The delegation of Tomsk State University participated in the International Festival of Youth (IFY) in Yekaterinburg. Representatives of 191 countries of the world met at the Festival to develop the world youth community. The program includes more than 600 events, from business sessions and panel discussions to concerts by world stars and interactive shows. In total, 26 people from TSU participated as speakers and volunteers of the Festival.
As of 2026, about 3,500 international students study at Tomsk State University. The university has an efficient system for their smooth adaptation: orientation meetings and excursions, university employees help to solve a variety of issues – from bureaucratic to psychological support. There is a TSU-online community for international students, and for those who need to learn Russian before their study, there is the Pre-University Training Center for works.
Nadezhda Panibratova, head of the International Student Services Center, made a report on various methods of working with international students at the strategic session “Education in Russia: from the first choice to the profession of the future”.
— We start working with international students even before their arrival in Tomsk: we advise on admission issues, help with documents and talk about life in Siberia in general. Our volunteers help in everyday matters: they accompany students to hospitals, migration service, banks, introduce to the university and the city. TSU international students live in Parus and Mayak dormitories, which have additional offices of our department for social adaptation, – said Nadezhda Panibratova.
Members of the TSU delegation visited business and cultural programs, met with popular singers and bloggers, took part in sports competitions and interactive shows. Mina Mikael (Egypt), a student of the Higher IT School of TSU, walked along the streets of Yekaterinburg in the costume of a pharaoh.
— I am happy to represent Tomsk State University and my home country – Egypt – at the International Festival of Youth. During the procession, at which we showed our culture, despite the cold, I chose the costume of the pharaoh and added some creative details – decorations on the ears and chest. It turned out bright – said Mina Mikael. – There were a lot of interesting speakers and lecturers, and the program was so eventful that it was difficult to be everywhere. I met people from different countries and from past similar trips.
In total, 27 Tomsk residents worked as volunteers at the International Festival of Youth. Among them are students of Tomsk State University from different faculties.
— There was a big competition in our region, and I was incredibly lucky to join the team of volunteers of Tomsk region. For me, this means that my many years of work in volunteering, which is actively developing at TSU, is truly appreciated, – commented Anastasia Novikova, student of the Faculty of Philology. – I believe that this experience will give me a lot. The festival provides 17 functional areas of volunteer work. Mine was human flow management. Throughout the week, I helped participants navigate the territory and, of course, energized and invigorated others.
Tomsk State University works with international applicants and students, among other things, with the support of the federal program “Priority 2030”. TSU strengthens the position of Russian education and science abroad and forms a positive image of Russia. Thus, the university develops research and educational infrastructure in the countries of Southeast Asia and other regions of the world, develops and implements educational programs and courses, including the study of the Russian language, and actively attracts talented youth.
The International Festival of Youth (IFY) is a large-scale international platform created by the decree of the President of the Russian Federation for dialogue, exchange of experience and cooperation between active young people from all over the world. The motto of the IFY this year was “Follow the dream. Together with Russia”. The festival took place from 11 to 17 September in Yekaterinburg.