The International fellowship prorgamme InteRussia finished on 22 August 2025. Eight specialists in the energy field from Brazil, Columbia, Salvador, Chile and Ecuador participated in the programme.
The program was implemented at the premises of Saint Petersburg State University of Economics in cooperation with The Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund, the TV BRICS international network within the flagship program of Rossotrudnichestvo “New Generation”, with the support of Global Energy Association, Russian Energy Agency (REA) by the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation, National Committee for Promoting Economic Cooperation with Latin American Countries (CN CEPLA) and The Presidential Grants Foundation.
The main goals of the program are to expand economic, scientific and technological ties of Russia with Latin American countries, to create conditions for the dialogue development in the energy sector, and establish business contacts between stakeholders.
For four weeks foreign spesialists have visited government institutions, industrial facilities and important Russian energy infrastructure facilities. Participants have visited the following companies in Moscow: Russian Power System Operator, Unified Dispatch Center of the Moscow Metro, Traffic Management Center Situation Center, Electric bus charging station, Transneft, Digital substation 110 kV «Medvedevskaya» PJSC «Rosseti Moscow Region». In Saint Petersburg the group has visited The Committee for External Relations of Saint Petersburg, SPb GUP “Gorelectrotrans”, KINEF oil refinery, Rosseti Intelligent Digital Network Lab, Fuel terminal “Gladkoe” (Gazprom Neft).
Lectures and meetings with experts were devoted to international energy security, oil and gas market, coal market, prospects for the use of gas engine fuel, hydrogen energy and cooperation between Russian and Latin American countries in the energy field.
The final stage of the program was project presentations by foreign specialists, that were focused on energy transition, ensuring energy security of Ecuador and Brazil, influence of infrastructure data on the energy market and analyzed features of Columbian and Chilean energy markets.
The final stage of the program was the award of certificates. On the ceremony participants received greetings from Dmitry Vasilenko, Vice-rector for International Relations, Saint Petersburg State Univertsity of Economics and Sergey Orlov, Deputy Executive Director, the Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund.
“The InteRussia fellowship programme is a logical continuation of the university’s long-lasting efforts in training specialists in the field of energy economics. We are very pleased that this time it was energy professionals from both universities and companies and authorities from South and Central America who came to us for training. We were able not only to share Russian approaches to the energy industry and climate risk management, but also to show bright objects of energy infrastructure. In my view the most important achievement of the program is an internal discussion between representatives of different countries who rarely think about regional cooperation, but can, thanks to our program, not only analyze, but also start some interesting energy projects in their region” — noted Dmitry Vasilenko, the Vice-rector for International relations of Saint Petersburg State University of Economics.
“We strive for the InteRussia program to be not just an internship, but an effective platform for the development of horizontal ties. The balance of lectures and live communication with colleagues on the facilities is exactly the kind of practical dialogue that we conduct here in Moscow and St. Petersburg, blurs borders and produces ideas for joint projects. I am sure that direct contacts will become the main engine for cooperation between Russia and Latin America”— emphasized Sergey Orlov, Deputy Executive Director, The Alexander Gorchakov Public Diplomacy Fund.
