Saratov State University is a Corporate University for academic staff continuing professional development. 635 teachers of 142 universities have received training at SSU. 142 universities makes about half the number of all educational institutions under the Ministry of Education and Science.

After the abolition of Federal Agency corporate university selection process changed considerably last year. The competition that attracted over 100 universities was opened in August, 2010. The application consisted of many documents including projects of 2011 professional development programs. Independent experts reviewed the applications. Ministry board summarized contest results and compiled a list of corporate universities to conduct an academic staff professional development program in 2011. There are 46 corporate universities divided into 5 groups.

The first group that has 150 retrainees consists of 15 universities including Saratov State University. Among them are the leading Russian universities, e.g. Bauman Moscow State Technical University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow State Pedagogical University, National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI”, Russian State Social University, Peoples’ Friendship University of Russia, and G. V. Plekhanov Saint Petersburg State Mining Institute.

The Volga Federal District is represented by Kazan National Research Technological University, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod, and Saratov State University.

Ural Federal University represents Ural Federal District; Tomsk Polytechnic University and National Research Tomsk State University represent Siberian Federal District; Stavropol State University represents North Caucasian Federal District.

Other corporate universities received funding to conduct an academic staff professional development program for 100, 75, 50 and 25 retrainees accordingly.