Francisk Skorina Gomel State University

General Information

Francisk Skorina Gomel State University comprises 13 departments; the Institute for professional development and personnel retraining; 2 Research Institutes; 18 research laboratories; 42 student research units; 48 chairs; a University Museum-laboratory of Francysk Skoryna, 7 faculty museum displays, postgraduate courses and doctoral courses.

Francysk Skoryna Gomel State University offers 35 academic degree courses at the first stage of education and 22 degree courses at the second stage of education, and 69 specializations. Postgraduate courses are available in 51 academic degree courses and doctoral courses – in 5 academic degree courses. Students are admitted to Francysk Skoryna Gomel State University on the basis of their successful performance in centralized testing. At present there are 9949 students, including 5508 students attending day-time departments and 4441 – part-time departments, 90 post-graduate students, 1 doctoral student at the University (April 2016). The personnel comprises 1422 employees, including professorial-teaching staff (PTS) (excluding part-time employees) – 657. There are 4 Correspondent Members of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus, 39 Doctors of Sciences, 34 Professors, 248 Candidates of Sciences, 206 Associate Professors among the academic teaching staff and scientific employees.

The University is part of the Ministry of education of the Republic of Belarus.

The rating agency “Expert RA” conferred on Francysk Skoryna Gomel State University the rating level “D” which means an acceptable level of graduates’ knowledge.

According to the world university rating "Webometrics" Francysk Skoryna Gomel State University occupied 3563 place in January 2016.

The main training facilities are situated in five buildings, three of which are located in Sovetskaya street, one in Pesin street and one in Kirov street. The separate buildings are a sports complex and a student canteen.

History

Francysk Skoryna Gomel State University – building 2 (The Department of History, The Department of Law and the Department of Mathematics)

Francysk Skoryna Gomel State University was founded on the basis of Gomel Pedagogical Institute, first opened to the public on 8 November 1930. At first the course of training ran for two years. Later it was prolonged to four years. There were only three departments: the Department of Physics and Mathematics, Chemical-biological Department and Literature and Language Department which provided instruction to students. A Teachers’ Institute was functioning alongside. Throughout its short history from 1930 up to 1939 it was headed by directors: I. F. Ermakov; A. O. Stashevskiy; A. P. Elman; S. Y. Lebedev, M. F. Lozben; M. F. Alekseichik; S. F. Azshgirey and N. M. Ivashenko. In 1939 the name of the institution was changed to Gomel Pedagogical Institute the school named after Valery Chkalov.

During the Great Patriotic War many members of the teaching staff and students joined the Red Army and the Institute was evacuated to Kirov region (Russian Federation). On 26 November 1943 Gomel was liberated and Gomel Pedagogical Institute named after V. P. Chkalov recommenced its functioning. During this period the main directions of the departments’ scientific research were determined. The first issue of "Scientific notes" was published in 1954. In 1956 the course of study at the Institute was changed to five years.

In 1958 Primary School Department was launched at the Institute followed by Engineering-pedagogical Department (in 1959) which name has been changed three times (Industrial-pedagogical, General Technical Disciplines and Handicraft, General Technical Disciplines and Physics). During its last two years Gomel Pedagogical Institute named after V. P. Chkalov trained secondary school teachers at five departments (Physics and Mathematics, Philological, Chemical-biological, General Technical disciplines and Physics, Physical Education). In autumn 1961 postgraduate courses were added. In 1968 the Institute began its involvement in fulfilling state order research works (the first research work performed was "The Study of characteristics and properties of Polymeric Coatings by optical and spectral methods"). By 1968 Gomel Pedagogical Institute named after V. P. Chkalov had trained 12.5 thousand specialists.

In 1968 the decision was made to found Gomel State University on the basis of the Pedagogical Institute. Order № 130 issued by the Minister of higher and secondary special education on 31 March 1969 read: “Gomel State University is to be opened on the basis of Gomel Pedagogical Institute named after V. P. Chkalov on 1 May 1969. The University is to comprise History and Philology Department, Mechanics and Mathematics Department, Physics Department, Biology and Soil Department, Geological Department, the Department of Economy and the Department of Physical Education”. V. A. Beliy, the famous scientist, was appointed the first principal. In 1969/1970 academic year the University enrolled 4 429 students, including 2349 studying at the full-time department and 2 080 studying by correspondence. The number of the first University graduates constituted 913.

In 1973 the famous scientist, academician and participant of the Great Patriotic War, B. V. Bokyts was appointed the second principal. During the years of his administration the academician B.V. Bokyts created a scientific school of optics, known far beyond the borders of the Republic. High proficiency, experience of the professorial-teaching staff was successfully used in many countries such as Algeria, Vietnam, Cuba, Kenya, Mongolia, Sudan and others, which the Soviet Union assisted in training specialists in various branches of knowledge. In the 1980s the efforts to improve the teaching and educational process at the University were intensified. Close links with industrial enterprises and research institutes were established at that time. In the late 1970s and in the first half of 1980s for the first time in the Republic Gomel State University began to create branches of its chairs. Research institute scientists held classes in specializations, supervised work practices, course projects, diploma theses and organized counseling for post-graduate students.

In 1988 the Council of Ministers of the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (the decree issued on 29 November 1988) made a decision to name Gomel State University after Francisk Skorina. L. A. Shemetkov, the famous mathematician, the creator and leader of a new and promising scientific school of algebraic system formation theory was appointed to the post of the principal by the University Council on 19 September 1989.

10 new degree courses were added at the University in the 1990s. By principal L. A. Shemetkov’s initiative the Dissertation Council and Doctoral courses were introduced. The scientific journal “Proceedings of Francysk Skoryna Gomel State University” has been issued since October, 1999. International cooperation has greatly increased since 1994 when the University became the winner of 1 million dollar grant of the program TEMPUS. In 1994-1998 Francysk Skoryna Gomel State University jointly with the University of Clermont-Ferrand (France), the University of Birmingham (Britain) and the University of Kiel (Germany) was working on the project “The improvement of University Management”.

In 1995 on the basis of agreement between Francysk Skoryna Gomel State University and the University of Auvergne Clermont-Ferrand I (France) Franco-Belarusian Institute of Management was founded. It was successfully functioning up to 2013.

Faculties