The All-Russian Student Olympiad “I am a Professional” is a major multidisciplinary Olympiad for students from all over the world pursuing Bachelor’s, Specialist’s and Master’s programs as well as basic and specialized higher education programs at Russian universities. It is implemented as part of the Russia – Land of Opportunities federal project of the Youth and Children national project with support from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation.
Participation in the “I am a Professional” Olympiad is a unique opportunity to show oneself and demonstrate a high level of knowledge in a particular field as well as get a job at the best Russian companies.
- > 1.6 million participants
- > 28,000 diploma winners
- > 4,500 medalists
The Olympiad is held in the following fields of study:
- Agro-Industrial Complex and Food Technologies
- Weapons and Military Equipment
- Natural Sciences
- Engineering Sciences and Technologies
- Arts and Humanities
- Computer Sciences
- Medicine and Healthcare
- Pedagogical Sciences
- Social and Economic Sciences
- Physical Culture
Prizes for the best participants
- Diplomas that make you eligible for benefits when applying to the leading Russian universities
- Internships at major Russian companies (for senior students)
- Cash awards for the best participants — medalists ( gold — 200 000–300 000 RUB, silver — 150 000–200 000 RUB, bronze — 100 000–150 000 RUB)
- The Olympiad participants gain access to internships and job openings at the Olympiad’s partner companies, HR specialists’ consultations (for diploma winners and participants of the final stage of the Olympiad who scored more than zero), online events, and company tours.
Olympiad organizers
The Olympiad is organized by the Association of Organizers of Student Olympiads “I am a Professional”, the presidential platform “Russia is the Land of Opportunities”, the Russian Association of Employers “Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs,” and 35 top universities. The title partners of the Olympiad are Sberbank, Rosatom State Corporation, TMK, Gazpombank, Polyus, Nornickel, Alfa-Bank, Russian Railways, VTB Bank, Yandex, X5 Corporate Center, Metalloinvest, Moscow Center for Innovative Technologies in Healthcare.
“I am a Professional Olympiad”: More Than a Knowledge Test
If you study at a Russian university and want to show yourself as a highly qualified specialist, the All-Russian Student Olympiad “I am a Professional” is exactly what you need. Participation in the Olympiad will help you test your knowledge in a particular field, get benefits when applying for Master’s, PhD and residency programs at leading Russian universities as well as undertake an internship at a major specialized company that can become an excellent start for your career.
Today, the guest of our HED_people column is Saikumar Ashwin from India, a graduate of Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University and a participant in the final round of the 8th season of the All-Russian Student Olympiad “I am a Professional” in the General Medicine program. Saikumar talks about why he decided to study and work in Russia, what it was like to participate in the Olympiad, and what should be done to achieve success.
Saikumar Ashwin, a graduate of Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University and a participant in the final round of the 8th season of the All-Russian Student Olympiad “I am a Professional” in the General Medicine program
Russia is a Country of Great Opportunities
I was born in India, near Mumbai, and have spent most of my life moving from place to place. Once, I took an interest in Russia because of its undeniably high level of education and the opportunity to study for free or at an affordable price. That's how I ended up here. I studied at Pirogov RNRMU in the General Medicine program. I was a very active student. I published several research papers, joined the football team, and took second place in the final competition of the Moscow Student Football League. In Russia, I made my best friends. I remember studying for exams together. Honestly, without them, I wouldn't be able to speak Russian at the level I do now.
Studying at a Russian university opened up numerous professional and academic opportunities for me. Now I am a hospital physician and cardiovascular surgeon and work at City Clinical Hospital № 15 named after O. M. Filatov.
Unforgettable Experience
My story of how I took part in the Olympiad is quite simple: I came across a post about it on social media, and the opportunity to participate seemed quite appealing to me. Unfortunately, my journey wasn't very long, ending in the semifinals. By the way, I still remember solving the problems when I suddenly realized that my tablet's battery was almost dead and would soon turn off. I panicked and asked my roommates to bring me a charger, as Olympiad participants weren't allowed to leave the camera's field of view. It was the most nerve-wracking and hilarious situation at the same time.
In my opinion, the most challenging thing was that Russian is a foreign language for me, so I was solving the problems much more slowly than the other participants. However, this didn't stop me but rather motivated me to put in even more effort and concentrate better.
My advice for future Olympiad participants is to be prepared for absolutely any question and read the study materials provided by the organizers. They contain most of the knowledge you need to solve the problems and achieve satisfactory results.
24.04.2026
