Ship of Success: Stories of RUDN University's Best Graduates 2026

“It was a little hard for me to adjust, because I come from a small town in Armenia and suddenly found myself in a metropolis with a subway that I wasn’t used to at all. The university campus is huge, and at first I couldn’t find my building. But on the very first day I realized I didn’t want to leave,” said Arevik Sargsyan, a graduate of the International Tourism bachelor’s program.

“I remember the botany classes in my first days at RUDN. We studied various plant families, drew them, and collected herbarium specimens. It was interesting and fun,” said Zhanna Serebryakova, master’s graduate in Agronomy.

The First Challenge

Class after class, seminar after seminar — and then comes the first challenge in students’ lives: the winter exam session. Someone fell a couple of points short of an A on one of the exams and was very upset about it, while someone had a perfect session.

“I was exempt from the exams and got A’s in all subjects,” boasted Maxim Chebotaryov, bachelor’s graduate in Civil Engineering.

Of course, every class and every teacher is different. All the graduates had professors whose classes they attended with pleasure and genuine enthusiasm.

“My primary mentor and research supervisor is Zurab Sulikoevich Khabadze. He played the biggest role in my academic and research development. He is an example of how one can combine clinical practice, research, and teaching, as well as working with students and so many other things that it’s even impossible to describe. I sincerely believe that all my victories, academic and research achievements, are the result of our joint efforts,” said Gor Avetisyan, graduate in Dentistry.

Working on Tea Plantations and Assisting in Surgeries

The students’ knowledge grew from month to month, and of course they wanted to put it into practice as soon as possible.

“Our first internship took place at the Nikitsky Botanical Garden in Crimea, where we worked with roses. I remember how we, very tired, were weeding these flowers, and I thought: ’Never will I ever deal with roses again in my life.’ And then, a few years later, I defended my master’s thesis on roses. But the most memorable internship was at the tea plantations of the ’Khosta Tea’ company. I was involved in tea picking and studying information about how tea plantation pruning is done and how the harvest season proceeds. In production I helped technologists process the tea into the final product. And now I am working on developing a technology for producing planting material for the tea plant,” said Zhanna Serebryakova.

“During an internship at an architectural bureau, some other students and I were entrusted with developing a courtyard landscaping project, and we were told that the designers would rely specifically on our drawings and sketches in their further work on the project. I learned a great deal back then,” said Maxim Chebotaryov.

“I remember my internship at the Vishnevsky Military Hospital in Krasnogorsk, in the surgical department. Servicemen undergo treatment there. It was both scary and interesting at the same time. We assisted the doctors and observed surgeries. Of course, I was a little scared, but I didn’t become disillusioned with medicine and realized that I want to continue on this path,” shared Irina Moskvitina.

Latin American Friends and Australian Indigenous Peoples

Some students had the chance to go on study trips and internships abroad during their studies in RUDN. New countries, cultures, new acquaintances: a whirlwind of impressions! We admit, we’re a little jealous of them.

“I have visited various countries in Latin America. For example, I attended a summer school in Brazil. There we listened to lectures on the country’s economy and the prospects for economic development of the BRICS countries. We visited the local parliament, got acquainted with the powers of the Brazilian states, and learned about the nuances of doing business in the country from Russian-speaking entrepreneurs. And besides knowledge, I made friends there and brought back memories of the ocean and the Christ the Redeemer statue, the most delicious meat, and friendly Brazilians ready to help solve any problems, even despite our broken Portuguese,” said Anna Metlitskaya, bachelor’s graduate in Foreign Regional Studies.

“During my studies I visited Australia. My research interest lies in the Indigenous peoples of that continent, their life, and most importantly, their languages. In particular, I’m interested in their dialect of English. In Australia I often looked for respondents and once came to a festival of Indigenous culture held in a suburb of Brisbane. There was a lot of various handicraft. Artists showed what and how they draw, weave, and what kind of jewelry they make. All of it was very interesting, and I was able to see in person the people about whom I had been writing research papers for three years before that. Finally I could see what they are really like,” said Evelina Timofeeva.

A Development for a Nuclear Power Plant

It seems like only yesterday they were first-year students, and today they have already completed their bachelor’s, specialist, or master’s degrees. And all of them have successfully dealt with the finals — state exams, writing, and defending their graduation qualification works.

“My graduation qualification work was connected with an industrial internship and work at the general contractor of the Rosatom State Corporation. There I worked on project documentation, and one of my projects was Kursk NPP-2. I designed a solution that is being successfully implemented at the station’s construction site. It’s a waste management system for construction. It helps save resources and make the environment less hazardous than it could be,” said Alyona Tulinova, bachelor’s graduate in Energy- and Resource-Saving Processes in Chemical Technology, Petrochemistry, and Biotechnology.

Support from Loved Ones and Plans for the Future

The diploma award day became unforgettable for each and every one of the graduates. Their relatives came to the ceremony to hug them tightly, kiss them, and congratulate them. Some of the family members came from the far side of the country and even from another country.

“My mom, my fiancé and his mom, and my friend all came to support me. My mom actually flew in from the Amur Region, from the town of Svobodny. She crossed the entire country for my graduation. And she was happy and liked everything very much, just like I did,” said Irina Moskvitina.

“My parents came from Armenia. The moment of the diploma award was very emotional. I even cried a little at that moment, because for me, coming from another country to study for four years and ultimately receive an honours diploma and become the best graduate is, of course, a grand event. I am very glad that I am now part of RUDN University’s great history,” said Arevik Sargsyan.

So, the best graduates gathered aboard the “ship of success”, where they chatted and joked with the rector, took part in competitions, danced, and admired the fireworks in their honor. What comes next?

“I am now writing a book about the myths of Australian Aborigines. For example, about the Rainbow Serpent, which, in their beliefs, created the mountains, forests, and rivers. It populated the Earth with animals and plants, then created people and commanded them all to live in peace,” said Evelina Timofeeva, bachelor’s graduate in Philology.

“I see my further path in science, but I won’t forget about production, because theory without practice is dead, as we all know. I really want to help domestic producers and create effective technologies for the agricultural sector,” said Zhanna Serebryakova.

“I will continue working as a practicing dentist at my father’s practice (I followed in his footsteps). But I also won’t give up science; my future goal is to at least to get a PhD in Medical Sciences,” said Gor Avetisyan.

“I dream of working both in Russia and in Armenia, creating a bridge between these cultures and countries, and cooperating with government agencies of both countries,” said Arevik Sargsyan.

We wish all the plans of our graduates to come true!