Second International Philosophy Olympiad for Students: Winners Announced

The closing ceremony of the grand philosophical competition took place on 29 November. Six winners and twelve awardees of the Second International Philosophy Olympiad, organised by IKBFU and Lomonosov Moscow State University at the initiative of the Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and with the support of the Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education, were announced on the stage of the Kaliningrad Cathedral on Kant Island.

1200 students from 24 countries applied for the humanitarian contest. The Expert Committee received a total of 630 essays and chose 50 winners, who came to Kaliningrad for the final stage. The competition was truly fierce, with 13 people vying for one spot. The winners presented their project on topics related to Immanuel Kant’s legacy for three days. The Jury Panel included leading experts in the field of philosophy from IKBFU, Lomonosov Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State University, Belgrade University (Serbia), Belarusian State University, and the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky addressed the participants of the Olympiad, noting that the contest is a part of the celebrations dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who lived in Kaliningrad from 1724 to 1804.

Konstantin Mogilevsky, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation:
I am confident that the great philosopher himself, were he alive, would have favored this particular way of honoring his legacy—a vibrant intellectual discussion. Every participant in the final stage, gathered here today, has undergone a highly challenging multi-stage selection process, with 13 competitors vying for each spot. Simply overcoming such trials is an achievement in itself.

Final stage winners:

• Alexiy Kovalchuk, Russian Christian Academy for the Humanities, Russia

• Andrey Kochenkov, Russian State University for the Humanities, Russia

• Thomas Dosset, West Central School for Lawyers, France

• Denis Kayutkin, Saint Petersburg State University, Russia

• Ali Hassanzade Dizaj, University of Tabriz, Iran

• Igor Dil, M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia

Maxim Demin, IKBFU Acting Rector:

This event is a truly unique and exceptional tribute to the anniversary of the great philosopher Immanuel Kant. The jury commended the profound depth of the students’ presentations, which ventured into unexpected territory and examined familiar, traditional concepts through a fresh and innovative lens. This approach is of immense importance, as these young thinkers will soon be shaping the future of philosophical and scientific discourse, as well as influencing the ethical agenda of our society.

The winning presentation by Thomas Dosset, France, focused on Kant’s cosmogeography. According to the young researcher, the great philosopher’s ideas remain relevant to this day.

The framework of ideas created by Immanuel Kant remains relevant and important for our world to this day. In my presentation I tried to show it not at the level of metaphysics, but in the real, physical world. I am grateful to the organisers of the Olympiad, the International Office, and the translators and interpreters for the amazing time I had. These were busy and productive days for science and creativity. I was captivated by Kaliningrad, a beautiful and very clean city, though a bit cold for me. Thank you for such a warm welcome.

Ali Hassanzade Dizaj, Iran:

Kantian philosophy is so profound and universal that it will remain relevant for centuries to come. Мy presentation was devoted to political theology. Immanuel Kant offered a new perspective on three basic concepts of European philosophical thought — faith, love, and the other. To better grasp the ‘other’ I turned to the novel “Rudin” by the Russian writer Ivan Turgenev, in which the main character is the very embodiment of the “other”. I am delighted with the level of organisation of the Olympiad, the hard work and the enthusiasm of the participants. I am fascinated by Kaliningrad, the city of Kant, where cultures intertwine in an amazing way so much that I am seriously considering enrolling at IKBFU.

Alexei Kovalchuk, a bachelor’s student at the Russian Christian Humanities Academy, examined Immanuel Kant’s ideas on the question of the fall of man. Immanuel Kant brings this principle, which many scholars of the time denied, back into philosophy and gives it a new reading based on the Christian doctrine.

The Olympiad was a fantastic experience, everything was at the highest level. The most important thing is that we managed to gather a wide variety of young scientists from all over the world. The key achievement was to find like-minded people to conduct joint research and write papers with. It was also very interesting to hear the view on philosophy from students who study at other, non-specialist, departments.

Olympiad Awardees:

• Andrey Volodin, St. Petersburg State University
• Ksenia Grigorieva, Lomonosov Moscow State University
• Anton Ushakov, Lomonosov Moscow State University
• Egor Alimov, Lomonosov Moscow State University
• Anna Kartashova, Lomonosov Moscow State University
• Vadim Obukhov, Belarusian State University Mariana Varfolomeeva
• St. Petersburg State University Nadezhda Valeeva
• Tyumen State University Dmitry Vakhrameev
• Voronezh State University Ustina Morozova, Lomonosov Moscow State University
• Alexander Karpuk, Moscow International Academy
• Roman Zubarev, Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University

Alexey Kozyrev, Associate Professor, Candidate of Sciences in Philosophy (PhD), Acting Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy at Lomonosov Moscow State University, and Roman Svetlov, Doctor of Sciences in Philosophy, Professor at the Institute of Theology, Saint Petersburg State University, Chairman of the Jury Panel, congratulated the students.

The awardee Roman Zubarev delivered a presentation on the problem of popularisation of Kant’s legacy as applied to the contemporary philosophy of consciousness.

To date, there remains a noticeable gap between academic and popular approaches to Immanuel Kant. And this is perfectly normal! But Immanuel Kant’s legacy is so vast that there are many valuable findings among his ideas for popular readers as well. I would like to note the atmosphere of the Olympiad: I did not feel a sense of competition at all: we spoke to each other, shared our findings, discussed them during the breaks.... In other words, it was as if we had gathered at a scientific conference or a summer school, and worked as colleagues. This Olympiad was a great opportunity for informal rapprochement of different student communities: we got to know each other, exchanged contacts and areas of interest, agreed on future cooperation.

The participants of the Olympiad also rated each other’s presentations in the course of the competition. As a result, three people received the Students’ Choice Award:

• Igor Dil, Lomonosov Moscow State University

• Denis Kayutkin, St. Petersburg State University

• Fyodor Kuznetsov, Lomonosov Moscow State University

As gifts the winners and prize-winners of the Olympiad received modern appliances — laptops, tablets, smart speakers, as well as advantages when enrolling in the philosophical master’s and postgraduate programmes at IKBFU.

The celebration ended with an organ concert and a light show on the facade of the Cathedral.