The first speaker was rather unusual: it was Ivan Stebut, an outstanding scientist and founder of SPbSAU, who transmitted his virtual message to students by using the neural network. The founder of SPbSAU «told» about lecture halls from different companies, as well as that this year, at the University, a new area of training – «Veterinary Science» – was opened. «Very soon, future veterinarians will receive advanced knowledge under guidance of experienced teachers», broadcast the artificial intelligence the video with the image of Ivan Stebut.

Aleksander Drozdenko, Governor of the Leningrad Region, stressed that the applicants became students of one of the oldest and best universities in the country. Over its 120-year history, the University has turned into a popular and prestigious place to study, and at present, 6,000 people are trained there.

«Believe me, studying here is very interesting, I know this from my own experience. Some of you will want to get fundamental knowledge and continue your studies, because they see themselves in science, someone will want to be engaged in production, someone will develop their own business, and someone will do public work. The choice is yours, and no one will impose it. School is over, not everyone has parents nearby. Therefore, everything currently depends on you», said the Governor.

The head of the region also drew attention to importance of student friendship. «Student friendship is very strong. And I am still friends with my faculty-mates and group-mates. We are completely different, we are scattered by fate in different parts of our great Russia, but student friendship remains forever».

Aleksander Drozdenko and Vitaly Morozov, Rector of SPbSAU, signed the agreement on socioeconomic cooperation in the fields of education and science.

«This is not just an agreement, but the agreement on your possible employment in the Leningrad Region, the leader of agricultural production», explained Vitaly Morozov. «It is very important to know that you have the opportunity for reliable income in future. You did the right thing: you entered the agrarian university».

Sergey Yakhnyuk, deputy of the State Duma, member of the Committee on Agrarian Affairs, recalled that by 2030, production of Russian agricultural products is planned to increase by 25%, boost the export capacity by one and a half times, and severely enlarge investments in fixed assets of agricultural companies. «I am sure that by interning and visiting our enterprises, you will not be disappointed and will continue to work in this industry. I graduated from Leningrad Agricultural Institute (now SPbSAU – Ed. note) 40 years ago. This year we held our reunion, and none of us regretted about choosing an agricultural university», said Sergey Yakhnyuk.

The formal part of the ceremony ended with the speech by Sergey Voronkov, General Director of EXPOFORUM International.

«I wish you to always be the first and the best in everything: in work, family and your favorite activities. And you are destined to be the first and the best, because today, you are the first in the country to open a new academic year! You are already the best, because your initiation into students takes place in the hall where the President of Russia speaks every year during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, setting new trends and the global development agenda. I sincerely and kindly envy you. Even 18 years ago, when you were just born, it was difficult to imagine how important the agroindustrial sector would be. Then we imported most of goods, there were not enough food products on the shelves at the shops. Today, the agricultural sector is advanced», he concluded.