Russian round of World Robot Olympiad opens in Kazan

On June 21, Russian Minister of Communications and Mass Media Nikolay Nikiforov, Minister of Education and Science Dmitry Livanov, Tatarstan President Rustam Minnikhanov, Secretary General of World Robot Olympiad Claus Ditlev took part in an opening ceremony of the Russian round of the World Robot Olympiad at the Tennis Academy in Kazan. The Tespian android robot, which is called the most emotional robot in the world and previously opened the international exhibition in Hanover together with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister David Cameron, was also involved in the ceremony.

To the point, the World Robot Olympiad is one of the biggest events in the field of robotics in the world and, since 2004 it has attracted thousands of participants from around the world, winners of national rounds of the Olympiad.

The Innopolis University, being established in Tatarstan, was given the right to be the national operator of the World Robot Olympiad. The General Partner of the Russian round of the Olympiad, which is held under auspices of Tatarstan Government, Tatarstan Ministry of Information and Communication and Ministry of Education and Science, is State Corporation Rostech.

More than 700 participants from 41 Russian regions, including Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as from Kazakhstan arrived in Kazan. Participants, aged from 5 to 20 years, compete in six categories for 58 cups within the framework of the national round.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Rustam Minnikhanov said that Tatarstan pays particular attention to the development of robotics and IT-technologies. He expressed his hope that participants of the All-Russian round will pay attention to Kazan and opportunities available here. According to Rustam Minnikhanov, the new university, which is being established at Innopolis, Kazan Federal University, and other higher educational institutions, Robotics Center to be established in the republic should attract promising young people to Tatarstan.