Published on: 2026-09-28
Source: Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On September 23, the international communication forum Baltic Weekend, traditionally held in the fall in the Northern capital, started at the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. The conference was held for the first time in the White Hall. Student Baltic Weekend, co-organized and strategically partnered by the Higher School of Media Communications and Public Relations of the Humanities Institute of SPbPU.
The choice of Polytech as the starting point for the international communication forum is not accidental — it naturally confirms the university’s status as having one of the strongest Russian PR education schools with a 25-year history, recognized by industry leaders. Training specialists capable of ensuring the country’s technological sovereignty through meaning management is one of SPbPU’s absolute priorities.
The student forum brought together future communicators from all over Russia. The program included presentations of creative cases, business games, and interviews with the agency SPN.Communications. The event was hosted by Yana Lipatnikova, a 4th-year student at the HSMiSO in the field of “Advertising and Public Relations.”
Acting Director of the Humanitarian Institute, Director of the Higher School of Media Communications and Public Relations at SPbPU, Marina Arkannikova, also addressed the guests with a welcoming speech: “Today is an important day in the field of your professional development. I wish you creative work and to fully demonstrate your leadership qualities. I often address students with the words of Robert Rozhdestvensky: ‘If you exist, be the first. Being first is both harder and easier.’ Don’t miss your chance today!”
SPN.Communications Executive Director Yulia Mutavchi urged students to take advantage of the unique opportunity for networking: “In our field, the main capital is people and professional connections. Therefore, my advice for today is simple: put aside your smartphones, approach our speakers and experts. Exchange contacts and make new acquaintances right now — they will become the support of your career in the future.”
Key figures of the Russian communications market participated in the conference, setting the tone for the entire forum. Oleg Gorodnichiy (media project “VEDy” of the media holding “Vedomosti”) spoke with an analysis of the new era of content consumption, while Lidia Kapinus (“T-Bank”) presented a report on the production of memes on a national scale. Students discussed practical employment strategies with Mikhail Umarov, CEO of the Comunica agency. In the interactive game “Assemble the Junior,” expert opinions were given by Aita Luzgina (“KD” agency) and Alyona Kuzina (“Kuper” delivery service). Vadim Korolyov, advisor to the CEO of the management company “Ural Steel,” reminded attendees about the necessity of building a personal brand from the first university year, and Ekaterina Sklyarenko (hh.ru) encouraged young professionals to go beyond academic knowledge.
An important thematic emphasis of the Student Baltic Weekend was the exhibition of student AI arts “Engineers of Meanings. Symphony of Unity of the Peoples of Russia,” prepared by the Higher School of Media Communications and Public Relations of the Humanities Institute and presented within the framework of the Unified Start Day of the federal program “Training through Service.” The exhibition features works created by students using artificial intelligence. The focus is on the theme of Russia’s cultural diversity: future communicators demonstrate how modern technologies can become tools of soft power to strengthen national identity and preserve traditional values, Russia’s cultural sovereignty.
The Student Baltic Weekend conference concluded with a large-scale networking event. Speaker presentations on stage gave way to informal dialogue in the halls of the White Hall: students lined up to experts to personally ask questions about the profession, including undergoing a quick interview with a T-Bank representative and arranging possible internships with partner companies.
Photo: Yulia Kondina
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