The Far Eastern Federal University is among the nine federal universities which will form the elite of Russia's higher education system together with Moscow State and St Petersburg State Universities.
The University was established in October 2009 by Presidential Decree No. 1172 "On Establishing Federal Universities in the Northwest, Volga, Urals and Far Eastern Federal Districts." In December 2010, the Government approved a programme for developing the Far Eastern Federal University in 2010-2019. On June 1, 2011, the University merged with the three leading regional universities, namely, the Far Eastern State Technology University, the Pacific State Economic University, and the Ussuri State Teacher Training University.
The University's ten-year development programme is implemented in close conjunction with the regional administration, the business community, and the Russian Academy of Sciences' Far Eastern Department. The project is called on to form clusters involving enterprises in order to expand the regional innovation-driven economy, rather than merely expand specific scientific schools. The University's development programme stipulates priority aspects, which focus on basic managerial efforts and the following human and financial resources:
* resources of the world's oceans;
* energy resources and energy-efficient technologies;
* the industry of nano-systems and nano-materials;
* the transport-logistics sector;
* Russia's economic, technological and cultural interaction with Asia-Pacific states;
* bio-medicine.
Unique clusters are already being established in these spheres. They combine three aspects, namely, education programmes, world-class research centres inside each cluster, and agencies for commercialising the results of specific R&D projects.
The Far Eastern Federal University is Russia's strategic project in the Far East. It is directly linked with the September 2012 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
By 2019, the University will have 25,000 full-time students. Foreign students from neighbouring countries, primarily those from China, Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, etc., will account for 25% of the grand total. The University's development programme stipulates an ambitious task – to join the world's 300 top universities in line with the QS version by 2019.
The University has established the two-level school – department system in place of the three-level institute – faculty – department system.
In all, nine schools have been established, specialising in various sectors. They are the Engineering School, the Natural Sciences School, the Humanities School, the Economic and Management School, the Pedagogics School, the Bio-Medicine School, the Law School, the School of Regional and International Studies, and the Art, Culture and Sport School. The schools are headed by prominent scientists who are recognised in Russia and abroad.
The second important innovation deals with the organisation of the academic process and stipulates the principle of managing education programmes, each of which is headed by a professor and a well-known scientist.
Under the University's development programme, 60% of its professors and lecturers should become fluent in English and start conducting English-language studies and seminars in the next three years. Moreover, they are scheduled to complete long-term advanced-training courses at the world's best universities.
All these measures are expected to accomplish an important objective of internationalising the University's academic and research processes. The number of English-language education programmes involving University lecturers is expected to increase each year. What's also important is that the new campus will enable each professor and lecturer to equip a top-quality and modern workstation and to introduce the Full-Time Professor model.
The University has attracted many applicants during the first year of its work. Its authorities are creating a special system of incentives to attract talented young people, including those from other Russian regions and Asia-Pacific states. For instance, applicants from other Russian regions who have scored 200 and more points during the Unified State Exam will get free tickets to Vladivostok. Over 350 students from 33 Russian regions will study at the University. From this number, more than 100 students will be reimbursed for their travel expenses.
Moreover, an entirely new and effective system for motivating undergraduate and post-graduate students is being established at the University. The system stipulates higher stipends, special programmes for supporting students' research projects, and business initiatives. Starting with the new academic year, students who receive the highest marks at high-priority faculties will be eligible for higher stipends totaling 7,500 roubles.
Foreign students are to account for 25% of the University's students by 2019. This year, the University will train about one thousand foreign students.
The Far Eastern Federal University will handle most of the work to create and expand the regional innovation-driven economy. It will comprise the Technologies Transfer Centre, the Nanotechnology Centre, the Technology Park, etc. Major Russian and foreign companies plan to facilitate such activity. The University has already reached agreements with Rusnano, the United Ship-Building Company, and others. Agreements have also been reached with over 20 state-owned companies which will actively implement R&D projects in collaboration with the University.
Close cooperation with the Russian Academy of Sciences is the University's competitive advantage. Such cooperation will expand at joint laboratories and the main departments.
The Far Eastern Federal University will become the first Russian university to feature a unique infrastructure in a new integrated ultra-modern campus, scheduled to be opened during the September 2012 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
An integrated database comprising a universal electronic card, electronic-university servers, and corporate and educational portals will be established at the University. All lecture rooms will feature modern equipment and up-to-date communications networks. Local laboratories will receive high-end equipment. Professors and lecturers will have modern and comfortable personal workstations, and students will get everything they need for their daily lives, studies, and creative development.
The campus will also comprise a convention centre, a stadium, swimming pools, comfortable residences, as well as a state-of-the-art medical centre.
There are plans to build joint laboratories of the Far Eastern Federal University and the Russian Academy of Sciences' Far Eastern Department, additional residences, an aquatic sports facility, and some other facilities in the second stage of the campus's construction.