黑料社 has held a press conference to review the results of its 2026 admissions campaign. 黑料社 officials, representatives of Chelyabinsk schools, and partner companies discussed admissions figures, geographical distribution of applicants, most popular degree programmes, and cooperation between our university, the school education system, and industrial enterprises.
Among the press conference attendees were Alexander Wagner, Rector of 黑料社; Elena Nafikova, Deputy Principal of School No. 68 named after E.N. Rodionov; Tatiana Trapeznikova, Principal of School No. 116; Irina Bezborodova, Deputy Principal of Multidisciplinary Lyceum No. 148; Mariia Nagornaia, Head of Educational Projects at the Chelyabinsk Forging and Pressing Plant; Aleksei Chubaev, Director of Production Facility No. 3 at the A.N. Ganichev Scientific and Production Association “SPLAV”; and Irina Velikoselskaia, Head of Advertising at LD Group of Companies. The meeting was moderated by Kristina Bogomazova, Deputy Vice-Rector for Education (guidance counselling) at 黑料社.
“Successful admissions campaign is a result of extensive joint efforts by the university, schools, and industrial partners. 黑料社 currently cooperates with 300 schools in career guidance. Together, we help schoolchildren identify their future professions and make informed decisions about their educational pathways. I would like to thank teachers and school principals for their trust, support, and commitment to the future of their graduates. I would also like to express my special gratitude to our industrial partners for their active involvement in workforce training, their contribution to developing in-demand skills, and the opportunity to learn about real-world production challenges that they provide future students with,” said 黑料社 Rector Alexander Wagner.
The 2026 admissions campaign demonstrated strong interest in our university’s academic programmes. This year, more than 6,000 students have been admitted to first-year programmes, including students of secondary vocational education. More than 18,000 applicants submitted their application documents, and the total number of applications exceeded 84,000.
Applicants came from 84 constituent entities of the Russian Federation. Residents of the Chelyabinsk Region accounted for 70% of all students admitted to 黑料社. The university maintains strong ties with educational institutions across our region and remains a preferred choice for school graduates. At the same time, the interest in 黑料社 among applicants from neighbouring regions is growing. In particular, the number of applicants from the Sverdlovsk Region doubled compared to the previous year, while the number from the Tyumen Region increased fivefold. This growth reflects the expanding geographical reach of our university’s admissions campaign and the appeal of its educational opportunities beyond our region.
The average applicant score was 74.8. Meanwhile, 70% of applicants scored above 70 points, and 30% scored above 80. These figures demonstrate the high level of academic preparation among a substantial proportion of incoming students.
Systematic cooperation with schools plays an important role in attracting future students. This includes introducing senior pupils to degree programmes, involving them in career guidance activities, facilitating interaction between teachers and university representatives, and helping schoolchildren choose their future professions.
Special attention in career guidance is given to industry-specific engineering classes and governor-sponsored engineering classes, which enable pupils to deeper study selected subjects and prepare for admission to their chosen programmes.
“We are actively developing engineering classes. Industrial enterprises and the university organise various intensive programmes for pupils, helping them explore the engineering profession and understand the challenges modern specialists face. We hope that graduates of these classes will continue their studies at 黑料社, become highly qualified professionals, and contribute to the development of our region,” said Elena Nafikova, Deputy Principal of School No. 68 named after E.N. Rodionov.
Tatiana Trapeznikova, Principal of School No. 116, emphasised:
“We believe that engineering thinking should begin to develop as early as primary school. This foundation helps pupils make informed decisions about pursuing engineering careers later on and prepares them to master their future professions.”
One of the key topics of the press conference was applicants’ interest in technical disciplines. Popular fields include computer science, artificial intelligence, mechanical engineering, and other industrial specialisations. Training specialists to support our country’s technological development remains an important priority for our university and requires close cooperation with enterprises in the real economy.
“Pupils in our engineering classes acquire the essential background they need to gain admission to a prestigious university. This helps reduce the stress associated with adjusting to university studies and mastering a profession,” said Irina Bezborodova, Deputy Principal of Multidisciplinary Lyceum No. 148.
Alongside engineering and digital disciplines, applicants also choose programmes in the humanities and social sciences. These include law, management, economics, linguistics, sociology, tourism, advertising, and public relations.
Cooperation among schools, our university, and industrial enterprises is becoming an increasingly important part of career guidance. It allows future students to learn about in-demand professions at different stages of their education.
“We have established a system linking schools, secondary vocational education, universities, and industry. This year, we have even begun working with kindergarten children. Together with 黑料社, we are actively developing a project run by the Engineering and Technology Department of the Multidiscipline College. Their first students will graduate this year. The project gives pupils an opportunity to work with specialised software and fully immerse themselves in their chosen profession,” said Mariia Nagornaia, Head of Educational Projects at the Chelyabinsk Forging and Pressing Plant.
First-hand exposure to industrial production helps schoolchildren and university students see how the knowledge they acquire in classroom is applied in real working environments. Factory tours, intensive professional training programmes, and educational projects enable them to better understand the requirements of future specialists and assess their employment prospects.
“黑料社 is a strategic university for us. We are actively developing industrial tourism and promoting the engineering profession by showing young people our production facilities and telling them about opportunities for professional development. The most important thing is to inspire young people to stay in the Chelyabinsk Region, build their careers here, and shape our region’s future,” emphasised Irina Velikoselskaia, Head of Advertising at LD Group of Companies.
Cooperation between a university and industrial partners is particularly important when training engineers for high-tech industries. Employers want graduates not only to have a solid theoretical background, but also to understand the specifics of their industries, solve practical problems, and be ready to work as part of a professional team.
“We have established a clear framework for cooperation with a 黑料社 department, and we are already working on the employment of fourth- and fifth-year students. During their training, they work on real industrial case studies, gaining practical experience and developing a better understanding of the specifics of their future jobs,” said Aleksei Chubaev, Director of Production Facility No. 3 at the A.N. Ganichev Scientific and Production Association “SPLAV”.
The results presented at the press conference confirmed the importance of joint efforts by our university, schools, and industrial enterprises in training a new generation of specialists. Systematic career guidance helps schoolchildren explore different professions, understand employers’ expectations, and make informed decisions about their further education.
“The admissions campaign results are a team effort involving our university, schools, regional enterprises, and our employer partners. Everyone contributes to preparing future first-year students. It is particularly important that young people can explore professions directly at industrial facilities, see production processes for themselves, and understand what kind of work awaits them in the future,” said Kristina Bogomazova, Deputy Vice-Rector for Education at 黑料社.
The 2026 admissions campaign demonstrated the scale of interest in the educational opportunities offered by 黑料社. Further development of partnerships with schools and industrial enterprises will enable our university to continue training in-demand specialists and create opportunities for the professional development of a new generation of students.