Ekaterina Lebedeva: the first six months at NIU

      27 October 2025 16:00 Society

      It has been six months since Ekaterina Lebedeva became head of the NIU Presidential Academy. She shared initial results and plans for the future in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

      The Presidential Academy is a federal university preparing a new generation of leaders for public service and business. As Lebedeva notes, the key priorities remain the development of individualized educational trajectories for students, as well as their active participation in social and volunteer initiatives.

      "The period was not easy, but eventful. The main events fell in the summer — graduation and the admissions campaign. We are among the leading branches in training managerial personnel. The numbers confirm this: the number of applications increased by 50% compared with last year. By number of applicants we are among the top three of the branches," the rector emphasized.

      She also highlighted the active work of the student council. Over the past academic year about 300 events were carried out, and the amount of grants received exceeded 4 million rubles.

      "These included theatrical productions, sporting events, and assistance to orphanages. Meetings with well-known figures were held, for example with Archpriest Andrey Tkachev, rector of the Church of the Holy Life-Giving Trinity in Moscow," Lebedeva said.

      Special attention is paid to assisting participants of the special military operation. Since the start of the SMO the university has regularly collected and sent humanitarian aid to the Luhansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic. In 2025 alone there were five trips during which more than 12 tons of cargo were delivered.

      The NIU also participates in the "Heroes. Nizhny Novgorod Region" program, implemented jointly with KUPNO. The initiative is aimed at integrating SMO veterans into the system of public administration and forming a new managerial elite.

      Another important direction is the "Learning by Serving" program, implemented at the instruction of the President of Russia. It allows students to gain professional experience through participation in social and volunteer projects. As part of cooperation with the Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation, young people not only learn but also contribute to the transformation of society.

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