The Academy of Information and Telecommunication Technologies (ICT Academy, St. Petersburg, Russia) was established in 2009 on the basis of research departments of Information Systems and Data Protection Faculty of Saint-Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation. Scientific and technology works made by the researches of these departments became a strong foundation for the new educational institution. The Academy involves leading specialists and experts in the field of Coding Theory, Communications, Data Protection, Software Development and Hardware Prototyping from different St. Petersburg Institutes and Universities.
The main goal of the Academy is the professional education and project-based training of the elite specialists and research works in a wide range of the informational, multimedia and communication technologies, especially:
- «Mobile Software Development»;
- «Telecommunication technology»;
- «Information systems security»;
- «Linux programming».
In October, 2009 the first students entered program with specialization in «Telecommunication technologies».
IСT Academy is a combination of the advanced telecommunication technologies and project-based training model. The project-based methodology allows students to combine acquisition of basic knowledge on a specialty with real experience obtained within the framework of co-projects with St. leading IT companies, such as Nokia, Intel and Nokia Siemens Networks. This way of educational process organization allows solving a problem of graduates’ employment before the completion of training. Besides, the academy promotes realization of own student's business projects within the framework of an existing business incubator. Its goal is the assistance to student's teams in realization of transition from educational scientific and technical works to real business projects.
Training in the Academy for students is completely free. Enrolment is organized on a competitive basis. The classes are held in the evening time several times per week that allows students to combine training at the academy with lectures in another University or job. The Academy provides to the best students a possibility to take an internship at foreign universities and in the russian branches of the international IT companies. In case of successful graduation from four semesters training program the certificate on the additional education, confirmed by an Academy board of regents is given to the graduates of Academy.
The scientific staff of the Academy has a great experience in research and scientific projects led by international companies, such as Intel, HP, Siemens AG, Samsung, Nokia, Renault and etc.
Principal directions of the Academy's activity:
- Information Systems Security;
- Error-Correcting Coding and Communication Technologies – information transmission, storage and processing;
- Multimedia algorithms and applications;
- Development of software systems, system integration and IT-consulting;
- Development of services and software for mobile devices;
- Design and implementation of the firmware/hardware solutions;
- Performance engineering of systems and protocols, endurance and stress-testing.


