"Battle of Universities": UNN in the finals of the programming tournament
At the end of June 2026, Moscow hosted the finals of the "Battle of Universities", an individual programming tournament within the framework of the Young Con festival organised by Yandex. 857 students from 90 universities across the Russian Federation took part in the first round, and 200 participants who scored the most points in the second round of the competition advanced to the finals.
The team from Lobachevsky University was represented by Alexey Shmelev, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Mathematical Software and Supercomputing Technologies at the Institute of Information Technology, Mathematics, and Mechanics (IITMM), and the coach of the UNN ICPC team. Also part of the team were Damir Sadikov, a first-year master's student in the field of Computational Methods and Supercomputing Technologies at IITMM, and Vladislav Polozov, a first-year master's student in the field of Design and Automation of Microelectronics Production at IITMM.
Representatives from UNN made it into the top 200 based on their performance in the first two rounds, qualifying them for the finals. Alexey Shmelev secured a spot in the top 20 nationally, finishing in 14th place, while Damir Sadikov and Vladislav Polozov ranked among the top 100 best programmers in Russia. The competition featured two preliminary rounds and a final event held in Moscow. During the initial rounds, participants had 30 minutes to solve problems and compete against one another. Opponents were automatically switched after each task. Teams earned points to boost their universities' positions in the rankings and progress to the next round. The finals culminated in a Grand Battle lasting no more than 50 minutes.
According to Oleg Trofimov, Rector of Lobachevsky University, the interaction between Yandex and UNN is structured as a comprehensive educational ecosystem, spanning from engaging with school students to fostering careers in the IT sector.
"In our partnership, we are pursuing several initiatives. One of them is the Yandex Lyceum, which serves as an entry point for students in grades 8 through 11 and college students. Upon completing the course, graduates receive a certificate and skills equivalent to those of a junior developer. Since 2017, a branch of the School of Data Analysis (SDA) has been operating in Nizhny Novgorod, offering a two-year programme in artificial intelligence and computer science. In 2021, UNN introduced joint master's programmes in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science and Applications. Graduates can earn diplomas from both UNN and SDA. Additionally, we incorporate associated modules into our bachelor's programme. For instance, starting in 2024, the curriculum for the Software Engineering track includes modules from Yandex.Education on frontend, backend, and mobile development, while UNN faculty members receive training at Yandex's Faculty Training School. And, of course, starting in 2025, Yandex has been the official industry partner of UNN under the federal Top-IT programme," Oleg Trofimov explained.
He also noted that within this project, students start practical training at companies from their first year, can apply for an internship by their third year, and by graduation, they are qualified for a middle developer position.
Lobachevsky University is the absolute champion of ICPC 2020 — the International Collegiate Programming Contest, where the world's top young programmers compete each year.
