Participants turned real business challenges into working apps and services in the Moscow finals, guided by experienced tech mentors

Russia has hosted the first international Olympiad in industrial software development for high school students, bringing together thousands of young IT enthusiasts from across the country and 33 other nations.

The competition, known as PROD, gives 8th-12th graders a chance to see how major IT firms develop software and manage largescale projects. Most stages are held online, allowing students from any country to take part. In its third season, the Olympiad officially went international for the first time, offering participation in both English and Russian and attracting more than 12,000 applicants. Of those, over 4,000 progressed to the main rounds, organizers say.

The event ran in several stages between December and March. The Moscow final brought together 337 top students, including from India, the US, Belarus, and Uzbekistan, with 22 earning top prizes. Over five days, mixed teams developed realworld IT products - including a dating service inside the TBank app, a personalized cashback constructor, an AI assistant for managing an admin panel and a multiplayer card game. More than 100 experts from leading tech companies, together with lecturers from Central University, one of Russia's leading practice-oriented universities, mentored the teams.

The Olympiad has expanded rapidly since it was launched, according to the head of the TEducation project, Varvara Smirnova. "You can see how much the competition has scaled and how the kids have grown," she told RT, expressing hope that some of this year's finalists will soon join the organizing team.

One of the participants, a US student, said he first heard about PROD from his father, who saw an advertisement in Times Square. He said he was impressed by the mentors, counselors and the many interactive activities and games offered during the finals.

The winners received grants covering up to the full cost of tuition at Central University, discounts of up to 90% on joint programs with Russia's HSE University and the right to go through a simplified selection process for internships at TBank.