A Skoltech biomed student launched an online recruitment platform for biomed professionals in Russia. The website, called Blastim, is the first of its kind in Russia and offers recruiters, employers, students and job seekers an opportunity to connect and explore mutual interests.

Vita Stepanova, a Skoltech PhD student with Prof Philip Khaitovich from the Center for Data-Intensive Biomedicine and Biotechnology Center (DIBB) says that “our initial motivation was to help people answer a basic question: ‘where and how do I get a biomed degree that is applicable in the real world?’ Then we realized that bioinformatics students also need to develop their career prospects and employment opportunities. So we added a job search functionality.”

At the same time, she says, companies and headhunters on the search for specialists ”have no idea where to find them. So we also provide this solution.”

Stepanova and co-founder Yuri Pekov say they would like the site to grow into a biotechnology and bioinformatics community connecting Russian and international professionals. And so, they developed a special section offering information on conferences, workshops and educational resources. Currently Blastim.ru only has a Russian version. The team promises that an English page is work-in-progress.

Professor Konstantin Severinov, a Russian born biomed professor who moved back from the US to Moscow and now heads Skoltech’s DIBB center, is enthusiastic about the project.

“Skoltech is all about students exploring and building things they normally do not get to do here in Russia”, he says. “Our recently reformed research center focuses on data-intensive biomedicine and biotechnology. We are very bioinformatics oriented, especially since this burgeoning international field is very strong in Russia. So naturally, the center will support the platform”.

Text: Ilan Goren