The Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, or Skoltech, is a private institute located in Moscow, Russia.[1] Skoltech was established in 2011 as part of a multi-year partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)[2] Globally, the university in 2023 was ranked # 702 in the world by US News & World Report.[3] It was among the number 65 young university in the world according to Nature Index in 2021.[4][5][6] That same year Skoltech entered the subject ranking in physics among young universities for the first time (35th place),[7] and named a rapidly rising university (21st place among young universities).[8] In February 2022 MIT ended its partnership with Skoltech in protest of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[9]
Skoltech began as a joint effort with a curriculum designed by MIT and financial backing from the Russian government. The school offers graduate degrees only, and teaching is in English. It serves as the centerpiece of a $2.7 billion innovation hub funded by the Russian Finance Ministry.[10] By 2013, the university had hired 30 to 35 professors and established a campus 19 kilometres (12 mi) from the Red Square near Odintsovo. In 2018, it inaugurated a new campus designed by Herzog & de Meuron with an area of 130,000 square metres (1,400,000 sq ft).[11] It is the first work in Russia for the Swiss practice and the result of an international competition.[12] In 2019, the university won the first prize for the Prix Versailles in the "University Campus" category.[13]
The university is also known for designing and operating a petaflop supercomputer, Zhores, considered one of the largest in Russia.[14] In 2020, twenty-three researchers landed on the global top 2% list by citation impact.[15] As a result, by 2021, the university had entered the QS World University Rankings by subject.[16]
The institute's education, research, and innovation activities revolve around Centers for Research, Education and Innovation (CREIs), 5 Project Centers and 1 Center.[39] These centers were developed to advance the aims of pursuing innovative research, delivering scientific growth, and generating world-class educational programs.
Center for Artificial Intelligence Technology (AI Center)[40]
Center for Molecular and Cellular Biology (Bio Center)[41]
Vladimir Zelman Center for Neurobiology and Brain Rehabilitation (Neuro Center)[42]
Center for Digital Engineering (Engineering Center)[43]
Center for Petroleum Science and Engineering (Petroleum Center)[44]
Center for Materials Technologies (Materials Center)[45]
Center for Photonics Science and Engineering (Photonics Center)[46]
Center for Engineering Physics (Physics Center)[47]
Project Center for Next Generation Wireless and IoT (Wireless Center)[48]
Project Center for Agro Technologies (Agro Center) [49]
Project Center for Energy Transition and ESG (ESG Center)[50]
Center for Energy Science and Technology (Energy Center) [51]
Research Center in artificial intelligence in the direction of optimization of management decisions to reduce the carbon footprint (Applied AI Center)[52]