In the first joint competition between the two universities, students presented nine UX/UI design projects. An international jury awarded first and third place to MISIS University, while second place went to the Indian Institute of Information Technology Dharwad (IIIT Dharwad).
NUST MISIS Rector Alevtina Chernikova said: “Students from all regions of Russia and more than 80 countries around the world study at MISIS University, with international students accounting for one in five students. The university’s international activities encompass education, research, innovation, and social and cultural exchange. Key priorities for MISIS University include developing double-degree programs, expanding network-based cooperation, and promoting short- and long-term academic mobility.”
Five projects were submitted by MISIS University and four by IIIT Dharwad. First place went to Maksim Kuksyuk for Clocked, a dating app based on the principles of ethical design. Second place was awarded to the IIIT Dharwad team for Hey Attrangi, an AI-powered mental health support platform. Third place was shared by Ekaterina Ryumina, who presented Polyrhythm, a spaced-repetition learning app, and Vasilisa Nekhoroshkina, who developed MONO, a digital wellbeing service.
The projects were evaluated by nine experts, chaired by Denis Kalitin, Deputy Director of College of Computer Sciences at MISIS University. The Russian jury included Yevgeny Korzhov, Head of the Department, and Alisa Gron, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer-Aided Design and Design. The Indian jury members were Dr. Jagadisha Bhat, Dr. Rahul Jetty, and Dr. Chinmayananda Arunachala, as well as Dr. Sandesh Phalke, who oversees IIIT Dharwad student teams and supports them throughout the process, from the initial idea to the final presentation.
The international scope of the jury was further strengthened by two invited experts with many years of experience working in global markets: Julia Laurie, a digital marketing and digital product specialist whose professional and academic experience spans Hong Kong and other countries, and Victor Enriquez, a frontend developer and digital media specialist with more than nine years of international experience in Mexico and the Caribbean.
The competition gave students an opportunity to put their knowledge and skills into practice, present their own projects to an international audience, and receive expert feedback. The projects were developed as part of the UX/UI Design degree program, which is being implemented under a pilot project to reform the levels of professional education. It is the only English-taught master’s degree program in this field offered by a public university in Russia. The program is delivered entirely in English, enabling students to develop skills and competencies for an international career.
