Vitebsk State University celebrating its 100th anniversary

VITEBSK, 23 November (BelTA) – University delegations from four countries will take part in the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the Vitebsk State University n.a. P.M.Masherov, BelTA learnt from the university’s department for international cooperation. The celebrations are taking place at all the departments of the university. The university is planning to open a renewed exposition of its museum and a display of the works of the students of the Department of Art and Graphics. The university administration will receive the participants of the Great Patriotic War as well as the best students of the university. Besides, almost all scientific and educational events of the university this year have been dedicated to its anniversary. The culmination of the celebrations will be 26 November, the day of the foundation of the university. The Council of the University will host a session which is to be attended by the teaching staff, veterans, students as well as distinguished guests of the university. The celebrations will be attended by delegations of Bialystok State University (Poland), East China Technological Institute and Vocational Institute of China, the Tatarski State Humanitarian and Pedagogical University and the Mariinski State University (Russia), the Vinnytsia State Pedagogical University (Ukraine). The Vitebsk State University is an active participant in the international education arena. The university has cooperation agreements with more than 30 partner-universities from 17 countries. The university has been developing the Belarusian-Chinese University jointly with its colleagues from the Vocational Institute of China. The Vitebsk State University is taking part in three international projects as part of the EU’s program Tempus-4. Besides, international projects are run by the departments of the university as well. Thus, the Department of Zoology is taking part in birdbanding and studying of bird migration within SE European bird migration network program. The Department of Botany is participating in the Belarusian-Russian project, Chronology of Flora and Fauna of the Belarusian-Valdai Territory. The university development concept for 2010-2015 envisages expansion of cooperation with foreign universities and an increase in the export of education services. There are plans to organize promotional campaigns to search for new partners in Syria, Turkey, China, India, Turkmenistan and other countries. In 2010, the Vitebsk State University certified its quality management system in compliance with the STB ISO 9001-2009 standard and the German Accreditation System DIN EN ISO 9001-2008. Certification of the quality management system increases the prestige and competitiveness of the university on the international market and enables it to actively integrate into the European educational space. The university published a book about its century-old history. The 300-page edition will be presented to the guests of honor of the anniversary celebrations. The book prepared by a team led by the university rector Professor Alexander Solodkov includes materials about teaching, research and international activities of the university, all aspects of training both research specialists and also teaching staff, and educational work. The Vitebsk Teachers Training Institute was opened in November 1910. The institute included a two-class city school for practical training of students and provided three-year training courses. The institute admitted young people under 16 from all layers of the society. Every student signed a legally-binding document to work in the position of a teacher for least 6 years after graduation. The staff of the university consisted of the director, 15 teachers, a law teacher, a doctor and a clerk. The institute taught pedagogy, Russian and Church Slavonic languages, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, history, geography, natural history and physics, drawing and painting, calligraphy, singing, and gymnastics, manual work. The Vitebsk Teachers Training Institute stayed open until 1917. After the revolution it was transformed into a pedagogical institute. The status of a classical university was awarded to it on 1 September 1995. In February 1998 it was named after Piotr Masherov, a graduate of this university. The university provides training in pedagogy, psychology, humanities, natural sciences, art and design, law, social work and physical culture. Today more than 4,700 students attend daytime programs of the university and almost 5,500 take correspondence courses.

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