ST. PETERSBURG, June 11. /TASS/. The construction of the Arctic Star world-class student campus will begin in Arkhangelsk in 2025, the region's Governor Alexander Tsybulsky told TASS at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

"The design is underway," he said. "I believe the project will pass the state commission by the autumn of this year, and next year we will begin the construction."

The campus is a landmark project for the region, he continued. Arkhangelsk is the oldest city in the Russian North and in the Russian Federation's Arctic, it is home to the only federal university in the Western Arctic - the Northern Arctic Federal University (NAFU), as well as the Northern State Medical University (NSMU), which trains specialists for all neighboring regions. "With this campus, of course, we will bring to a completely different level, on one hand, accommodation conditions for students, for professors and teachers, as well as sports facilities, various exhibition and congress facilities for public events, and, most importantly, and additionally an ultra-modern laboratory base, which will attract young scientists from other regions, and, most importantly, will keep here the scientists who graduate from our two leading and big universities", he added.

The campus is due to be commissioned in 2027, the project's estimated cost is more than 35 billion rubles ($393 million).

About the forum

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) took place on June 5-8. This year’s theme was "The Formation of New Areas of Growth as the Cornerstone of a Multipolar World." Events included meetings for small and medium-sized businesses, creative industries, the SPIEF Youth Day, as well as the Drug Security, SPIEF Academy and SPIEF Junior forums. SPIEF was organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS was the event's information partner.