15.2. What are the most significant events in the history of Harvard?
15.3. What makes Harvard a very special among American universities?
16. Read the text and retell it in detail.
Festu: Past, Present & Future
The history of the Far East State Transport University can be traced back to September 8, 1937 when the Soviet government adopted a decision of establishment of the first technical educational institution in the Khabarovsk Krai. And this date is considered the day of foundation of the Khabarovsk Institute of Engineers of Railway Transport (Russian: KhabIIZhT) as the university was initially called. The institution was aimed at training specialists for railways in the East-Siberian and Far Eastern regions of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics.
September 1, 1939. First school year in KhabIIZhT began.
July 29, 1944. First 84 graduates with diplomas of engineers in the chief spheres – railway construction, steam locomotives, steam locomotive depot, railway traffic and cargo operations – graduated from KhabIIZhT. By that time the number of students exceeded 1000 and the teaching staff was about 75 people.
September 1967. The University established the Refreshment Training Department for refreshment training of the management personnel for the Far Eastern Railways.
1993 – KhabIIZhT became the Far East State Railway Academy.
1997 – Far East State Railway Academy was promoted to the rank of University and reorganized into the Far East State Transport University (FESTU).
At present FESTU is the one of the major institutions for higher education in the sphere of technology in the Far East Federal District. FESTU consists of 9 Institutes and 5 Faculties in Khabarovsk and has affiliates in some Far Eastern cities: Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Tynda, Svobodny, Ussuriisk, and Nerungry.
Institute of Traction and Rolling Stock
Institute of Control, Automation and Telecommunications
Institute of Electric Power Engineering
Institute of Transport Construction
Institute of Economics
Institute of Natural Sciences
Institute of Humanities and Social Studies
Institute of International Cooperation
Faculty of Air Transport
Military Institute
Khabarovsk Railway Technical College
Today, approximately 23,000 students study at FESTU (both full-time and correspondence). The university provides proper conditions for research and studies. Library holding of the university library is regularly replenished and comprises now more than 1.2 million books. The university has excellent sports facilities (7 gyms, track and field complex, swimming pool, rock-climbing wall, stadium and open-air sports grounds). The university also provides accommodation for its full-time and post-graduate students in 5 well-appointed dormitories (hostels).
Teaching staff of FESTU consists of more than 700 faculty-members, and the majority of them have scientific degrees and titles, including more than 100 Doctors of Science and Professors. Leading scientists of the university have established their own research schools.
Far East State Transport University trains highly qualified specialists on the priority trends of higher education in the sphere of transport industry, power industry, construction, management and economics. Graduates of the university design and develop up-to-date machinery and equipment, operate traffic, are involved in commercial activities in transport industry and deal with international transportation, develop automated operation and design systems, construct railways, engineering structures and power supply systems.
FESTU trains specialists in the following levels of higher education: Bachelors, Masters and Specialists.
FESTU has post-graduate courses in 45 scientific specialities and 12 branches of science. Doctoral candidacy comprises 4 scientific specialities and 3 branches of science. Lately, the university has established 6 Doctorate Dissertation Councils in the following fields: Physics, Philosophy, Economics, Psychology, Pedagogy and Technical Sciences.
FESTU has developed a well-planned system of training research personnel. This system can reasonably be considered the best in the Far East. Each student has all opportunities to conduct research and the university provides all the facilities for that.
FESTU is proud of its laboratories for diagnostics and nondestructive methods of control, scientific-research laboratory “Foundations and Bases”, research center “Energoaudit”, fiber-optic communication lines, micro-processor operational systems, scientific-innovation center “Resource”, center “Technolog”, psychological diagnosis center, and the laboratory for information security with the equipment which is the best in the Far East. A new center “Vostoktranssertifikatsiya” has been established recently and is aimed at consulting services, training and certification of works and services in production and use of materials.
From 2004, FESTU has been publishing a research-theoretical journal “The Humanities and Social Studies in the Far East” with the editorial board including researchers from the USA, Japan, and China.
FESTU regularly hosts scientific symposia, conferences and seminars, the majority of which are international. In October 2009, FESTU hosted the Third International Symposium of Railway Universities in Europe and Asia which gathered participants from 12 countries and marked new levels for cooperation.
In 2007 FESTU was awarded a National Public Prize in the transport industry “Golden Chariot” in a prestigious nomination “Leader of the Russian Transport Science and Education”.
Among the prominent alumni who graduated from FESTU are top managers of OJSC RZhD (Russian Railways), Minister of Transport, Chief Executives of the railways in the vast territory of the Russian Federation, Rector of Polytechnic Institute, Mayor of Khabarovsk and a great number of specialists who every day contribute to the development of Russian Railways and Russian economy.
Source : http://www.dvgups.ru/history-main ,
http://kiss.dvgups.ru/ru/o-dvgups
technical educational institution to train specialists for railways research personnel affiliates to be promoted to the rank of University research and studies sports facilities to provide accommodation for students post-graduate students dormitories (AmE)/hostels (BrE) |
transport industry power industry construction management economics levels of higher education Bachelors, Masters, Specialists post-graduate courses doctoral candidacy to conduct research to host scientific symposia, conferences and seminars |
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS:
When was the university founded?
When did the first school year at the KhabIIZhT begin?
When did the first railway specialists graduate from the institute?
What were the first major fields of training at the KhabIIZhT?
When did the Institute become the Far East Railway academy?
When was the Academy promoted to the rank of the university?
How large is the teaching staff of FESTU?
How many students study at FESTU annually?
Where are the affiliates of FESTU located?
What facilities does FESTU provide for studies and research?
What can FESTU be proud of?