Head of the Republic of Karelia Awarded the Staff of Petrozavodsk University the Order of Sampo

23 September 2025

The university received the order for outstanding achievements and services to the Republic of Karelia and its residents in the fields of science and education, and the training of highly qualified specialists.

“The anniversary is a good opportunity to recognize the conscientious work and outstanding achievements of its staff and faculty—I was pleased to do so today,

noted Artur Parfenchikov, the Head of the Republic of Karelia.

The Order of Sampo is the highest state award of the Republic of Karelia. It is awarded for outstanding achievements in economic, socio-cultural, scientific and technical activities, culture, art, sports, and other fields. Its recognizable symbol, the Sampo, is a source of happiness, well-being, and abundance.

The Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education "Petrozavodsk State University" (Petrozavodsk State University), founded in 1940 (until 1956, the Karelian-Finnish State University), is the largest multidisciplinary classical university in the European North of Russia. PetrSU plays a key role in the human resources, scientific, and technological support for the socioeconomic development of the Republic of Karelia (RK), the advancement of science, engineering, technology, and interregional and international cooperation in the European North and the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation (AZRF).

Over its 85-year history, PetrSU has trained more than 90,000 graduates. In the Republic of Karelia, it is the only university that meets the region's demand for higher-educated personnel.

Today, the university employs over 1,500 people, including 403 candidates of science and 114 doctors of science.

Nearly 200 higher education programs are offered in 29 specialties and fields, including medicine, pharmacy, agriculture and aquaculture, biotechnology, information technology, micro- and nanoelectronics, mechanical engineering, forestry, electric power engineering, Karelian and Veps languages, humanities, geology and open-pit mining, construction, pedagogy, and psychology, as well as 47 residency and postgraduate programs.

These programs are very popular and attract young people not only from Russia but also from abroad. The university currently enrolls over 9,200 undergraduate, graduate, and resident students, including over 800 international students from 45 countries.

PetrSU is one of the best classical universities in the country, combining natural science and humanities education with fundamental and applied science, ensuring the quality of classical education while keeping pace with modern times.

PetrSU has established and successfully developed leading research schools in the fields of mathematics and information technology (IT), physics and microelectronics, biology and ecology, medicine, philology, forestry, history, and many other fields. PetrSU also houses the world's only Department of Finno-Ugric Philology, which studies the Karelian, Veps, and Finnish languages, as well as Russia's only UNESCO Chair in wooden architecture (jointly with the UNESCO-designated Kizhi Museum).

The university actively utilizes innovative teaching methods and an interdisciplinary approach to education.

In recent years, PetrSU's role in the development of economic sectors in IT and microelectronics, forestry, mining, pulp and paper, mechanical engineering, biomedicine, agriculture, and aquaculture has significantly increased through close collaboration with development institutions and industrial partners. PetrSU implements projects jointly with regional industrial partners.

In 2025, Petrozavodsk State University was ranked among the top 26 universities in Russia for training advanced IT developers and received state financial support for the development of top-tier educational programs in information technology. PetrSU plays a leading role in the socioeconomic development of the region as a scientific, innovative, educational, and cultural center of Karelia.

The PetrSU campus includes 15 academic buildings with an area of 103,600 square meters, 10 student dormitories with 3,700 beds, training and production facilities, a botanical garden, an athletics arena, a stadium, and a swimming pool.

Petrozavodsk State University promotes the preservation and development of the region's cultural heritage, strengthens interethnic cooperation, and promotes Karelia as an important intellectual center in the European North of Russia.