On September 21, InteRussia STEM fellows visited Astra Group, one of Russia's leading IT developers and the company behind the widely used Astra Linux operating system. The visit marked another step in the fellowship's ongoing effort to connect international specialists with Russia's technology sector, giving them direct exposure to the companies shaping the country's IT industry.
Astra Group's products span nearly every layer of the modern IT stack — from operating systems and virtualization to cybersecurity and enterprise software solutions. In recent years, the company has shown consistent growth, expanding its product lineup and pursuing strategic acquisitions, including a recent move into artificial intelligence development. This breadth made the visit an especially valuable opportunity for fellows to understand how a major infrastructure software provider operates at scale.
During the visit, fellows attended a lecture outlining how Astra Group is structured, covering the company's approach to product development, its internal operations, and its corporate culture. Members of Astra's team also shared insights from their own projects within the company and took time to answer fellows' questions about working in the tech industry.
Visits of this kind of companies are a core part of the STEM fellowship's approach: rather than engaging with the tech industry only through lectures and coursework, fellows are given the chance to see it up close. For many participants, the visit to Astra offered a real, practical glimpse into the workings of one of Russia's key technology companies — insight that is difficult to gain from textbooks alone.
The InteRussia fellowship program for foreign specialists in STEM is implemented by the Mezhdunarodniki Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation in cooperation with the Gorchakov Fund and the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology. The program is carried out as part of Rossotrudnichestvo's flagship New Generation initiative, with grant support from the Presidential Grants Foundation.
Astra Group's products span nearly every layer of the modern IT stack — from operating systems and virtualization to cybersecurity and enterprise software solutions. In recent years, the company has shown consistent growth, expanding its product lineup and pursuing strategic acquisitions, including a recent move into artificial intelligence development. This breadth made the visit an especially valuable opportunity for fellows to understand how a major infrastructure software provider operates at scale.
During the visit, fellows attended a lecture outlining how Astra Group is structured, covering the company's approach to product development, its internal operations, and its corporate culture. Members of Astra's team also shared insights from their own projects within the company and took time to answer fellows' questions about working in the tech industry.
Visits of this kind of companies are a core part of the STEM fellowship's approach: rather than engaging with the tech industry only through lectures and coursework, fellows are given the chance to see it up close. For many participants, the visit to Astra offered a real, practical glimpse into the workings of one of Russia's key technology companies — insight that is difficult to gain from textbooks alone.
The InteRussia fellowship program for foreign specialists in STEM is implemented by the Mezhdunarodniki Autonomous Non-Profit Organisation in cooperation with the Gorchakov Fund and the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology. The program is carried out as part of Rossotrudnichestvo's flagship New Generation initiative, with grant support from the Presidential Grants Foundation.
