Unit 3. The RF Largest Universities

Before You Read

I. Make a list of Russian top universities. What do they have in common?

 

II. Guess the meaning of the following words and word combinations.

 

University campus, lecture hall, refresher course, observatory, scientific station, Research Library, departmental division, research institute, Botanical Garden, Publishing House, printing shop, recreational centre, Science Park, interdisciplinary area, to meet employer's requirements, special seminar, students' scientific societies, student's independent research, radical intellectual, Nobel laureates, to celebrate the anniversary, outstanding role, world’s top universities.

III. Scan the text and render it into Russian using the vocabulary given below.

 

Lomonosov Moscow State University

 

Moscow State University is the oldest, autonomous, self-governing and state-supported institution of higher education of Russia. It was founded in 1755 by the great Russian scientist M.V. Lomonosov. In 1940 it was renamed in honour of its founder. The University was modelled on German Universities. Since the second half of the 19^th century it has become the most important centre of scientific research and scholarship in Russia.

Moscow University has at its disposal more than 600 buildings and facilities, occupying over 1 million square metres. The University campus built on Vorobievy Gory (Sparrow Hills) in Moscow covers 205.7 hectares, where most of the university faculties have been situated since 1953. Besides, the university includes a number of faculty buildings located near Manege Square in the centre of Moscow. All the lecture halls and laboratories have the latest equipment available at the time.

More than 40,000 undergraduates and about 7,000 postgraduates study at Moscow University, and over 5,000 specialists do the refresher course here. The staff consists of 15,000 professors, lecturers and researchers working for the faculties and research institutes. Since 1917 over 180,000 specialists have graduated from Moscow University and about 35,000 have been awarded doctoral degrees, which confirms the position of Moscow University as a leading centre of learning and science in this country. Its current rector is Victor Sadovnichiy.

Moscow State University is a major traditional educational institution in Russia, it offers training in almost all branches of modern science and humanities. Its undergraduates may choose one of 57 qualifications, while doctoral students may specialize in 168 different areas. Every year Moscow University enrolls about 2,000 international students and postgraduates all over the world.

As of 2009, Moscow State University comprises 39 faculties. Among them are faculties of biology, physics and chemistry, computational mathematics and cybernetics, economics, foreign languages and area studies, geography, geology, history, journalism, mechanics and mathematics, physics, sociology, soil sciences and many others, faculties of law, medicine, philosophy being the oldest ones.

Presently the university possesses excellent training facilities: more than 430 laboratories, several observatories and scientific stations. A.M. Gorky Research Library with its 9,000,000 books is considered to be the second largest library in Russia. Apart from more than 350 departmental divisions, 15 research institutes, 4 museums, the Botanical Gardens, the University Publishing House and printing shop, a recreational centre and a boarding school for talented children are affiliated with Moscow University. 9 faculties have been recently established, along with 47 new departments and 22 research laboratories. Research has recently started in 30 new interdisciplinary areas. At the moment the University Computer Centre represents more computing power than any other educational institution in Russia. The first Russian Science Park appeared at MSU 10 years ago; now it unites about 2,000 scientists who work to make scientific achievements into technological innovations.

As training highly qualified specialists has always been the main goal, the faculties and departments constantly revise their curricula and introduce new programmes. In the curricula for science faculties more classes in the humanities have been included. The University offers individual programmes combining classes at different faculties. The stress is on student's ability to work independently and meet employer's requirements.

The curricula of all MSU faculties are based on the combination of academic instruction with student's research work and the combination of thorough theoretical knowledge with special skills. Having acquired theoretical knowledge in the first and the second year, undergraduates choose an area to specialize in. At the same time they choose a field for their independent research work, joining special seminars; the results of research are usually presented at the meetings of students' scientific societies or at scientific conferences, the most interesting results are published. At the end of the final semester the results of each student's independent research are submitted in the form of final paper, which is publicly presented by the student at the meeting of the department.

The students in most MSU programmes do not pay their tuition but 15% of students whose tuition is not covered by the government funding have to pay fees. Accommodation in MSU dormitories is provided for those students who are not residents of Moscow.

Being one of the centres of the world science Lomonosov University is the most prestigious university in Russia. Among its better-known graduates were the famous writers M. Lermontov, A. Chekhov, I. Turgenev, D. Fonvisin, architects V.I. Bazhenov, I.E. Starov, mathematicians and physicists of the 20^th century, such as A. Kolmogorov and P. Kapitsa, as well as the radical intellectuals A. Herzen and V. Belinsky. Moscow University has produced 8 Nobel laureates, 5 Fields Medal winners, quite a number of politicians and Heads of state. In 2008 it was placed 70^th in the world’s top universities according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities. In 1992 the university was granted a unique status: it is funded directly from the state budget (bypassing the ministry of education), that provides a significant level of education.

In January 2005 Lomonosov Moscow State University celebrated its 250th anniversary. All the history of the University is the evidence of the outstanding role its alumni have played promoting the ideas of freedom, common good, humanity, and truth.

 

Vocabulary

accommodation alumnus (alumni, pl) dormitory evidence to affiliate to confirm to submit

жилье, помещение бывший питомец школы или университета общежитие очевидность, свидетельство, основание присоединяться подтверждать, подкреплять представлять на рассмотрение

After You Read

I. Answer the questions.

1. When was Moscow State University established?

2. Why was it named after the great Russian scientist M.V. Lomonosov?

3. Why is it considered to be the most prestigious university in Russia?

4. How many undergraduates are there in MSU?

5. What do you know about the teaching staff of this university?

6. What are its main subdivisions?

7. What kind of premises and facilities does it acquire?

8. What is the main goal of the training programmes offered by Moscow University?

9. What are the reasons for stating that it is a major centre of the world science?

10. How is students’ research work organised at Moscow State University?

11. What kind of areas does the university give training in? How many qualifications are provided there?

12. Do you know any notable politicians and scientists from the list of alumni of the university?

II. Write a diagram of the Moscow University structure and explain it.

 

III. Find out additional information on interesting facts about Moscow State University and students’ life that is not mentioned in the text. Put your notes in a logical order to deliver them in class.

 

IV. Work in pairs. Translate into English the following citation and comment on it. Why do you think it became the motto of Moscow University? Who is the author?

 

Наука есть ясное познание истины, просвещение разума.

 

V. On January 25, 1755 Russian Empress Elizabeth issued a decree ordering the creation of Moscow University. January 25 is still celebrated as Students’ Day in Russia. Discuss in small groups the way it is arranged in your university.

 

VI. Make a short oral presentation of a large university of Russia you know well. You can follow the example of Moscow State University given in the text above.

 

VII. Write your predictions about the future of higher education and science in Russia. Exchange your ideas with your mates.