Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU)

Saint Petersburg State University (SPbU) is the oldest university in Russia, founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1724. Many outstanding people of science and culture have studied and worked at the University, among them 8 Nobel prize laureates.

It is here where Dmitry Mendeleev, creator of world-known Periodic System, delivered his lectures. Among the university alumni are well-known scholars, public figures, artists such as Vladimir Vernadsky, Dmitry Likhachev, Ivan Turgenev, Pavel Brullov, Alesandr Blok, Sergey Dyagilev, Igor Stravinsky, President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.

In November, 2009, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed Federal Law №259-FZ “On Moscow State University named after Lomonosov and St.Petersburg University”. The law established a special and unique status for the two leading universities that entitles them to have their own educational standards and to issue degree certificates of their own format.

Today Saint Petersburg State University comprises over 30 000 undergraduate and postgraduate students at 22 faculties, 13 000 employees, including 4500 professors with academic degrees. SPbU has partner agreements on long-term collaboration with Russia’s largest public and private companies (Gazprom, Sberbank of Russia, Russian railways etc), foreign companies (such as IBM, Carl Zeiss, Microsoft), governmental agencies, that affords university graduate to choose the best employer and build a truly successful career.

Applied mathematics, computer science, radiophysics, environmental management, journalism, international relations, linguistics, restoration, management, tourism – total number of main academic programmes of higher professional education taught at the University exceeds 130. The programme duration at the bachelor level is 4 years, at the master level – 2 years, while programmes of the specialist level last no less than 5 years.

Tuition at the most part of programmes is maintained in Russian language. This is why Russian Language and Culture Institute, a subdivision of the Philological Faculty of Saint Petersburg State University, becomes an “entry point” to academic life for every student coming from abroad. This is where foreign students study Russian with the use of intensive methods, learn about Russian traditions, historic and cultural heritage.