Pskov State University

About Pskov

Pskov is located in the North-West of Russia; it is the administrative center of the Pskov region. The Pskov region covers an area of ​​about 55,300 km2. About 600 rivers flow in the region and 3700 lakes are located, one of them is Pskov- Peipsi (Chudskoye) Lake, the largest lake in Europe. At the moment, the population of the city is about 208 thousand people. Pskov is one of the oldest cities in Russia; it was first mentioned in the chronicle in 903 year. Thanks to this, Pskov is distinguished by its history and is a tourist city. In Pskov, you can see buildings from different eras from the Middle Ages to the 20th century.

One of the features of Pskov is its location. The Pskov region is its borderline position. It borders on 3 countries Latvia, Estonia and the Republic of Belarus. Also, the position of Pskov makes it easy to get to St. Petersburg, Moscow, Veliky Novgorod.

In ancient times, due to its position, Pskov was one of the sister cities of the Hanseatic League. The Hanseatic League is a union that united trade cities in the XIV-XVI centuries. He controlled all trade in the Baltic and North Seas and had monopoly privileges in other regions. It included such countries as Latvia, Estonia, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Lithuania and Russia.

Pskov is an ancient “green” city, which makes walking around it very pleasant.

Compared to the neighboring city of St. Petersburg, Pskov is small, which makes it more comfortable. University buildings are located within walking distance.

About University

Pskov State University is one of 33 flagship universities in Russia. The university was created in 2010 by the merger of two higher educational institutions (Pskov State Pedagogical University named after Sergei Mironovich Kirov, Pskov State Polytechnic Institute) and three secondary vocational educational institutions (Pskov Industrial College, Pskov College of Construction and Economics and Velikie Luki Construction College).

The university has a great infrastructure:

• 22 educational and laboratory buildings,
• 11 students’ hostels,
• Student House, which includes a hostel and a medical rehabilitation centre with a university polyclinic,
• Pool “Universant”,
• Centre for Student Initiatives
• Student Engineering Centre.

In 2019, Pskov State University completed the creation of the first five scientific laboratories of a new type, which conduct research in the field of nanotechnology, ecology, bioengineering, archaeology and economic security. Leading scientists from the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) and Moscow State University (MSU) became the scientific leaders of the laboratories. A distinctive feature of the new laboratories is the presence of specially equipped rooms.

There are 6 institutes in the structure of the university:

• Institute of Engineering Sciences,
• Institute of Economics and Management,
• Institute of Mathematical Modeling and Game Practice,
• Institute of Medicine and Experimental Biology,
• Institute of Education and Social Sciences,
• Institute of Humanities and Language Communication.

In addition, the structure of the university includes the College of Pskov State University, the Institute of Continuing Education and a branch in Velikiye Luki.

The renewed Pskov State University introduces European trends into various areas of its work – education, science, social mission – from interdisciplinary educational programs to start-up projects as graduation theses.

Scientific research at Pskov State University is carried out within 18 branches of science.

Education is conducted in 217 educational programs, including 106 for Bachelor’s, 52 for Master’s, 9 for Specialists, 22 programs for training scientific and pedagogical personnel in graduate school and 28 specialties of secondary vocational education, and also implements over 100 programs of additional education.

More than 1 thousand foreign students and listeners from 41 countries of the world study at the university.

The participation of Pskov State University in international scientific and educational projects is one of the important areas of the university’s international activities. Participation in projects allows the university to create effective partnerships with universities around the world, ensure innovative development, increase the competitiveness and export potential of educational technologies and university programs, develop international educational programs and training systems, and implement academic mobility programs for teachers, students and university staff.

One of the important areas of cooperation between Pskov State University and foreign partners is the conduct of joint scientific research and the implementation of scientific and educational projects.

Preparatory department

The preparatory department programs for foreign citizens have been operating at Pskov State University since 2012. During this time, more than 400 students from 60 countries have been trained in programs in Russian as a foreign language.

All pre-university training programs for foreign citizens are developed in accordance with the Requirements for the development of additional general education programs that provide training for foreign citizens and stateless persons to master professional educational programs in Russian (approved by order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation of October 3, 2014 No. 1304). Their main goal is to prepare foreign students for further education in Russian at a higher educational institution.

Most of the curriculum is the Russian language course. The rest of the disciplines are offered depending on the profile of training, which is determined by the specialty chosen for further training. Particular attention is paid to the study of the scientific style of speech as the basis of the language of the specialty.

Teachers from the Department of Russian and Russian as a Foreign Language, as well as from other departments (in accordance with the profile of training), who have extensive experience working with foreign students, take part in the implementation of the programs.

Classes are held 5-6 days a week for 4-8 academic hours a day (1 academic hour – 45 minutes). In classes in the Russian language in a group of no more than 10 people, in classes in general theoretical disciplines – no more than 16 people.

The university has formed a favorable environment that provides an opportunity for the socio-psychological and cultural adaptation of foreign citizens and stateless persons in a new environment. For students of the preparatory department, study and study tours are regularly held. They are actively involved in university life: the International Student Forum, the Youth Forum “Heirs”, the competition of creative works “At the Crossroads of Cultures”, the Russian Club, etc. Joint educational and extracurricular work of students from different countries, communication of students of the preparatory department with Russian students and university volunteers help to establish friendly relations, contribute to their psychological and cultural adaptation.

Program of pre-university training has been passed by citizens of Venezuela, Congo, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Macedonia, Equatorial Guinea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, China, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Egypt, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Gabon, Uzbekistan, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Palestine, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Sri Lanka, Togo, Canada, Lebanon, India, Algeria.

Basic educational programs

Pskov State University has a multilevel system of higher education: Bachelor’s degree (4 years or 5 years); Specialist degree (5 or 6 years); Master’s degree (2 years); Postgraduate study (3 or 4 years).

Classes of students are held in classrooms equipped with multimedia equipment, projectors, interactive whiteboards, laboratories, in computer labs with high-speed Internet access.

The library of the university has 9 subscriptions and 6 reading rooms, 2 electronic reading rooms. The total volume of the library fund is more than one million books, magazines in traditional and electronic media. There is an automated information library system.

The broad capabilities of the university make it possible to realize the creative potential of students in the implementation of project work, develop information competence, and increase the effectiveness of education. To prepare for classes in student dormitories, high-speed Internet is available.

During the training, students undergo pre-diploma practice, the purpose of which is to acquire the experience and knowledge necessary for a competitive specialist. Students participate in all-Russian, international projects, internships, interuniversity exchanges.

Bachelor’s specialties:

• Economics
• Management
• State and Municipal Administration
• Mathematics and Computer Science
• Geography
• Biology
• Psychology
• Civil Engineering
• Informatics and Computer Engineering
• Information Systems and Technologies
• Applied Informatics
• Electricity and Electrical Engineering
• Social Work
• Jurisprudence
• Foreign Regional Studies
• Advertising and Public Relations
• Journalism
• Service
• Tourism
• Hotel Business
• Teacher Education
• Psychological and Pedagogical Education
• Philology
• Linguistics
• History
• Theology
• Design
• Design and Technological Support of Machine-Building Industries
• Technosphere Safety
• Operation of Transport and Technological Machines and Complexes
• Innovation
• Design of Light Industry Products
• Aquatic Bioresources and Aquaculture

Specialists’ specialties:

• General Medicine
• Medical Biochemistry
• Medical Cybernetics
• Clinical Psychology
• Employment Psychology
• Economic Security
• Customs Affairs 

Master’s degree specialties:

• Economics
• Management
• State and Municipal Administration
• Geography
• Biology
• Psychology
• Informatics and Computer Engineering
• Information Systems and Technologies
• Social Work
• Jurisprudence
• Foreign Regional Studies
• Journalism
• Teacher Education
• Psychological and Pedagogical Education
• Philology
• Linguistics
• History
• Theology
• Design
• Electricity and Electrical Engineering
• Design and Technological Support of Machine-Building Industries
• Operation of Transport and Technological Machines and Complexes

Postgraduate study specialties:

• Economy
• Jurisprudence
• Informatics and Computer Engineering
• Electrical and Heat Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Psychological Sciences
• Education and Pedagogical Sciences
• Linguistics and Literary Studies
• Historical Sciences and Archeology
• Physics and Astronomy
• Psychological and Pedagogical Education
• Biological Sciences

Science at Pskov State University

Research work is currently becoming one of the unconditional priorities in the functioning of higher education. It is R&D that is the basis for the fundamentalization of education, the basis for the training and advanced training of scientific and pedagogical personnel. Quality education is possible only with a close relationship between the educational process and scientific research.

Scientific research at Pskov State University is carried out within 14 branches of science. In particular, research was carried out within the framework of such priority areas of development of science, technology and technology in the Russian Federation as “Security and Counter Terrorism”, “Industry of Nanosystems”, “Information and Telecommunication Systems”, “Rational Use of Natural Resources”, “Transport and Space Systems” , “Energy Efficiency, Energy Saving, Nuclear Energy”.

The most important task of modern higher education continues to be the creation of an innovative scientific and educational environment. This is an extremely broad concept that includes a variety of aspects of the university’s activities. Almost all of them are related to one degree or another to research work. One of the important stages of its solution is the creation and development of the innovative infrastructure of the university. Currently, the main elements of the scientific and innovative infrastructure at Pskov State University are:

• Open Institute of Russian Language and Culture. E. A. Maimina;
• 7 basic departments;
• 4 laboratories (laboratory of regional philological research; laboratory of archeology and cultural heritage; laboratory of the quality of higher education; joint scientific and educational laboratory of physics of nanocomposite materials of the Pskov State University and the Ioffe Institute of Physics and Technology of the Russian Academy of Sciences);
• 3 resource centers (scientific herbarium of Pskov State University; experimental laboratory of educational lexicography; resource center for the development of Pskov folk crafts);
• 16 research and educational centers;
• 6 small innovative enterprises (Delta-T – in the field of electrical engineering, oil and gas production and composite materials; SOTA – in the field of information technology; Temp in the field of vehicles; Levitron – in the field of electrical engineering and mechanical engineering; Energoconcept – in the field of energy and energy saving, “Integration” – in the production of electrical equipment);
• Business incubator “Start in business”.

An important indicator of the effectiveness of scientific schools in the field of fundamental research is the publication of monographs and articles in indexed scientific journals included in Russian and foreign citation systems. So, according to the results of 2017, scientific and pedagogical workers of the university published a total of 1,347 scientific papers. Including: 55 monographs with a total volume of 967 pp, of which 5 are abroad; 1111 articles (including 144 – foreign, 791 – RSCI, 97 – from the list of the Higher Attestation Commission, 52 – Web of Science and Scopus); 102 educational publications with a total volume of 792.6 pp. 53 collections of scientific papers were published, including materials of scientific conferences held at Pskov State University. A significant part of monographs, educational publications, collections of conference materials and all scientific journals are published on the basis of the Pskov State University publishing house.

All scientific journals published by Pskov State University (8 titles) are registered in the ISSN International Center and the RSCI database is included; the scientific almanac “Metamorphoses of History” has, in addition to the printed, electronic version and, in addition to the RSCI, is indexed in ERIH PLUS, ROAD, Index Copernicus and a number of other international databases. The University is a co-founder of the scientific journal “Pskov Military-Historical Bulletin”.

One of the most important tasks of a modern university is the identification of protectable results and their state registration. At the beginning of 2018, Pskov State University is the owner of 55 patents.

A significant number of scientific conferences are held annually on the basis of the university. At the end of 2017, the university held 85 scientific and practical conferences, of which 39 had an international or all-Russian level.

Student Life

Student life is not only about endless lectures, seminars and sessions. It is also funny, interesting joint activities, holidays, concerts, competitions. Pskov State University has many opportunities for organizing leisure activities for students:

• Choir chapel – the basis of the repertoire is the choral music of composers M. Glinka, P. Tchaikovsky, F. Schubert, K. Molchanov and others. In May 2011, the chapel was awarded the title of “People’s Group” for its achievements.
• Literary studio – here you can join the world of art of writers and authors.
• Vocal and instrumental studio. The studio is attended by students with both an advanced level of proficiency in instruments and beginners. During the rehearsals, the ensemble members improve their level of proficiency in both electric instruments (guitar, bass, keyboards) and acoustic (guitar, drums). The repertoire is selected by the students themselves, depending on the interests of the group: it can be rock, modern pop music, as well as works of their own composition.
• Brain-ring club. Intellectual competitions are held in several stages in order to identify the worthiest students at that time. The winners become the owners of the challenge cup.
• Club of the Funny and Inventive People. Club members take prizes in city and regional competitions, and also represent their university at the all-Russian level.
• The Artists’ Song Club supports young songwriters and performers.
• Theatre studio. Students read dozens of plays of foreign and domestic drama, participate in the development of costumes, scenery, master the basics of stage speech, movements, dances, make-up.
• Dance studio “SAHARA”.
• Sports of Pskov State University. The University has sports sections for students and teachers: athletics, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, athletic gymnastics, aerobics, orienteering, bullet shooting, women’s football, arm wrestling. Sports competitions, sports days and championships are regularly organized.

Student hostels

Today, student hostels of Pskov State University are a large complex, consisting of twelve comfortable dormitories for more than 3000 places, 10 hostels are located in Pskov and 2 in Velikiye Luki.

For the centralized management of such a complex and responsible object as student hostels, a separate structure has been created at the university – the Directorate of Student Hostels, whose activities are aimed at the maintenance, development and effective use of hostels with adjacent territories.

All conditions for life, study and recreation are created in the hostels. There are reading rooms, lounges, gyms, sports grounds, and a leisure center. To create modern learning conditions, student dormitories are connected to the Internet. Student councils of all hostels are actively working. Each hostel has a laundry room equipped with automatic washing machines, as well as drying rooms. Each student living in the hostel is provided with soft equipment. Bed linen is changed regularly. The territories of the hostels are guarded.

Student dorm rooms are designed for a comfortable stay of two or three people. Kitchens equipped with the necessary equipment are located on the floor. For temporary accommodation of parents and relatives who have come to visit, there are prepared “guest” rooms.

All educational buildings of Pskov State University have canteens with a varied selection of dishes. The dining room can offer a set menu, which frees foreign students from the daily preparation of food. There is also a menu for vegetarians.