Published on: 2026-08-31
Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering –
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Speech by Victoria Vinogradova. Anna Mikhaylova and Andrey Surovenkov are on the presidium
A solemn awarding of qualification certificates took place at the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering for graduates who successfully passed the independent qualification assessment procedure. SPbSACE became the first university in Russia to implement a pilot project combining the state final certification and the independent qualification assessment for the profession of architect.
The event was attended by the Vice-Rector for Continuing Education Victoria Vinogradova, Dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Head of the Department of Architectural Design Andrey Surovenkov, as well as the dean of the faculty of continuing education Anna Mikhailova.
Addressing the graduates, Viktoria Vinogradova emphasized the special significance of the project. Several Russian universities and colleges participated in a pilot initiative aimed at unifying the state final certification with independent qualification assessment, but it was SPbGASU that first accomplished this task within the framework of training architects. “You have not only obtained an academic qualification, but also professionally confirmed that you truly meet the labor market requirements as architects,” she noted.
The vice-rector explained that an academic qualification is confirmed by a higher education diploma, whereas an independent qualification assessment is directly focused on the professional requirements of the labor market and the corresponding professional standards.
For architects, this procedure also has practical significance. Subsequently, the confirmation of professional qualifications becomes one of the elements of a specialist’s professional development. Depending on the level of training and work experience, the specialist can confirm qualifications of the corresponding level, including advancing to higher levels as professional experience accumulates.
Victoria Vinogradova paid special attention to the fact that the experience gained by the graduates is not limited to the exam itself. SPbGASU conducted significant preparatory work in advance, together with the National Qualifications Agency and the relevant professional qualifications council. Thanks to the agreements reached, the portfolios and practical results formed by students during their university studies could be taken into account within the practical assessment part.
Thus, the graduates had the opportunity to get acquainted with the procedure during their studies, which they will face in their future professional careers. In particular, this allowed them to understand in advance the format of the independent assessment and the requirements imposed on industry specialists.
“You had the opportunity not to come in as a newcomer after three years, but to go through this procedure within the university. You already understand, both psychologically and, roughly speaking, on an intellectual level, how this procedure takes place,” emphasized Victoria Vinogradova.
Ceremony participants
The dean of the Faculty of Architecture, Andrey Surovenkov, also congratulated the graduates on successfully passing their tests. He noted that participation in the project required extra efforts from the young specialists, but the experience gained will become an important advantage at the start of their professional careers.
According to him, a confirmed qualification can increase a potential employer’s trust in a young specialist and expand opportunities for professional growth.
“You have definitely become more valuable personnel for a potential employer, which will make job searching easier. They will entrust you with more complex, interesting tasks, and I am sure this will accelerate your professional growth,” said Andrey Surovenkov.
He also noted that the graduates have already become part of the university’s professional community, so SPbGASU expects to continue cooperating with them. In the future, this cooperation may be connected not only with architecture but also with joint projects, professional activities, and expert work.
It is also particularly important that independent qualification assessment is not a one-time procedure: specialists need to undergo it regularly to confirm their qualifications. Therefore, the experience gained at the university will serve as a kind of preparation for graduates’ further professional journey.
In conclusion, Victoria Vinogradova expressed hope that the graduates would themselves be able to return to SPbGASU in the future as experts in independent qualification assessment and participate in evaluating future specialists.
“We are not saying goodbye to you here, but we hope that this will only be the beginning of your joint work,” emphasized the vice-rector.
The solemn presentation of certificates became an important milestone of the pilot project and another step by SPbGASU towards aligning university education with the current demands of the professional market.
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