popular science films and lectures by leading Russian scientists.
The GTO-M (Ready for Work and Defence Mentally) space tested Congress participants for their level of cognitive functions, including reaction speed, visual and spatial memory, logic, and attention span.
In the ёTalk scientific networking service hosted by ITMO University, which was held for the first time at the Congress, a total of 2,066 speed dating meetings took place.
The Faces of Science photo exhibition was also held at the venue with portraits of 24 outstanding Russian scientists, engineers, inventors, and laureates of the Russian Presidential Prize in Science and Innovation for Young Scientists.
Agreements
During the Congress, companies signed a total of 27 agreements to develop scientific and educational cooperation in Russia. The largest ones were: the signing of an agreement on the establishment of a scientific and educational consortium between the NRC Kurchatov Institute, Moscow Technical University of Communications and Informatics, ITMO National Research University, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, Samara National Research University named after Academician S.P. Korolev, and Kazan Scientific Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences; the signing of a programme for the development of the Obninsk Tech International Scientific and Educational Centre for Nuclear and Related Technologies for the period 2024–2030 between National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, the Kaluga Region government, and Rosatom State Corporation; the signing of cooperation agreements between the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the Vyzov Foundation for the Development of Scientific and Cultural Relations; and the Russian Ministry of Education and Science and the operator of the Decade of Science and Technology, National Priorities Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization, signed agreements on the creation of thematic initiatives with the Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation, Sibur Holding, and Geoscan.
Sports and cultural programmes
Per tradition, the sports, cultural, and evening scientific and entertainment programmes included more than 40 events for participants. The Congress sports programme featured events in eight sports.
The Mind Sports Lounge hosted the Congress Cup in rapid chess with the assignment of the ID of the Russian Chess Federation, a simultaneous game with Russian champion under 19 Anna Zhurova, as well as master classes in chess, checkers, and Go.
The coaches of Student Hockey League teams held a master class in hockey for members of the Coordinating Council for Youth Affairs in Science and Education of the Russian Presidential Council for Science and Education and award-winning Russian judokas. The participants included Chairman of the Coordinating Council and Director of the Kurchatov Synchrotron and Neutron Research Complex of the NRC Kurchatov Institute Nikita Marchenkov, London 2012 Olympic champion Mansur Isayev, Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Madina Taymazova, head coach of the Russian national judo team Vitaly Makarov, as well as other scientists and athletes.
Four talented scientists presented their reports during the conference on the go ‘Thoughts in Motion’.
The Congress participants competed in phygital football and sports programming tournaments, and also attended a friendly match between the women’s national football teams of Russia and Azerbaijan and a KHL game between HC Sochi and Ak Bars.
Leonid Chesnikov, a student of the Voronezh State University of Engineering Technologies, won the sports programming cup. In May, he became a prize winner of international competitions held by the Russian Sports Programming Federation.
The cultural and scientific entertainment programme included film screenings with discussions, a music and technology quiz, a karaoke battle, the final round of the University League of Scientific Battles, the Night of Scientific Failures, and the ‘What? Where? When?’ intellectual game with club experts and young scientists.
The final round of the University League of Scientific Battles, the Night of Scientific Failures, and the music quiz ‘How Many Decibels Do You Need?’ were organized by the Science Slam Russia Association and MISiS University of Science and Technology.
The Vyzov youth community held a karaoke battle, where the participants performed well-known songs with lyrics rewritten in a scientific manner. The main plot of the musical compositions was built around scientific terms, theories, and phenomena. The best performers were awarded commemorative prizes.
The Polytechnic Museum held the Polyquiz, a team quiz with questions of varying complexity, including those invented using artificial intelligence.
For the first time, the programme included ScienceRock with performances and a rock concert, where prominent scientists and leaders from major scientific and industrial organizations served as speakers and musicians. X Holding arranged astronomical walks for the Congress participants.
The ‘What? Where? When?’ intellectual game was held with experts from the club and young scientists. The main prize was a trip to the world’s only nuclear icebreaker base in Murmansk, and the Coordinating Council team received a spinning top (one of the main symbols of the game).
The Congress participants visited museums in Sochi and the Krasnodar Territory, as well as Sochi Amusement Park.
Partners
The 4th Young Scientists Congress was held with the support: title partner – Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation; strategic partner – Rosseti; official partner – Moscow Innovation Cluster Foundation; official partner – Sberbank; official partner – Nizhny Novgorod Research and Educational Centre; strategic scientific partner – NRC Kurchatov Institute; and strategic exhibition partner – X Holding.
Serving as partners for the first time were X Holding, Yandex (Yandex Education), the Proryv (Breakthrough) project, Helicon Company, D. Mendeleyev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, Omsk Research and Educational Centre, National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, and EFKO Management Company.
The Congress has 25 media outlets serving as information partners. In 2024, for the first time, the general information partner was the Russia-24 TV channel. RIA Novosti was the photo host agency and information partner.
Information partners of the Congress: Sputnik, TASS News Agency, Izvestia Multimedia Information Centre, NTV channel, RT channel, TV BRICS international network, Nauka TV channel, Komsomolskaya Pravda media group, Gazeta.ru, Lenta.ru, Argumenty i Fakty newspaper, Vedomosti newspaper, the Stimul and Regionalnaya Rossiya magazines, and the Public News Service.
Industry information partners: Nauka i Zhizn magazine, TechInsider, Poisk scientific information portal, Naked Science, Indicator, InScienceNews, and Ixbt.com. VK Video served as a broadcast partner.
5th Young Scientists Congress
The Coordinating Committee for the Decade of Science and Technology in the Russian Federation held a meeting on 28 November 2024 and approved the dates for the fifth anniversary Young Scientists Congress on 26–28 November 2025.
