On 21 May, SPbGASU hosted a pre-defense of theses prepared as part of the “Startup as a Diploma” project. By decision of the members of the expert council, all students were allowed to defend their startups in June.

In 2023, in accordance with the methodological recommendations of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science, SPbGASU launched a pilot project “Startup as a diploma”. The goal of the program is to involve talented students in technological entrepreneurship and support startups at the initial stage of their development. The difference between a thesis in a startup format and a traditional final qualification work is the focus on the demand for the result of the work in the market and the testing of the startup hypothesis and the proposed solution by potential consumers. A diploma in the format of a startup project is distinguished by its high practice orientation and well-developed business model. Work on the implementation of the “Startup as a Diploma” project at SPbGASU began in November 2023. Departments and students proactively proposed topics for future startup projects, which they successfully pursued as part of research and practical activities. Based on the results of the defense of project concepts, it was recommended to form interdisciplinary teams to implement the startup.

For the implementation of the “Startup as a Diploma” project, a regulatory framework was developed. Project participants were given the opportunity to improve their entrepreneurial competencies and gain the necessary experience in the “I’m in Business” and “TechnoPiter” acceleration programs in direct contact with trackers and the business community of St Petersburg.

All works submitted at the initial stage have gone through pre-defense. The expert council included both representatives of SPbGASU and experts from among existing entrepreneurs.

SPbGASU First Vice-Rector Svetlana Golovina, speaking at the opening of the pre-defense, noted: “We are taking part in this project for the first time, but a huge amount of work has already been done by the students themselves, their supervisors, as well as the Division for Student Entrepreneurship and Career, which oversees the implementation of the “Startup as a Diploma” project” at our university. Despite the fact that this is only a pilot project, the pre-defense showed that all students correctly understand the essence of this format of the thesis.” “Many of the works are promising startup ideas that are almost ready for implementation, which, with more detailed development, can be released into the world,” commented individual entrepreneur, member of the expert council Natalya Maykova.

Two of the authors of startup projects submitted applications to participate in the “Startup as a Diploma” competition announced by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science: Lev Fedorichev, a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Municipal Services, who created a software ecosystem for teaching children programming; and Ka Kumba, a fourth-year student at the Faculty of Economics and Management – she developed the idea of an international marketplace for construction innovations “StroyNovatika”.