St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia
Exploring Digitalization Beyond Computer Science
International Exposure · St. Petersburg, Russia · January 2021
During my undergraduate years at UGM, I wanted to understand how computing was being applied outside the conventional technology industry.
That curiosity brought me to Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in Russia, where I joined its International Polytechnic Winter School and studied Digitalization in the Energy Industry.
Learning Technology Through a Different Industry
The programme introduced digital transformation through the perspective of the energy sector.
Over two weeks, we moved across subjects that were relatively unfamiliar to me at the time: digital energy systems, computational fluid dynamics, nuclear technology, renewable energy, oil and gas, machine learning, and industrial simulation.
Coming from Computer Science, the interesting part was seeing familiar technologies appear in completely different contexts.
IoT could become an infrastructure for monitoring energy systems. Machine learning could be used to interpret geophysical data. Digital twins could support nuclear facilities. Predictive analytics could help manage renewable energy generation.
From Machine Learning to Energy Systems
The programme covered a surprisingly broad technical range.
I was introduced to machine learning applications in oil and gas and geophysical well-log analysis, alongside digital technologies for renewable energy systems. We also worked with MATLAB and Simulink, including microcontroller development, code generation, and thermal power plant simulation.
Rather than going deeply into one specialization, the programme gave me a map of how different technologies fit into a much larger industrial system.
Seeing Digitalization at Industry Scale
One of the most useful parts of the experience was being exposed to how established industries think about digital transformation.
Industry sessions included perspectives from companies and institutions such as Siemens, Rosatom, Gazprom, and Skolkovo, connecting the academic material with real applications in the energy sector.
It made digitalization feel less like an abstract technology trend and more like a combination of infrastructure, operations, engineering, data, and organizational change.
Studying Internationally, From Home
The programme took place during the pandemic, so my St. Petersburg experience happened remotely.
Classes were delivered through Microsoft Teams using a mix of synchronous sessions, asynchronous learning materials, quizzes, discussions, and self-paced activities.
The programme still incorporated an international and cultural component, from introductory Russian classes and virtual explorations of St. Petersburg to sessions around Russian history, traditions, food, music, and museums.
It was a different form of international exposure, but still one of my earliest experiences learning inside a genuinely international classroom.
What Stayed With Me
Looking back, the most valuable outcome was not becoming an energy specialist.
It was becoming more comfortable entering an unfamiliar domain and figuring out how technology fits inside it.
The programme showed me that computer science could sit alongside engineering, energy, infrastructure, operations, and business. That perspective would later shape how I approached product, strategy, and digital transformation work: starting with the domain first, then understanding where technology could actually contribute.
Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University
International Polytechnic Winter School
Digitalization in the Energy Industry · 4 ECTS