Second International Philosophy Olympiad for Students

The Olympiad is organised by Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University and Lomonosov Moscow State University. The first Olympiad, held in 2022, united more than 1100 participants from around the globe

Results 2024

First stage winners

Anastasia Protsenko

Don State Technical University

Russia

Andrey Volodin

Saint Petersburg State University

Russia

Alexey Kovalchuk

Russian Christian Humanitarian Academy

Russia

Alexander Karpuk

Moscow International Academy

Belarus

Elena Pavlova

Buryat State University

Russia

All results

About the Olympiad

The Olympiad is organised by Immanuel Kant Federal Baltic University and Lomonosov Moscow State University. The Olympiad is a significant scientific and social humanities event not only for Russia, but for the global educational and scientific community as well. The first Olympiad was held in 2022 and united more than 1100 participants from all over the world.

Why should you participate in the Olympiad?

To challenge yourself, to express yourself, to make a name for yourself

To suggest your answer to the ageless philosophical questions or to respond to relevant challenges of contemporary times

To visit the Kaliningrad region - the motherland of Immanuel Kant

To immerse yourself into the unique atmosphere of philosophy days

To compete for prizes

To get the benefits for applying for a master’s or postgraduate degree course

Stages of the Olympiad

From August 15 to September 19

Registration

September 20

Online stage

Participants write essays on one of the proposed topics

No later than September 30

Online stage results

The Jury Panel evaluates the essays. The results are published on the website of the Olympiad

From November 26 to 29

In-person stage in Kaliningrad

The Second stage of the Olympiad is to be held in the form of in-person presentation of participants' projects on popularisation of Immanuel Kant's heritage. Participants in the in-person stage of the Olympiad are required to prepare a report-presentation. The presentation should last 15 minutes.

November 29

Awards Ceremony

The closing ceremony and announcement of the winners of the Olympiad

Experts

Starting from 2022, Russia will hold the International Philosophy Olympiad. The event is organised by Lomonosov Moscow State University and Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University with assistance from the Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ministry of Finance.

Mikhail Mishustin

The Prime Minister of the Russian Federation

The fact that today’s young people are interested in important matters — philosophy being one of the most important — is both wonderful and unexpected. When I first heard about the Philosophy Olympiad, I thought I had misheard and assumed it was the Philology Olympiad. After all, there are countless philological conferences. It was, at the end, the Olympiad for young philosophers.My colleagues have assured me that the participants showed great potential. I must say that these young philosophers might indeed be the most important people in the world.

Tatyana Chernigovskaya

Director of the Cognitive Research Institute at St. Petersburg University, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Education, Honoured Scientist of Higher Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Professor

At first, the word combination “Philosophy Olympiad” may seem confusing. Is the thought up to competition? Perhaps, the Olympic motto “Faster, Higher, Stronger” applies to everything but philosophical reflection. We are aware that “the gentle overcomes the rigid” and that a quiet thought in its solitude can become a greater power than pompous tribunes covered in flashy rhetorical bijou. And, still, this is a competition and may the best participants win, may it be those who can combine in one the depth, the boldness and the creativity of the thought.

Alexei Kozyrev

Candidate of Sciences in Philosophy (PhD), Associate Professor, Acting Dean of the Department of Philosophy of Lomonosov Moscow State University

The International Philosophy Olympiad for Students is a new platform for young people who explore the peculiarities of the philosophical profession. It allows them to compare the significant means of posing the original philosophical questions and, unlike other ways of thinking, allows them to enter their state of understanding. The Olympiad can become a space for dialogue between various schools of philosophy and contribute to the creation of the Socratic mindset that is vital for the advancement of philosophy.

Svetlana Kovacheva

Doctor of Sciences in Philosophy, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy of Russian State University for the Humanities

Since its inception in antiquity, the Olympiad has been a place where people came together, setting aside their fears and prejudices. The need for such a space is especially relevant for contemporary philosophy, which exists in a multipolar world developing according to the inconsistent patterns. The new shape of the world will not emerge immediately; we are yet to witness and endure its birth. In some sense, those who are closest to it are the ones who are just learning the philosophical craft, who are not blinded by global trends and tastes.

Nikita Kuznetsov

Doctor of Sciences in Philosophy, Professor, Director of the Institute of Philosophy of Saint Petersburg State University

I believe we are at the beginning of a new important tradition when philosophy turns into an open system, the very existence of which is determined not only by the masters of the older generation but by students as well. The activity of this open system is more visible in the alternative spaces — social media, communities of interest, and reading groups. The Olympiad for Students creates, and it is important to note, an international space for this activity. Here, participants will be heard and will listen to what others have to say.

Roman Svetlov

Doctor of Sciences in Philosophy, St Petersburg University Professor

It is a great honour for me to be the winner of the Philosophy Olympiad. All the participants were incredibly strong competitors — well-read, interesting, and creative individuals. Kaliningrad welcomed me warmly and impressed me with its beauty and history. I will take many memorable moments from these four days with me: the invaluable lectures, wonderful excursions, and a number of other fascinating events. It took me a long time to get to Kaliningrad, but it was an important and enlightening experience.

Juan Villalba Soriano

Winner of the International Philosophy Olympiad, student at the National Distance Education University (Spain)