Key to Understanding: Timiryazev Academy and MGIMO Test Bilingvo AI Service
The system translates lectures into international students’ native languages in real time, improving their understanding of course material by 20% to 35%.
Timiryazev Academy conducted an intriguing experiment. Lectures were delivered in Russian, but from time to time, the Bilingvo simultaneous interpretation system was switched on to translate the material into international students’ native languages. Olga Chebunina, CEO of developer Agropromtsifra, noticed that the classroom came alive as soon as the system started working: “Students who lost the thread without translation and stopped following the material reengaged in the discussion once the system was turned on.”
The students themselves acknowledged that the interpreter helped them prepare better for classes and understand the material more deeply. The academy tested the service in three languages – English, French and Chinese.
Professional Russian
Most importantly, the system helps students understand complex scientific and professional terminology. Svetlana Zakharova, vice rector of the Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, explained the challenge: “It is precisely the understanding of professional terms in Russian that causes some difficulties for international students, even though they have a sufficient command of the Russian language.” This is particularly important because the fields most popular with international students are medicine, economics, management and dentistry – disciplines where precise understanding is critical.
In 2025, more than 420,000 international students from 182 countries were enrolled at Russian universities, with about 313,000 paying tuition. Their number grew by a quarter over five years, driven primarily by students from China, India, Southeast Asia and Africa. The government has set a goal of increasing the total to half a million by 2030. Bilingvo could provide substantial support during the adjustment period.
MGIMO also evaluated the system. At conferences, the service performed flawlessly, providing what university representatives described as “seamless dialogue.” But the university deliberately chose not to introduce it into the classroom. A student preparing to become a diplomat or an international law professional must be able to understand a professor directly, without intermediaries – even intelligent ones.
International Students
Technologically, simultaneous AI interpretation is not new. Google, for example, introduced Gemini-powered speech translation in Google Meet, supporting more than 70 languages, while Microsoft Teams added an AI interpreter capable of voice simulation. But the Russian system has a particular advantage: it is tailored to Russian education, the Russian language and specialized professional terminology.
Bilingvo’s closest Russian counterpart is Tolmach (Interpreter). In 2024, Sberbank introduced the simultaneous interpretation service, which supports dozens of languages with a delay of just a few seconds. It has already been used at educational institutions in Astrakhan to translate lectures for international students. Although there is no information on how the trials are progressing today, the service performed well at launch. Anton Vyshinsky, head of data research at the AI center of Sber’s Services unit, quoted feedback from international colleagues this way: “It’s amazing that you provide this kind of service to take care of us. It’s much more pleasant when you receive information in your native language.”
Learning the Great and Mighty Language
The Bilingvo platform is likely to continue supporting the export of Russian education. Beyond that, this IT product could eventually be sold abroad. The potential market is enormous, including universities with large international student populations, particularly those where instruction is conducted in Russian.
The technology is already being tested at international conferences and forums. In the future, it could support the creation of multilingual educational materials and help Russian online courses scale internationally. First, however, the developers will need to demonstrate consistently high translation quality, expand language support and integrate the system with university infrastructure. Even an advanced technology like this should remain a supporting tool rather than a substitute for learning Russian – a point underscored by MGIMO’s position.
