At Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, the short-term internship program “International Engineering Practice 2026” has been launched. The internships will be delivered in the format of summer schools hosted by the University’s international partner institutions. Students who pass the competitive selection will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the academic and research environments of China, India, Iran, and Latin American countries. In the long term, the experience gained will provide them with a strong competitive advantage when starting a career in the mineral resources sector.
The program is being implemented within the framework of the Pilot Project for the Improvement of the Higher Education System in Russia and is designed for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-year students. Representatives of the Institute of Basic Engineering Education have the opportunity to choose any internship direction, while for third-year students, the topic must align with their degree specialization. Fortunately, the wide range of options allows everyone to find a suitable profile, including: “Transformation of Energy and Mining Technologies in the Era of Artificial Intelligence,” “Petroleum Engineering: Exploration, Production, Processing, and Sustainable Development,” “Architecture,” “Jewelry Design with Precious Gemstones,” “Modern Trends in Mining, Geology, and Chemical Technologies,” and others.
The program’s partner institutions include three universities in China, two in Iran, and one each in India, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Brazil. With each of them, Saint Petersburg Mining maintains close cooperation—from participation in international conferences to the creation of joint research teams and institutional structures.
«As is well known, academic mobility helps shape specialists who are ready to work in a global context. During overseas internships, young people gain the opportunity to ‘look beyond the horizon’: to deepen their knowledge in their field and broaden their perspectives by studying advanced industry approaches and technologies offered by leading foreign universities. We design the program so that it necessarily includes visits to relevant industry enterprises, research centers, and business incubators. A number of courses also include laboratory classes and hands-on seminars. Importantly, participants gain experience working in international teams and build contacts that they can use for further academic collaboration. Taking part in such an internship is not just a trip abroad—it is a powerful impetus for professional and personal growth!» - emphasized Evgeny Lyubin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs.
The program continues the tradition of short-term educational courses regularly delivered by Saint Petersburg Mining University together with the International Competence Centre for Mining Engineering Education under the auspices of UNESCO. Each year, hundreds of students from Russian and international universities come to the city on the Neva to take part in summer and winter schools.
It is not only international students who “travel”—Saint Petersburg Mining students do as well.
For example, in May last year, they completed an in-person research internship at Shiraz University in Iran, conducted in English. Upon their return, their fellow students inundated them with questions: how difficult the selection process was, how the country’s academic and research system is organized, and what distinguished the industrial facilities they visited.
«I was one of 16 students selected for that internship. The trip helped me take a broader view of the challenges currently facing the global mineral resource base. Although the central theme was cybersecurity, we also visited oil and gas laboratories that aligned with my field of study. This gave me the opportunity to speak with researchers about their current developments and exchange views on issues of interest. The experience inspired me to work even more intensively in my studies and research. When I learned that groups for international courses were being formed again this year, I did not hesitate to apply. I was particularly interested in the program ‘Petroleum Engineering, Exploration, Production, Processing, and Sustainable Development in the Amazon,’ implemented at the National Polytechnic School in Quito, Ecuador. The country is known for its large deposits in the Amazon lowlands. This is another continent, with different geological conditions, extraction methods, production costs, and crude grades. We have a chance to learn about all of this firsthand», - said third-year student Arina Khvesko, majoring in Transportation and Storage of Oil and Gas.
When selecting candidates, the following criteria will be considered: academic performance (a GPA of no less than 4.0), no outstanding academic debts, research and extracurricular activity, foreign language proficiency at a minimum of B2 level, as well as a clearly formulated justification of objectives and expected outcomes of participation.
According to Arina Khvesko, many students from the Faculty of Oil and Gas are eager to apply. Speaking about her own chances, she listed her achievements: a participant in the “Assistant Professor” program, under which she writes research articles and works closely with her academic supervisor; a winner of a number of research contests and conferences; a member of the “Ecologist” scientific society; and a volunteer at the university’s international events.
First-year students are also expressing a strong desire to take part in internships. Obviously, they cannot yet present the same kind of résumé as their senior peers, but they have their own strengths and a compelling motivation.
Mark Bykov, a student at the Institute of Basic Engineering Education majoring in Automation of Technological Processes and Production in the Mining Industry, plans to participate in the program “Transformation of Energy and Mining Technologies in the Era of Artificial Intelligence,” which will be hosted by the China University of Petroleum in Qingdao.
«Last year’s visit of our representative delegation to this university I regard as a kind of guarantee of the quality of its scientific and educational activities and the promising nature of our cooperation. I expect that the trip will allow me to become acquainted with the advanced automated systems that China is currently developing both for its domestic needs and for export. In addition, the course will help me improve my knowledge of English and Chinese. I have been studying Chinese since the third grade, and I speak and read fluently, but I would like to further enhance my proficiency in specialized terminology and professional business communication skills. This internship represents a significant asset for my future portfolio, especially now, when China is an important partner for Russia, and its specialized higher education institutions are key partners for the Mining University», - shared Mark Bykov.
The “Summer” and “Winter Schools” are traditionally held during academic recess periods. Taking into account students’ workload and the extended May public holidays, it has been decided to divide the program into two cohorts: from April 25 to May 10 and from July 25 to August 9, 2026.
Participation in the program “International Engineering Practice 2026” will be carried out on the basis of reimbursement by students of organizational and technical expenses, including travel, accommodation, meals, and related services (visa processing and medical insurance). The cost of each specific course depends on logistics and the conditions under which it is conducted. For example, for the People’s Republic of China and India, the amount is 150,000 rubles.