2015 was full of important events. SSU hosted large federal events, our scientists received grants for their innovations, university sportsmen won at different competitions, talented first year students came to the University.
Lots of last year events were dedicated to the 70th Anniversary of Great Patriotic War Victory and the Year of Literature. Traditional joint meeting of SSU and SSMU dedicated to the Victory Day happened on May 6. On June 22, the University staff remembered students and professors who died in WWII. SSU hosted the regional Student Patriotic Forum where the participants had a workshop on planning student patriotic units’ work, visited seminars and sessions and presented their projects. At the Forum, Saratov University presented its annual event “SSU Day in the Victory Park”.
Once again, Saratov state University demonstrated the high quality of education it delivers keeping its position at QS World University Rankings – it is number 121-130 among universities of BRIKS countries and 601-650 in the world. SSU keeps its position among leading national universities according to the National University Ranking. Ministry of Education and Science monitoring credited SSU as an effective university that successfully fulfilled all criteria.
SSU proved itself a leading educational and scientific center. Therefore, young people from all across Russian applied to the University during its admissions campaign. Over 3000 people were enrolled as freshmen in 2015. First year students were able to apply for Presidential Grants providing they had won olympiads or other competition in 2011-2015.
Scientific life was rich, too. For the first time Saratov state University hosted the I International School “Nanostructured Materials” joint with the 6th International conference “Nanoparticles, Nanostructured coating and Micro-рcontainers: Technologies, Characteristics, Application”. The event gathered scientists from 11 countries. The program included over 20 lectures and seminars of outstanding scientists specializing in nanomaterials.
International conference “Historical and Archeological Heritage of the Golden Horde in Saratov Volga Region: Ukek – Past, Present and Future” gathered historians, archeologists, geographers and museum workers from all over the country in June. Ukek’s heritage attracted foreign researchers from Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Finland, Serbia, Italy, Moldova, and the USA. The participants discussed issues concerning this unique historical landmark.
In the autumn, the annual forum «Saratov Fall Meeting» took place. It was dedicated to the International Year of Light and Light-based Technologies and the 70th anniversary of the Faculty of Physics. The forum’s program included 15 conferences and seminars on studying and using photonics, master classes on modern optics, management in hi-tech industry, history, methods and philosophy of optical education.
Young researchers of the University reached great success. In June 2015, Saratov Regional Government awarded four certificates to PhD holders for Presidential Grants; in November, SSU scintists who presented at “U.M.N.I.K.” competition received financial aid. Students as well as Master and graduate students presented their projects in five areas: IT, Medicine of the Future, Modern Materials and Technologies of Making them, New Instruments and Apparatus, and Biotechnology. 11 researchers from Saratov University received grants total of 400000 rubles.
Under the National Research University Development program, SSU young scientists completed further training. 30 teachers studied state policy on education and educational technologies in Stolypin Volga Region Institute of Public Administration. A group of SSU scientists studied German higher education system in Dusseldorf.
University partnership with various innovative, scientific and educational structures is worth mentioning. At the start of the year, SSU and Skolkovo Fund signed a collaboration agreement in micro- and nano-electronics, nanomaterials, innovative energy technologies, new medical technologies including development of new non-fabric materials and noninvasive diagnostics tools, etc.
In January, at the meeting of the military industry commission Russian President V.V. Putin saw ultra light-weight military equipage materials developed at the Tailored Materials Lab, a joint project of Saratov State University, Foundation for Prospective Studies and Initiatives and Ministry of Education and Science.
Saratov branch of the Russian Geographic Society has close ties with SSU Faculty of Geography. In February, the University hosted the first meeting of the Board of Trustees chaired by Saratov Region Governor V.V. Radaev. Later in May, the branch research was presented to the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Volga Federal District M.V. Babich at the sport and tourism camp “Touriada 2015”. On November 1, SSU hosted the All-Russian Geography Dictation.
SSU is the only educational center in Saratov that trains school teachers; therefore the University fosters its connection to general education institutions.
It cooperated widely with Saratov school last year. SSU organized the Literary Festival in Five Acts. Over 650 school students from Saratov, Engels, Saratov region and abroad took part in the “Literature Labyrinth” dedicated to Griboedov’s comedy «Woe from Wit”, XVIII Khlestakov Festival, “Wprd Power” competition and “Literary Saratov” quest. The fifth act was the award ceremony.
During the Teachers Education Week hosted by SSU for the third time, teachers participated in workshops and master classes under the topic “Collective creativity – 1960s Myth or Modern Reality?” The Week’s program also included student competition in teaching skills “Step to Profession”.
In April, math teachers met at the University for a workshop dedicated to Unified State Exam 2015 preparation in relation to the Concep of Math education in Russia. In December, a meeting of SSU Methodology committee on teachers education took place at the Lyceum of Mathematics and Informatics.
SSU signed a cooperation agreement with the Center of Training and Rehabilitation for People with Disabilities “Parus Nadezhdy” to develop inclusive education and provide students of the Faculty of Pedagogical and Special Needs Education with professional training opportunities.
SS Rector A.N. Chumachenko and Sberbank Saratov Region branch № 8622 CEO A.I. Narykin signed an agreement to open a corporate department of banking in SSU. This would allow Faculty of Economics students get first-hand experience in banking. SSU is a pioneer in creating corporate departments of that kind in Russia.
As a result of student active work Saratov State University and its program “UNIVERiA: the Future Depends on You” won again the Ministry of Education and Science competition for supporting student self-governance. The experts praised the program’s high level. The work of Student and Graduate Student Council made it possible to organize large-scale events including Regional Educational Forum “PRO100” and the First All-Russia Forum “Student Tourism in Russia”.
First All-Russia Forum on student tourism took place at SSU in the end of 2015. Over 150 representatives of 57 university participated in its work. They passed a resolution on founding student touristic center at Saratov State University.
“UNIVERiA” project made it possible to carry out a number of student projects and campaigns: Tutor School, UN Student Model, dancing school “SSU – Dance Territory”, networking program.
University students made great achievements in different areas of life: amateur art, sport, science. Faculty of Law Master student Tatiana Bogdanova won the competition “Tatiana of the Volga Region 2015”; so according to the rules, the competition of 2016 would take place at Saratov University.
SSU Student Club artists succeeded at “Russian Student Spring 2015” festival in Vladivostok winning the third place.
The University fosters leaders, which was proved by Anastasia Malkina (Institute of History and International Relations) and Julia Denisova (Faculty of Sociology) who won “Student Leader 2015” regional competition. At the All-Russia competition SSU Student Union Chair Olga Takunova won the second place.
University sportsmen also did a great job. University team won the second place at the National Student Football League tournament. 4-year student of Institute of Sport and Physical Culture Kira Stepanova won the first prize at the World Rowing Championship on 200 meters and the second place on 500 meters. Saratov State University won the Russian Student Sport Union competition and became a center for implementing student sport international exchange development program.
Student media demonstrated high results. Institute of Philology and Journalism student Julia Akhmedova won the second place in individual publications at the Student Spring Festival.
University delegation took part at the International Media School “Student Media Technologies in Russia and Abroad”. They presented two projects – “SGUshenka” magazine (“Sweet Milk”) and “I Like It” TV project which won the first and the second place correspondingly. Additionally, “I Like It” TV project won the first prize at the First International TV Student Festival “Ostankino”.
On December 19, Saratov University hosted the regional stage of “All-Russia History Test” under the project “I am Proud of Russia”. Over 400 people participated.
On top of all that, Saratov State University renewed its graduate studies accreditation in 2015. According to the Federal Education and Science Supervision Service order, SSU educational programs fulfill the requirements of the state educational standard.
Last year provided us with unforgettable moments, great victories and scientific advances. You can find the full record of the events on sgu.ru, in “Saratov University” newspaper and “SGUshenka” magazine.
