Voronezh State University (VSU) is one of the largest and oldest scientific and educational centres of Russia. It was founded in 1918 (http://www.vsu.ru/english/about/index.html/). VSU offers academic programmes at all levels including Bachelor, Master, Graduate and Post-graduate courses, Post-doctoral studies, as well as continued learning.

More than 20,000 students including 1,000 foreign students are taught by over 1,500 academic staff.

VSU is the 4th largest university in Russia by the number of foreign students enrolled and the number of international contacts with leading university centres abroad. In 1961 VSU was one of the first USSR universities to start training students from overseas. During that period about 15,000 foreign students, researchers and trainees from 141 countries had taken various study courses at VSU. International students are taught and guided by the Institute of International Education. Currently, more than 1,000 foreign students study in VSU (http://www.vsu.ru/english/study/index.html). About 176 courses can be taught in English.

The university’s infrastructure comprises 10 buildings and 9 residence halls located primarily in the city centre, a unique Nature Reserve Galichya Gora open to staff and students’ research and study: it is the only university-affiliated nature reserve in Europe, excellent library facilities providing access to numerous learning resources as well as a collection of old and rare books, some of which date back to the 16th century, Folk Culture and Ethnography Museum, Book Museum, University’s History Museum, Geological Museum, Soil Museum named after prof. P.G. Aderikhin, Museum of the Central Black Earth Region Flora named after prof. I.I. Barabash-Nikiforov, Usmanskyi Bor Natural Museum, Virtual VSU Computer Centre Museum.

Long-term international scientific and educational cooperation is based upon 206 direct agreements with universities and research institutes in 36 countries.

Currently, the university is running 5 joint degree programmes in cooperation with universities in Germany, France, Spain and Austria in the fields of tourism, economics, international political studies and literature.

VSU has participated in the EU international educational and scientific projects since 1994.

VSU participates in the European Erasmus scheme and takes an active part in TEMPUS Programmes to promote mobility and cooperation between students and staff of different countries.