Nizhny Novgorod students have become ambassadors of the All-Russian project "Competence Centers."

      The "Competence Centers" project of the Presidential platform "Russia - a land of opportunities" has completed the formation of the 2026 ambassador team, which includes 60 students - proactive and engaged participants from 42 regions, including two representatives from the Nizhny Novgorod region. The teams of the "Competence Centers," created within the framework of the national project "Youth and Children," will promote youth and socially significant initiatives, as well as unite efforts for their implementation. Unlike the classic competitive selection, the partner universities of the "Competence Centers" project independently nominated their leaders - students who have already proven themselves. These young people have demonstrated that they are ready not only to scale the ideas and values of the project but also to take responsibility for promoting youth initiatives for the country's development at the highest level. To join the team, they only needed to fill out an application and confirm their achievements. "We consciously entrusted universities with the right to nominate ambassadors because no one knows their leaders better than universities. These 60 students are not just participants in the project, but our official voices in the regions. They are ready to scale the values of the competence centers and future centers of new opportunities, inspire their peers, and show by personal example how the diagnosis of 'soft skills' turns into real opportunities: internships, projects, federal support," said Oksana Achkasova, Deputy General Director of the Presidential platform "Russia - a land of opportunities." From the Nizhny Novgorod region, the ambassadors of the "Competence Centers" project became first-year student Anna Kuznetsova from the Higher School of Translation of Nizhny Novgorod State Linguistic University (NGLU) named after N.A. Dobrolyubov and third-year student Ekaterina Vlasova from the National Research Nizhny Novgorod State University (NNGU) named after N.I. Lobachevsky. Anna Kuznetsova is a person who lives an extracurricular life at the university, actively participates in organizing events, and confidently represents NGLU at youth projects of the highest level - from regional to international. In 2025, Anna participated in key events such as the Nizhny Novgorod Student Award "Molodets," the III All-Russian Forum of Ambassadors of Opportunities in Tyumen, the "Your Move" forum, the World Festival of Youth camp, the "Student of the Year" award, and others. That same year, she won the "Rosmolodezh. Grants: Microgrants" competition and successfully implemented the project "Urban School of Ambassadors of Opportunities in Russia," as well as participated in the "Career Marathon" project with a team led by the director of the NGLU Competence Center Ivan Vatutin. In 2026, Anna continued her active work: she became a participant in the Day of Russian Science at the "Russia" center, the 5th season of the "Leaders of the Nizhny Novgorod Region" project, the internship program in the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, and other events. "Thanks to the Competence Center, students can easily assess their soft skills, undergo testing, and then enhance themselves and get closer to their cherished goal - whether it's a job or the realization of their own initiatives," said Anna Kuznetsova. Ekaterina Vlasova is another bright representative of the new generation of leaders. She believes that active participation in university life and beyond is not just a checkbox in a portfolio, but a path to oneself. "For me, the Competence Center has become not only a platform for diagnosing and enhancing strengths but also a personal navigator in the world of career opportunities. By participating in various youth projects, I can not only realize myself but also be the first to learn about cool initiatives," said Ekaterina Vlasova. This year, young people will be able to choose one of three key areas of work in the ambassador program of the "Competence Centers," each of which opens its own trajectory of development: - "Project Voice" - official speakers at forums, conferences, and partner events. They convey the values of the Presidential platform "Russia - a land of opportunities," speak to applicants and students, create an expert and trust field around the "Competence Centers," and attract new participants. - "Event Master" - this role is for those interested in creating events from scratch. The event master organizes meetings, workshops, career and leisure events, and is responsible for logistics and coordination. In addition, he engages in grant activities, attracting resources for the development of project events. - "Face in the Network" - an ambassador who creates visual and textual content. He helps manage the social media of the "Competence Centers." His task is to increase the project's visibility in the online space, attract youth through modern formats, and make the diagnosis of "soft skills" popular in the student environment. "For active ambassadorial activities, students, as last year, will be able to earn points in the 'Another Business' development program, which can be exchanged for prizes. Based on the number of points earned, the ambassadors of the Competence Centers will be ranked, and the leaders can claim more valuable rewards, such as trips across the country and participation in major federal-scale events as speakers and experts," said Victoria Koroleva, an expert on the "Competence Centers" project of the Presidential platform "Russia - a land of opportunities" working with ambassadors. Participants in the program can expect a rich growth trajectory: they will take on management roles, help launch new initiatives, build working relationships with teams across Russia, participate in field trips, engage in organizing key project events, and work on nationwide platforms. One of the main incentives awaiting the most active ambassadors is participation in the educational forum "Biryusa" in the Krasnoyarsk Territory from July 23 to 27, as well as in the regional gathering of ambassadors, which will take place in the Tyumen region in the fall of 2026. Interaction with the "Professional Development" project of the Presidential platform "Russia - a land of opportunities" will allow the most active ambassadors to be among the first to receive personal recommendations, access to training courses for a confident start in their profession, and invitations for internships based on their profiles. This transforms the diagnosis of "soft skills" from simple testing into a full-fledged track of personal and career growth. Photo: NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on major events, exclusive materials, and timely information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod." When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+.