October 30, 1921 is the foundation date of the main educational establishment in our country – the Belarusian State University.

October 30, 1921 is the foundation date of the main educational establishment in our country – the Belarusian State University.

Elimination of illiteracy, assimilation of European and world cultural heritage, formation of the national system of higher education and science — all these impressive achievements of the Belarusian people in 1920-1930s would have been impossible without the University and the work of its staff.

Academician Vladimir Ivanovich Picheta – the outstanding historian and slavist – headed the University. The first Rector united the staff consisting of scholars from Moscow, Kazan, and Kiev universities.

November 1, 1930 students started attending regular classes at its three faculties: Workers’, Medical, and Social Sciences. At that time the teaching staff consisted of 49 lecturers including 14 professors and 25 associate professors. Such prominent scholars as professor M.N.Pokrovsky, professor V.P.Volgin, academicians E.F.Karsky, K.A.Timiryazev, D.N.Pryanishnikov and others were among the founders of the first Belarusian University.

The 1920-1930s marked one of the most dynamic periods in the history of the University. The University campus construction was started under the resolution of the VIII All-Belarusian Congress in November 1927 and in 1930 it welcomed students.

In October 1927 the post-graduate education began. Soon, efficient relations with scientists from Germany, Lithuania, Poland andCzechoslovakia were established, students’ scientific societies were organized at the faculties.

Rapid development of the University played a significant role in the creation of the educational system of the republic. The University’s educational and research capacity gave birth to a number of independent higher educational establishments, such as Minsk Medicine Institute, Minsk Law Institute, Minsk Pedagogical Institute, the Belarusian Institute of National Economy, Minsk Chemical and Technological Institute, which later became a part of the Polytechnic Institute. The BelarusianState University contributed much to the foundation and development of theAcademy of Sciences, the Republic’s State Library and a number of large research institutions.

In a two decades’ time the Belarusian State Universitytrained 5240 specialists in History, Law, Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, etc. The activities of the People’s Writer of Belarus Yakub Kolas and outstanding Commander-in-Chief, Marshal of the Soviet Union G.K.Zhukov were associated with the name of the University of that period. It was the time when L.A.Artsymovich, P.U.Brovka, K.K.Krapiva studied and worked at the University. These outstanding people made a valuable contribution to the development of both national and world science and culture.

1941 was the year of the most severe ordeal in the history of the University. June 21, 1941 ajubilee exhibition was arranged at the University presenting the achievements of the staff consisting at the time of 17 professors, 41 associate professors, 90 teachers and assistants, 60 post-graduates and 1337 students. The day following the celebration, June 22, 1941 became a tragic landmark in our history. All the post-war generations of teachers, post-graduates and students of the University have always remembered and will remember their colleagues who left the classrooms and scientific laboratories to sacrifice their lives for the glory and independence of their Motherland. The evidence of this is the obelisk erected in 1970s at the University campus in honor of those who perished in the battle against fascism.

The war did great damage to the University. The University campus was destroyed almost completely. University archives, library funds, laboratories and study-rooms were plundered. Despite the ravages of the war regular classes at its six faculties began at the station of Skhodnya near Moscow right in October, 1943. After the liberation of the Belarusian capital in August 1944 the University reopened in Minsk. The same year Faculty of Journalism was opened at the University.

The pre-war education and material base of the University had been restored by the end of 1950. A new period in the history of the Belarusian State University began, the period of its rapid development, creative teaching and scientific research. The teaching staff of 17 lecturers and tutors (among them 14 professors and 60 associate professors) delivered education to more than 1700 students through thirty-five departments of seven faculties.

The 1950-1980s were characterized by an expansion in the scope of University activities. Its material base and teaching facilities were improved by the Government’s decisions. The contents, forms and methods of academic process and scientific research changed radically. New buildings of faculties were erected and new faculties were opened: the Faculty of Law, Faculty of Mathematics and Mechanics, Faculty of Physics, Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Faculty of Radio Physics and Electronics, Philosophy and Economics. Research activity was led by the scientific research institutions organized within the University structure in 1971 (applied physics), 1976 (physics and chemistry), 1986 (nuclear physics).

The Belarusian State University deservedly occupied an honorable place among the leading universities of the Soviet Union. Its international prestige considerably increased, scientists and professors actively participated in international symposia and conferences, sessions of the UN General Assembly and UNESCO. The Order of the Red Banner of Labor awarded to the University on January 7, 1967 became the evidence of its achievements in the development of science, education and culture, as well as and training highly qualified specialists for all branches of economy.

In 1990s the Belarusian State University was the largest scientific and educational center not only with impressive achievements and traditions, but also with a number of problems caused by serious contradiction in the development of society. June 27, 1991 the Supreme Soviet adopted the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Belarus and the Belarusian people faced the vital task of the development of a sovereign state.

Being the oldest and largest University of our country, the Belarusian State University contributed to the programs of strengthening the Belarusian statehood, the development of economic and social reforms in our republic. In 1995 the Faculty of International Relations; in 1999 two new faculties – the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Science and the Faculty of Economics were formed on the basis of former Philosophy and Economics Faculty.

The Military and Humanities faculties, as well as several educational bodies of unitary status added to the university structure.

The efforts of university scholars have always been focused on fundamental science. A number of centers of national importance were created within university to research problems of physics (1993), ozone sphere monitoring (1997), applied mathematics and computer science (2000), etc

Glorious university traditions set by first Rectors were continued by their successors – N. M. Bladyko (1937), V.S. Bobrovnitsky (1938), P.P. Savitsky (1938 - 1946), V.A. Tomashevich (1946 - 1949), I.S. Chimburg (1949 - 1952), K.I. Lukhashov (1952 - 1957), A.N. Sevchenko (1957 - 1972), V.M. Sikorsky (1972 - 1978), V.A. Bely (1978 - 1983), L.I. Kiselevsky (1983 - 1990), F.N. Kaputsky (1990 - 1995), A.V. Kozulin (1996 - 2003).

On November 31, 2008 the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has appointed Sergey V. Ablameyko to the position of Rector of the Belarusian StateUniversity. Previously Sergey V. Ablameyko was holding the position of Director General of the State Scientific Organization "United Institute of Informatics Problems of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus".

History

Decision to establish Belarusian State University, as a first national university of Belarus, was made on 25 February 1919 by the government of the Byelorussian SSR. However, Minsk was occupied by the Polish army at the time, and the university was actually established in 1921 in Minsk.

Vladimr Picheta, historian and Slavonic languages expert, became first rector of the BSU. The university staff was formed by professors and lecturers transferred from universities of Moscow,Kazan and Kiev. Faculty consisted of 14 professors, 49 lecturers and 10 teaching assistants. First graduates left the BSU in 1925.

Initially there have been three Faculties - Workers, Medicine and Humanities with 1,390 students among them. In 1922 a new Pedagogical Faculty was established. In October 1927 post-graduate degrees became available.

During the 1930s, the university became not only the key center for education and research in Soviet-controlled Belarus, but also led to branching out of specialized educational institutions and to the establishment of Belarusian Academy of Sciences.

By 1941, just before the 20th anniversary of the university, there have been 6 Faculties: [Chemistry], [Physics] and [Mathematics], [Biology], [History], [Geography] and Languages. There have been 50 professors, 41 docents and 90 assistants (junior lecturers). There was also a Workers Faculty (providing part-time education to full-time employees of factories and plants) and special part-time Polish- and Yiddish-language sections.

In June 1941, Minsk was occupied by Nazi Germany; some students and academic staff were evacuated to the east, some joined the Soviet Army or partisan brigades. Some of university buildings were destroyed, some were used by the Germans as hospitals and offices.

In May 1943, Belarusian State University was re-established at Skhodnya, a suburban settlement to the north-east of Moscow. Some of former students and academics joined the re-established university. Its libraries were newly formed through donations from universities and colleges of Moscow.

In August 1944, first group of students and academic staff returned to Minsk, and regular classes restarted in autumn 1944. By September 1945, there have been over 300 students in the re-established university in Minsk. However, pre-war buildings and research facilities were not restored until late 1950. By then, there have been 7 Faculties, 35 professors, and 170 other academics at the BSU.

During the 1950s-1980s, the university significantly evolved: new Faculties have been established, new buildings have been built, new research facilities have been added. Numbers of academic staff and students increased dramatically. In the former USSR, Belarusian State University became one of key research and educational establishments and received several government awards for excellency.^{[ citation needed ]}

Since Belarus independence (1991), the BSU continues to be the major university of the country. In the early 1990s, it was a center of Belarusian national revival, with many lecturers (and even entire Faculties) choosing to switch from Russian to Belarusian as main language of teaching and research.^{[ citation needed ]}

Structure

The BSU is an integral complex of academic, research, production, social and cultural, administrative, auxiliary and other units. There are 16 Faculties within the university structure.

BSU has 4 Educational Institutes that provide training on undergraduate and post-graduate levels of education.

There are a number of Institutes that conduct retraining and advanced training of both youths and adults.

[edit]Scientific Research Institutes

§ Research Institute of Nuclear Problems

§ Research Institute of physics-chemistry problems

§ Research Institute of applied physics problems

§ Research Institute of applied problems of Mathematics and informatics

[edit]National research centres

§ National Research Centre of Ozonosphere monitoring

§ National Scientific and Educational Centre of Particles and High-Energy Physics

Republican Research Centres

§ Republican Centre for Human Studies

[edit]Inter-departmental centres

§ Inter-departmental Centre of national parks and preserves

§ Inter-departmental Centre research center «Life safety»

[edit]Centers of sharing use of unique research equipment

§ Belarusian inter-university center of research facilities

§ Centre of sharing use of devices and equipment of faculty of biology

§ Laboratory of physical-and-chemical methods of research RI PCP

§ Centre of nanotechnologies and physical electronics

[edit]BSU research centers

§ Centre of Applied Problems of Mathematics and Informatics

§ Education Development Centre

§ Centre for youth studies

§ Centre of Sociological and Political studies

§ Centre for international studies

§ Centre for international technologies

§ Centre of informational resources and communications]

§ Centre of IT security

§ Childhood development Centre

§ Centre for Olympic training

The research activity is conducted on the basis of 25 Research Centres and 115 Scientific Laboratories. University has 4 Research Institutes in its structure:

§ Research Institute of Applied Physical Problems named after A.N. Sevchenko

§ Research Institute of Nuclear Problems

§ Research Institute Of Physical And Chemical Problems

§ Research Institute of Applied Mathematics and Informatics

The BSU complex also includes 12 unitary scientific-productional enterprises, among them are the following:

§ Unitehprom BSU (Small-scale chemical and equipment production of various purpose);

§ Unihimprom BSU (Development of the technology of disel biofuel production from vegetable oils and other accompanying products);

§ Unidragmet BSU (treatment of man-caused waste containing precious and non-ferrous metals treatment);

§ Adamas BSU (Production of diamond monocrystals and instruments made of them);

§ Engineering department of BSU (Production of computers, traffic controllers and systems of traffic control, software&hardware for medical experts);

§ Active BSU (production of training devices for physical experiment, vacuum engineering and forage additives;

§ Sand BSU (production of tests systems for drug detection).

[edit]Academic Community

The core of the BSU is made of the academic community of teachers, researches, students and post- graduate students. Today at the BSU near 7400 employees carry out their duties and 2500 of them occupy full-time teaching positions within university's major faculties and institutes. The quality of education is allegedly assured by a high qualification of the BSU teaching staff, among them 6 academicians, 7 Corresponding Members of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 291 Doctors of Science and 1350 PhD degree holders. In total more than 10,7% of teaching staff are professors, and holders of Doctor of Science degree. There are 618 research workers involved in caring out academic research, experimental and design work, innovative and production activities to solve most actual problems of science, technologies and industrial production.^{[ citation needed ]}

The Belarusian State University is accessible for all who wish to enrich their knowledge. The BSU student's community consists of near 29000 undergraduate and graduate students, 663 post-graduate (doctoral) and 11 post-doctoral students. Full-time students, who successfully pass exams, receive scholarships and study free of charge.

The University annual enrollment exceeds 5000 students. In 2009 approximately 60% of the secondary school graduates from the country’s regions were accepted for the full-time budget form of education. Vitebsk region — 10%, Mogilev region — 7,3%, Gomel region – 6,4%, Grodno region 9,9%, Brest region — 9,6%, Minsk — 16,4%. In 2009 university accepted 813 international students. Today more than 1700 international students from 53 countries of world are pursuing their education at the BSU.

One of significant evidence of a high quality education student obtain at the University is their successes in national and international scientific competitions and contests. 104 BSU students gained prize places at the Olympiads and competitions in 2007-2009, among them 49 in 2009. On the XVI International Students Mathematics Olympiad (Hungary, July 2009) the BSU team gained 3 gold and 3 silver medals. Bronze medal was gained by the BSU student on the III International Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad. On the VI International Economic and Financial Disciplines and Management Aspects Olympiad gained 1st and 2nd place. The International Olympiad for Informatics and Programming (November 2009, Russia) BSU students managed to get a I degree Diploma. On the selection tours of the World Programming Championship BSU team always reaches the finals and gets into the top-20 teams of world.^{[ citation needed ]}

It worth to be mentioned that 80% of research workers in the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus are the BSU graduates.^{[ citation needed ]}

[edit]Programs Offered

The BSU offers a variety of educational programs at all levels of education.

The Higher Education Program is organised at the BSU major Faculties and Educational Institutes through 56 specialities and more than 250 specialisations and aimed at preparing specialist with fundamental and special knowledge and skills. For the last two years several new specialties were created in order to comply with existing demands of national economy. These are Nuclear Physics, Logistics, Management of innovations, Contemporary Foreign Languages and many others. The duration of studies is 4-5 academic years. Classes last from 1 September - until 30 June. Upon successful completion of the programmes students are awarded the Diploma of Higher Education which is considered as superior to the bachelor's degree and gives the rights to pursue further education at the post-graduate level. Language of studies is Russian or Belarusian.

Training along the Magister’s Degree Program is conducted through 48 specialities. The program's goal is to form comprehensive knowledge and special skills for scientific, pedagogical and research activity. Duration of studies 1-2 academic years. But in some cases there is a possibility for international students to study according to the individual curriculum without a fixed dates of studies. Upon successful completion and thesis defense students receive Diploma of Magister.

The PhD Program is aimed to prepare highly qualified researchers holding a candidate of science degree (equivalent of PhD). Training is provided through 142 specialities of different branches of science. Duration of studies is 3-4 academic years. Classes last from 1 November until 31 October. International students have the opportunity to study according to the individual curriculum without a fixed dates enrollment. Upon successful completion graduates receive a Certificate on Graduation and in case if dissertation was presented and defended the student confers the Candidate if Science degree. The BSU has 22 Scientific Councils which conduct evaluations of theses presented for defence.

There is a number of educational establishments which provide students with comprehensive educational training, vocational training, retraining, advanced and refreshment courses.

In order to train international students in Russian language and learning strategies and skills that would enable them to study professional disciplines and to be admitted to a degree programmes the BSU provides pre-university education programme. The program comprises studying the Russian language, literature, and subjects on future specialty. Teaching is organised along five profiles: the humanities, economics, natural sciences, technical disciplines, medicine and biology. The period of study is approximately ten months (one academic year). Upon successful completion Students receive a Graduation Certificate. This document is an official confirmation of student’s eligibility to continue studies at the BSU and other higher educational establishments in the Republic of Belarus and CIS countries.

Domestic and international students may benefit from a variety of Non-degree Programs, such as Student internships, Research internships, Study-and-travel tours, Russian \ Belarusian as a Foreign Language Courses. The following Russian Language Programs are available for international students:

§ Long / Short Term Courses (1–10 months) designed to provide students with basic vocabulary and grammar, speaking and understanding skills needed for fluent communication;

§ Intensive / Super Intensive Courses focused on professional vocabulary and speech;

§ Short Term Courses of Russian for Specific Purposes aimed at providing attendees with the professional terminology and communication skills in Sciences, Humanities, Economics, Philology, Medicine-Biology and Engineering;

§ Summer courses designed to equip students with basics of Russian for everyday use;

§ Individual studies could be organized in the framework of abovementioned curricula in the one-to-one manner of studies;

As a part of the system of training highly qualified staff holding scientific degrees within the University there are 22 Scientific Councils which conduct evaluations of scientific papers presented for defence.

International dimension

Since late 1950s the BSU have been an international university with hundreds of international students. More than 4,000 students from over 102 countries of the world have studied at the BSU during Soviet times until late 1990s. Today BSU is a leader in the Republic of Belarus in teaching foreign students. It provides training to more than 1800 international students from more than 30 countries of the world.

Academic exchanges, common research and joint educational programmes are carried out in the framework of more than 200 international agreements with Institutions from Europe, Asia and America.

The Belarussian State University takes active part in many international university networks and associations. The BSU is among the founders of the Eurasian Association of Universities (EAU), It is a individual full member of the European University Association and a national coordinator of the University Network of Central European Initiative (CEI UniNet). The BSU participates in the work of Belarusian UN Association, International Association for the Exchange of Students for Technical Experience (IAESTE), Inter-university Centre of Researches and Cooperation in East And South-East Europe (CERCEOS), International Association of Teachers of Russian language as a Foreign (MAPRYL) and others.

The BSU is the biggest international cooperation center in field of education and science in the country. A number of centers work under the university, among them:

§ Informational Center of European Union

§ Informational Point of European Union

§ Center on UN Studies

§ Center for International Studies

§ Center of Academic Mobility

and others.

[edit]Facilities

Each of the University study building is equipped with well-furnished classrooms, seminar rooms and reading lounges. There are 70 computer laboratory and 4 media classrooms.

Information Resources of the University Network include web-server, web-servers of the faculties and subdivisions of the BSU and Intranet-Server of BSU. Students are thought on the basis of with the best methods and the latest technologies of knowledge acquisition with use of distant training technologies, such as eUniversity, Moodle and eLearning systems. Computer-Aided Network Information System «University» enables effective administrative procedures for staff and students through electronic registration and issue of the personal documents. The BSU Lyceum uses the distant training system for publishing electronic training materials in the Internet. International students who study Russian as a Foreign Language at the Faculty of Pre-University Education are able to use a specially designed electronic software “Study Russian”.

In February 2010, Supercomputer SKIF was mounted in the BSU. It allows to accomplish tasks simultaneously on the 288 processors. Besides, it is one of the centers of the national scientific and educational GRID-network. Access to the Supercomputer resources within the university network is granted to the faculty members, scientific collaborators, undergraduates, Master and doctoral students.

[edit]Library

The BSU Fundamental Library‘s funds consist of above 2 million volumes of Belarusian, Russian and other languages’ literature. The Library has 820 readers’ places, 150 workers, 9 home loan departments, 17 departmental and specialised reading rooms, above 26,000 registered users, and provides 1,851,000 book loans annually. The annual library acquisitions is about 50,000 new editions. Annually it subscribes to above 1,070 titles of Belarusian and foreign periodicals, conducts international book exchange with 136 research and educational institutions located in 24 countries of the world. The following digital recourses are available for students and faculty members:

§ The Open Public Access Catalog (OPAC) of the Belarusian State University Fundamental Library - It includes 9 bibliographic databases, modified by types of editions (in May 2009 it contains about 400 thousands records).

§ Electronic Document Delivery Service - ives opportunity to search, order and delivery of electronic copies of documents (articles, chapters, sections, items from magazines and books) that are contained in the funds of BSU FL and also in funds of its partners-libraries.

§ Databases. Access to the network (local and utter by licenses) databases is given to users within the BSU network. Access to the local databases is given to users in the Room of Electronic Information Resources (Nezavisimosti Av. 4, BSU Main Building, apt. 206).

§ Digitized collections. Educational and research information materials, publications and BSU conferences’ proceedings. Documents are put on the network in accordance with the copyright law acting on the territory of the Republic of Belarus.

§ Virtual exhibitions. Information resources that give a possibility to get acquainted with documents from the funds of BSU FL.

[edit]University dormitories

The BSU has 11 students dormitories. International students who study at the Faculty of Pre-University Education are offered accommodation in the dormitories № 3 and 5. When transferred to the undergraduate / graduate and post-graduate programmes students receive accommodation in the dormitories of the corresponding faculty.

About 65% of housing provided by university comprise rooms shared by 3-4 persons with a common kitchen and sanitary arrangements. There are also dorms of block type with kitchen and toilets common for two rooms. Set of furniture includes a bed, a chair, a desk, built-in wardrobe, book shelves. Pricing depends on the type of accommodation and varies from $20 – to $ 40 per month.

Sport and Leisure

The BSU has created necessary sport and recreation facilities for its students and staff. Training and health-improving complexes, swimming pools, gymnasiums, sport grounds are available. Over 1300 students attend 24 specialised sports sections on a regular basis. About 50 of them are members of National teams participating in Olympic games, World and European Championships. The University annually holds students contests in 21 kinds of sport (arm-wrestling, weight-lifting, power-lifting, basketball, volleyball, mini-football, Greek-Roman wrestling, judo, table tennis, skis, swimming, chess, orienteering, sport aerobics, cross-country race, karate, track and field athletics). The BSU students are often prize-winners in the Republican Students’ Olympiad and other contests. University holds more than 90 sport events annually. There is a specialised unit - the Department for Physical Training which is aimed at studying the relevant issues and designing strategy in health development of the young people.

University's cultural life is rich and diverse. Concerts, disco parties, other cultural and entertaining events are organised by faculties and in students hostels. The Preparatory Department has a tradition of hosting national cuisine and national dance parties for overseas students. Among annually held festivities are the International students theatrical festival «Teatralny Kufar», festival of variety arts, open songs contest «Fest–А», fashion and photo show-contest «Melnitsa Mody», students chorus forum «Paparats-kvetka».

[edit]Rectors

§ Uladzimier Picheta (1921–1929)

§ Jazep Karanieuski (1929–1931)

§ Ivan Jermakou (1931–1934)

§ Ananiy Dziakau (1934–1935)

§ Mikalai Bladyka (1937)

§ Uladzimier Babraunicki (1938)

§ Parfion Savitski (1938–1944)

§ Uladzimier Tamashevich (1946–1949)

§ Ivan Chymburh (1949–1952)

§ Kanstantsin Lukashou (1952–1957)

§ Anton Sieuchanka (1957–1972)

§ Usievalad Sikorski (1972–1978)

§ Uladzimier Biely (1978–1983)

§ Leanid Kisieleuski (1983–1989)

§ Fiodar Kapucki (1990–1995)

§ Alaksandar Kazulin (1996–2003)

§ Vasili Strazhau (2003–2008)

§ Sergey V. Ablameyko (from 2008)

[edit]Notable alumni

§ Hienadz Buraukin, diplomat and poet

§ Myechyslaw Hryb, politician

§ Anatol Hrytskievich, historian

§ Anatoly Lebedko, politician

§ Natalia Petkevich, politician and stateswoman

§ Paval Sieviaryniets, politician

§ Iryna Khalip, journalist

[edit]External links

§ Belarusian State University — Official website

[edit]See also

§ List of colleges and universities

§ List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945)

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