Our University

Taurida National V.I. Vernadsky University is the first Higher Educational Institution

in Crimea. A special role in its establishing is attributed to St. Vladimir Kiev University, which opened its branch in Simferopol, in 1918. Many well-known scientists and scholars took part in its establishment, among them chemists V.I. Vernadsky and A.A. Baykov, geographer V.A. Obruchev, physicist A.F.Ioffe and others. A famous anatomist R.I. Gelvig became the first Rector of Taurida University. Two years later, 4 000 students were trained at the University. In 1920 R.I. Gelvig died of typhus and V.I. Vernadsky was elected Rector of the University.

In January 1921, Taurida University was renamed into Crimean State University; on the basis of which three higher educational establishments sprang up: Medical, Agricultural and Teachers’ Training Institutes. In 1972 Crimean Teachers’ Training Institute was retransformed into Simferopol State University. The University entered its new important phase of life in August 1999, when Ukrainian President L.D. Kuchma decreed to grant the title of a National University to it and to re-establish its original name.

Nowadays 16 faculties and preliminary courses of the University train about 17 000 students. This number includes 10 100 full-time students. The whole educational process is conducted by 75 chairs numbering over 660 highly qualified specialists. They promote the scientific research activity.

The main building of the University is in Vernadsky Avenue. The faculties of Foreign Philology, Physical Training and Oriental Languages are in other buildings in our city. The University has all the necessary facilities for research work including laboratories with modern equipment, computers and libraries. The University library is one of the largest in Crimea. Many professors have enriched the library with their personal collections. Now there are about one billion books in it, some of which were printed several centuries ago. The most ancient book is the “Bible” in Latin published in 1482, in Germany. Besides, University has its own Astronomical Observatory, Zoological Museum and unique Herbarium and Botanical Garden.

Full-time and extramural students master 45 specialties. Among them are Biology, Chemistry, History, Mathematics, Physics, Philosophy, Economics, Law, Geography, Russian, Ukrainian, Crimean Tatar and also Foreign and Oriental Languages. One foreign language is compulsory for the students of the University. English and German are the most common, though French and even Spanish are also offered.

The University has international links with such countries as Greece, Germany, the United States, China and others.

Questions:

1. What specialties can be established on the basis of our University?

2. What perspectives do our students have in terms of foreign exchange?

3. Is it enough to have one higher education in order to become a highly qualified specialist?

4. What organizations should be developed to improve the quality of students’ knowledge?

Vocabulary

1. to establish (to found, to set up) – учреждать;

2. to attribute (to ascribe, to impute) – приписывать, относиться;

3. branch (branch establishment, branch office) – отделение, филиал;

4. scientist – ученый, естествовед;

5. scholar – ученый, гуманитарий;

6. to take part - принимать участие, участвовать в чём-либо;

7. spring up – возникать, появляться;

8. to decree – издавать декрет, назначать чьей-то властью;

9. to grant (to give, to confer) – жаловать, даровать, предоставлять;

10. preliminary courses (preparatory courses) – подготовительные курсы;

11. to conduct – вести, руководить;

12. chair – кафедра;

13. to promote – способствовать, помогать, содействовать, поддерживать;

14. to comprise (to include) – включать в себя, содержать;

15. facilities - средства, удобства, возможности;

16. equipment – оборудование;

17. full-time student (internal) – студент дневного отделения;

18. extramural student (correspondence) – студент заочного отделения;

19. compulsory (imperative, obligatory) – обязательный;

20. link – связь, соединение.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14