Alchemy of Data: Moscow State University Launches an AI Faculty to Train Scientific Leaders
The new faculty is not designed to mass-produce IT specialists. Its goal is to cultivate an elite cohort capable of building entire scientific schools and leading the next generation of research.
From “Intellekt” to Intelligence
The new Faculty of Artificial Intelligence is scheduled to begin operations on September 1, 2026. Moscow State University Rector Viktor Sadovnichy announced its creation in September 2025.
“Our goal is to train future scientific leaders, an elite group who will be able to build small research teams around themselves and later expand them into large research groups,” said Ivan Oseledets, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Artificial Intelligence at Lomonosov Moscow State University.
A defining feature of the faculty will be its emphasis on fundamental research and its integration with existing research centers and projects at MSU, including the Issledovatelsky tsentr i Institut II, or Research Center and Institute of Artificial Intelligence, the fond Intellekt, or Intellect Foundation, and the supercomputer MGU-270. This structure gives students and faculty access to advanced computational infrastructure and research ecosystems required for high-complexity AI development.
The new faculty will enroll 36 undergraduate and 36 graduate students. Of the undergraduate seats, 20 are state-funded and 16 are tuition-based.
Deep AI
The faculty’s outlook is considered highly promising. Its focus on foundational research is intended to create a long-term pipeline for scientific breakthroughs and advanced AI solutions rather than short-term applied products.
“The educational program will be Applied Mathematics and Computer Science. We will admit both bachelor’s and master’s students. We are looking for fundamental areas that require strong mathematics, strong programming and computer science,” the university rector said during a public lecture at MSU’s open house.
Over time, these research efforts could translate into competitive exports of Russian IT technologies and scientific developments, strengthening Russia’s position in global scientific competition.
At the same time, success will depend on the faculty’s ability to establish international collaborations and partnerships with industry leaders. Such cooperation would allow Russian researchers not only to compete globally but to actively contribute to international AI initiatives.
Step by Step
Over the past several years, MSU has been building a scientific foundation for AI. Even before establishing the faculty, the university created the Research Center and Institute of Artificial Intelligence in 2025 and launched the MGU-270 supercomputer, which has become a core tool for AI research.
This development aligns with a broader global shift. Since 2020 – 2021, leading universities worldwide have integrated AI coursework into core academic programs and established dedicated research units. MSU is moving in step with these trends and may gain an advantage by pairing a new faculty structure with a deliberate emphasis on mathematics-driven research.
The national ecosystem is also expanding. Since 2021, Russia has seen growth in AI-related startups and projects. In 2022, the federal project Platforma universitetskogo tekhnologicheskogo predprinimatelstva, or University Technology Entrepreneurship Platform, launched nationwide. The initiative led to more than 150 accelerator programs hosted at universities. These accelerators helped generate over 10,000 projects, many with commercial potential. Artificial intelligence became one of the most widely applied technologies within the program, with more than 1,400 teams incorporating AI into their solutions.
Talent and Grants
The faculty is positioned to become a key element in shaping a new generation of researchers and specialists capable of building globally competitive AI systems. The trajectory of Russian AI development will partly depend on how successfully this initiative scales.
In the coming years, the AI faculty could emerge as a magnet for talented students and researchers from Russia and abroad. Financial support mechanisms are also under consideration.
“We are discussing the possibility of allocating grants to students who may not secure state-funded places but whom we still want to work with,” Professor Ivan Oseledets explained.
The creation of the AI faculty at MSU represents one of the strategic steps that could significantly influence the scientific landscape in Russia and beyond.
