The Russian Association for Electronic Communications has opened applications for the fifth International Leadership School in the Digital Industry.
The educational session will take place from October 10 to October 14 at the Senezh Management Workshop in Solnechnogorsk near Moscow, where organisers plan to select 400 university students and young professionals aged 18 to 35 from Russia and foreign countries.
According to the association press service, the competitive selection is organized jointly with the Youth Digital Ombudsman team, the presidential platform Russia - Land of Opportunity, and Kutafin Moscow State Law University. The initiative was previously known as the International School of Youth Cyber Safety.
The Russian Association for Electronic Communications is an industry body representing internet and technology companies across Russia. The Senezh Management Workshop operates as an educational campus for executive and leadership training under Russia - Land of Opportunity, a state-backed non-profit organization, while Kutafin Moscow State Law University is a major public law university in Moscow.
Competition tracks and selection process
Applicants must submit their entries by September 6, 2026, through an online portal on Yandex Forms, a survey tool operated by tech firm Yandex. For its fifth anniversary season, the school has expanded its curriculum to 11 specialized tracks, with each track requiring candidates to complete a dedicated competition task.
Tasks range from analyzing a cyber incident and designing an IT product concept to preparing a legal position, journalistic article, startup idea, essay, or corporate growth strategy. Specified directions for this season include IT Specialist of the Future, Entrepreneur in IT, Management Start in IT, IT Jurisprudence, IT Journalism, Pedagogy, and applying technologies to preserve cultural heritage.
Past speakers and alumni reach
Over its four-year history, the leadership school has produced 1,000 graduates across 65 Russian regions and 20 foreign countries. According to organisers, previous seasons featured guest speakers from the Presidential Administration of Russia, the State Duma, and the Ministry of Digital Development, alongside senior executives from leading tech, telecom, and cybersecurity companies including Yandex, VK, Avito, VTB, Solar, and Positive Technologies.
