Student of the Institute of Energy Becomes Prize-Winner of the International Summer School for Future Power Engineers INZHIR-2026
A student of the Institute of Energy has become a prize-winner of the International Summer School for Future Power Engineers INZHIR-2026.
Elizaveta Antonova, a master's student in the program "Ecology of Energy, Autonomous and Renewable Energy Sources" at the Institute of Energy of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, took 2nd place in the individual standings of the International Summer School for Future Power Engineers INZHIR-2026. In addition, the team she worked with won the case championship, sharing 1st place with another team.
«The week was very intense, not only because of the large amount of information, interesting lectures, and work with real facilities. It was also an opportunity to meet great people from all over the country, make new connections, and gain the skill of working in a completely unfamiliar team in a very short time. I would like to express my gratitude to the organizers for holding such an event and for the opportunities to participate in it. I gained valuable and unforgettable experience, which I hope to repeat next year.»
INZHIR is one of the largest educational platforms for future specialists in the energy industry. In 2026, 625 students, schoolchildren, and college students from 79 universities, 88 schools and secondary vocational institutions across seven countries took part in the qualifying round. The finals, held at the RUDN University campus in Moscow, brought together 94 students from 30 universities and 48 schoolchildren.
The final program combined educational lectures, excursions to leading industry enterprises, master classes, business games, and the solving of real engineering cases prepared by industrial partners.
Elizaveta's team brought together students from St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Petrozavodsk State University, and North Caucasus Federal University. The participants were tasked with solving a case prepared by the EnergyNet Autonomous Non-Profit Organization: to develop a power supply system for a commercial facility in an isolated power system. A hotel complex on the island of Zanzibar was chosen as the facility. The team proposed an innovative technical solution, substantiated its economic efficiency, and successfully defended the project before an expert committee.
In addition to working on the case, participants attended lectures and excursions to leading energy industry companies, including Tavrida Electric, System Operator of the Unified Energy System, the NTI Center, and other organizations. A separate part of the program was the "My University is Cooler" battle, where students told schoolchildren about their universities. Elizaveta represented St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, sharing her experience of studying in the master's program at the Institute of Energy.
At the conclusion of the school, Elizaveta's team was recognized as one of the best, and the student herself became a 2nd-degree prize-winner in the individual standings. For her high results, she received a diploma and a certificate for an internship at the EnergyNet Autonomous Non-Profit Organization.
In 2026, the in-person program of INZHIR included 32 educational lectures, 17 master classes and intensive workshops, five excursions to industrial enterprises, business games, engineering competitions, and events for developing professional competencies. Winners and prize-winners received the opportunity to complete internships at the project's partner companies, and participants were offered educational benefits for admission to dozens of Russian universities.
The project is implemented under the auspices of the Ministry of Energy of Russia, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, the Rosmolodezh program "More Than a Journey," the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, the NTI Foundation, and leading industry partners.
