Play to your Strength: Technology
All the advantages of the University work to maximize tech production. The +2 research bonus to social engineering gives Zakharov a 20 percent bonus to research right off the bat. When combined with the free network node that increases each base's labs production by 50 percent, this gives the University an edge in the tech race that other factions must work hard to overcome. Often, your best bet as Zakharov is to extend this lead by working to increase your research rate. A number of strategies can help you accomplish this goal.

Hunt for artifacts as quickly as resources permit.

Note that alien artifacts, when linked to a network node, unlock the secrets to a technology for which you have only one prerequisite; most other bonus techs in the game come for techs for which you have both prereqs. Finally, here's an undocumented feature that can help you find alien artifacts: these valuable relics are found more often in xenofungus than in clear terrain. You should be out pounding the fungus Unity pods as much as possible. However, be sure you have enough units on hand to deal with the inevitable mind worm explosions released when exploring in the fungus.