IT ambassador programme to be launched in Tatarstan universities in 2025

“We want to awaken those students who study according to classical programmes”

This year, leading universities in Tatarstan will have IT ambassadors who will help students of various specialties understand what opportunities modern technologies open up in their fields of activity — from agriculture to medicine. This was announced on 25 March by head of the Ministry of Digital Development Ayrat Khayrullin at the second open meeting with industry representatives.

At the beginning of his speech, he recalled that according to the results of last year, the revenue of the IT sector, according to the forecast, will amount to 225 billion rubles. Growth compared to the previous period is 20%, over the past five years — almost three times. Tatarstan took first place among the regions-operators of Skolkovo: more than 100 companies became residents of the Moscow innovation centre. One of the tasks for the future is to train new personnel who will move the industry forward.

“According to statistics, about 25% of all companies that took off in one way or another were created by students. <...> This year we will launch the so-called IT ambassadors. We want each university in Tatarstan — let's take the top 10 — to have its own representative of the IT park. We often see that universities live their own lives. For example, the medical university. So far, there is a long way to go to large language models, although this is the area where a radical revolution will be made: [this concerns] life extension, medicines and everything else. We want to awaken those students who study in classical programs: pharmacists, paediatricians and many others,” Ayrat Khayrullin shared his plans.

According to him, in Kazan, IT ambassadors may appear in the agricultural university, veterinary academy and other educational institutions.

“If someone is interested in the topic, who is ready to be our ambassador, or maybe to pump up their alma mater — welcome, we are ready to discuss these conditions with you,” the minister suggested to IT specialists.

“This is a whole revolution in public administration”

Today in Tatarstan, artificial intelligence technologies are being introduced in the workplaces of officials. The AI assistant is already used by about 625 civil servants from 60 departments. In 2026, 60% of the tasks of each official will be performed 40% faster and better, promises the Ministry of Digital Development.

“I am sure that the effect in the next six months to a year will already be noticeable to the naked eye. This is a whole revolution in public administration, because people have a wary approach to technology. “What, will LLM (editor's note: large language model, one of the types of artificial intelligence) replace me? Yes, it will replace those people who cannot use it," Ayrat Khayrullin is convinced.

As for the entry of Tatarstan IT solutions into the international market, the republic is primarily interested in the East. At the end of February, the Tatarstan authorities agreed to create an IT centre in Qatar. A joint venture with Tatar and Qatari capital is already being created, Ayrat Khayrullin clarified.

“We have an agreement that Russian, including republican, solutions will be implemented in this market. There is a lot of activity in Saudi Arabia, separate work is being done there in terms of solving artificial intelligence in the field of safe cities,” he said, answering a question from Realnoe Vremya.

In addition, a certain number of startups from foreign countries are expected at Kazan Digital Week, added the minister of digital development.

“We have reserved areas where they will present their solutions. This is a cross-functional international exchange. We are interested, among other things, in attracting a number of international companies to Tatarstan. We have very good conditions, there is interest, teams are also ready to move from their countries to Tatarstan,” says Ayrat Khayrullin.