Become a Senior Engineer: Avito Launches AI Electives for School Students
The courses are designed for in-depth study of artificial intelligence. Instead of private tutors, school students preparing for IT Olympiads will learn from a team of practicing engineers.
Soon, students in Russian classrooms may be taught not only by computer science teachers but also by working machine learning engineers from one of the country’s largest digital platforms. The announcement was made at the Startup Village technology festival, where Avito Managing Director for Artificial Intelligence Andrey Rybintsev unveiled a new program of IT electives. The teaching team will include company engineers who will not simply deliver lectures but also develop the educational content themselves. They will create assignments based on real-world search algorithms, anti-fraud systems, and recommendation engines.
Growing the Next Generation of Junior Engineers
The program is scheduled to begin in the 2026/27 academic year. Students in Moscow will be the first to take part. Avito plans to partner specifically with specialized schools that offer advanced computer science tracks. Beginning the following year, the initiative will expand into other regions of Russia.
Russia’s technology sector is facing a genuine shortage of data specialists. Today, many vacancies for machine learning engineers and analysts are filled by professionals transitioning from adjacent industries. Avito is taking a different approach by building a talent pipeline directly from the classroom. While competitors compete for experienced senior engineers, the company is investing in future junior talent. Corporate education programs for children are sometimes dismissed as public relations initiatives. In the context of national development goals, however, this project fits into a much broader effort. It represents one link in the chain of the Ekonomika dannykh (Data Economy) national program.
From the Classroom to Orbit
The new electives align with the scale and ambitions of the All-Russian Artificial Intelligence Olympiad. In 2026, the competition is being held for the sixth time. Over the previous five seasons, more than 100,000 students from every region of Russia participated. Last year interest reached a record level, with more than 52,000 applicants entering the qualifying round, including participants from outside Russia. Competition for a place in the final is huge. The theme of this year’s Olympiad, which coincides with the 65th anniversary of humanity’s first spaceflight, is “Artificial Intelligence for the Space Sector.” Participants tackle practical challenges tied to major national priorities.
For the government, this area represents a strategic interest. The initiative fits directly within the federal Artificial Intelligence project, itself part of the broader Ekonomika dannykh (Data Economy) national program. Discussions about “brain drain” have long been common, but policymakers are increasingly focused on reversing that trend. The goal is to create conditions in which talented specialists not only remain in Russia but also receive their training there. Businesses contribute expertise, while the government provides the platform and competitive framework.
The Slash Brothers Take On Fraudsters
The decision to launch the electives did not emerge overnight. A year ago, Avito partnered with ANO Digital Economy, with support from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Digital Development, to create a special Urok tsifry (Digital Lesson) focused on internet safety. The project took the form of an interactive performance in which characters with playful names such as Zapyatynya, Skobets, and the Slash Brothers confronted scammers and phishing attacks. Through game-based activities, students explored roles such as anti-fraud detective and machine learning engineer while experimenting with security algorithms. The storyline centered on an employee at an animal shelter who received help creating a secure online profile. The project demonstrated that Avito could communicate with students in a language they understood, turning complex algorithms into an engaging quest. That experience helped the company build a strong methodological foundation. Now, working with the same audience but at a more advanced level, it is moving toward full-scale programming education.
The year 2025 also brought a remarkable series of achievements. Russian students performed exceptionally well at the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) in China, winning six gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal. The results demonstrated the strength of Russia’s educational pipeline for AI talent. The Academy of Artificial Intelligence served as a testing ground for many of the methods behind that success, including courses, Olympiads, training assignments, and resources for mentors. Avito’s new electives are intended to expand that foundation and make advanced preparation available to students in mainstream schools.
Teaching Materials That Reach Chita
If Avito engineers can train a teacher in a regional community, who in turn can teach hundreds of students, the initiative could reshape educational access. Ultimately, the program’s success will be measured by how quickly its online courses and instructional materials reach computer science teachers in smaller cities and towns. The key challenge facing both Avito and the Ministry of Education is ensuring that these electives achieve broad nationwide adoption.
Rybintsev emphasizes that Avito’s technologies already support users at every stage of the platform experience, from registration through post-purchase review verification. As the business expands, demand for new talent continues to grow. “We want to share this practical experience with students and the educational community by showing real-world challenges and helping develop learning materials. For us, this is an investment in preparing future specialists,” he says.
