Ryazan State University named for S.Yesenin is an institution providing higher education services, aiming at innovations based on up-to-date educational strategies.

The history of RSU begins in winter of 1915 with the establishment of a teacher-training institute for women. Later in 1918 it was reorganized into a pedagogical institute gaining its status of a higher educational institution. Very soon the institute became the leading educational and cultural centre of Ryazan region.

In 1993 the institute was awarded the status of a pedagogical university. And thanks to the high standard of education, fundamental science, focus on cultivating ethical values in 2003, it became a classical state university.

Today, RSU named for S.Yesenin is an ever-growing higher educational institution possessing academic, scientific and information resources and combining modern educational technologies and upholding classical Russian high educational standards in the best traditions of Russian universities.

In 2008 Department of International Development (international@rsu.edu.ru) was formed to assisst international academic cooperation with partner universities in China, Spain, Egypt, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Ukraine, Armenia and others.

In 2009 Ryazan State University named for S.Yesenin underwent certification audits and was found to meet the international standards of quality education. The certification committee made a thorough examination of the University’s educational curricula and syllabi (for higher, graduate, post-graduate and supplementary education), as well as the scope and quality of research, and resolved to award the University with ISO 9001:2008 management quality certificate.

At present Ryazan State University named for S.Yesenin combines 3 institutes and 8 faculties: Institute of foreign languages; Institute of psychology, pedagogy and social work;
Institute of lifelong education; Physics and mathematics faculty; History and international relations faculty; Natural sciences and tourism faculty; Russian philology and culture faculty; Economics faculty; Sports faculty; Law faculty; Sociology and management faculty.

11 000 students acquire knowledge in 47 licensed specialties, more than 5 000 of them get intramural education.

Guided by the Bolonian process Russia has agreed to adopt the new education system. That is why Ryazan State University named for S.Yesenin gradually introduces the two-level higher education system with a 4-year bachelor degree and 2-year master degree instead of a 5-year specialist “diploma”. Gradually integrating into the world educational community, RSU remains committed to the classical Russian traditions of higher education.

The Institute of lifelong education provides pre-university educational courses, additional elective courses for intramural students and courses of requalification.

The University staff meets high educational standards. In the 47 faculty departments there are more than 500 teachers including 100 professors and 265 doctors, which makes Ryazan State University named for S.Yesenin the leading one in the region.

The educational strategy of the University is aimed at gaining European academic standards of education quality, preserving the best of Russian educational traditions.

More than 72 000 specialists in different fields have graduated RSU named for S.Yesenin since its foundation. More than 80% of teachers in the region are RSU graduates.

The University is cooperating with the leading universities and educational centers of Russia in different scientific and academic spheres.

Many research schools originated in Ryazan State University named for S.Yesenin. The biggest of them are new scientific unities in the sphere of pedagogy, mathematics, philology, chemistry, psychology, geography, law, economics, biology, culture-study, physics. The results of research done here are used in industry, schools, colleges and universities of Ryazan region and in other territories of Russia.

Research is guided by eminent scientists, 35 correspondent members and academicians of Russian and international academies.

The scientific spirit is fostered by postgraduate courses, which are offered in 30 specialties, and doctoral courses in 5 fields of science.

The University hosts a variety of important international, federal and regional scientific conferences, which contribute to its high academic among Russian universities.

Annually, the University gets patents and certificates for certain inventions, as well as important international and Russian awards. During the last 5 years the University has got 2 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals and several certificates for research annually presented at the International innovations and investments exhibition.

One of the most important directions of development for Ryazan State University named for S.Yesenin nowadays is international cooperation. The University welcomes opportunities of cooperation with Europe and America, as well as eastern countries. Academic projects with big Chinese universities and Japanese foundations give an opportunity for multicultural development of the University.

RSU has been integrating into the world academic community, establishing educational cooperation with the leading academic centers and universities of Germany, Great Britain, the USA, France, Spain, Armenia, China, Japan, Egypt and others.

In the academic year of 2009 – 2010 the University hosted more than 60 international activities, including research conferences and youth forums. During the same academic year more than 60 students from China, Armenia, Georgia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Moldova studied and continue studying at Ryazan State University named for S.Yesenin. 8 foreign specialists from Japan, China, Spain, Egypt, Ukraine and Moldova work at the University during the whole year.

Every year lecturers and students study abroad in the USA through Fulbright and IREX, in Germany through DAAD, Goethe Institute and partner universities, in Japan through Japan Foundation and Embassy of Japan, in China through Ministry of Education, Confucius Institute and partner university, in Spain through partner universities and other countries through different organizations and institutions providing scholarships or requiring minimum payment.

In the autumn of 2010 Ryazan State University named for S.Yesenin opened Confucius Institute of RSU. Confucius Institute provides courses of Chinese for people of different age and social groups, organizes cultural seminars for people of the region and stimulates student-exchange programs with China.

Students and teachers at RSU have a lot of opportunities for personal and professional development thanks to the modern informative environment, individual-oriented strategy of education, access to everything needed for quality self-development. More than 1000 computers of the University are united in a local net, connecting all the faculties of the dispersed campus. There are 31 computer labs in the university facilities, including classroom buildings and hostels.

The University campus includes 9 classroom buildings, 8 of which are situated in the historical centre of Ryazan. The territory of the main building also includes a sports center, biostation and St.Tatjana church. The students from outside the city have an opportunity to live in one of the 4 equipped hostels. A University sports camp is situated in the Meshera national park.

There are 7 professional journals and a newspaper “Ryazan university” published by RSU. The University hosts 4 museums: RSU history museum, Region study museum, S.Yesenin museum, I.Sreznevsky museum.

The University is also famous for its theatre “Perehod” (Passage), which is frequently awarded at regional, national and international contests. In 2008 the theatre was awarded a Golden certificate at the international festival “UniFest-2008” for the play called “Killer’s night” based on a script by G.Triano. And in 2009 it was awarded a Certificate for “High theatrical culture” for the play “Larisa” based on a script by A.Ostrovsky.

Ryazan State University named for S.Yesenin is also famous for its sport traditions and achievements. The University teams participate in the city, regional, national and international competitions: track and field, swimming, cross-skiing, volleyball, basketball, soccer, martial arts, chess, table tennis take part. The leading sportsmen of RSU are members of Russian national teams.

Integration into the world academic society, and cooperation with biggest scientific and academic centers make it possible for the students and lecturers to act in the modern diverse and multipolar world.

Переводили: Сулица О.А., Марьяновская Е.Л., Устинова Е.С.