V. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the significance of higher education in Belarus?

2. Can education act as one of the conditions of bringing the country out of the economic crisis?

3. What opportunities for further education do the school-leavers have in Belarus?

4. Is higher education still free of charge in Belarus?

5. What higher educational establishments in Belarus can you name?

6. Which of higher educational establishments are the most popular with the school-leavers?

Supplementary reading

I. Read and understand the text. Consult the dictionary where necessary. Write out the new words and learn them. Prepare to answer the questions after the text. Belarus State Economic University

The Belarus State Economic University (BSEU) was founded in 1933. This is one of the largest Universities in the country. It trains specialists in the field of economics, management and law. The graduates of the University work in all the sectors of the national economy both in the country and abroad. The University has a developed infrastructure, which provides training and research within eight schools: School of Management; School of Accounting and Economics; School of Finance and Banking; School of International Economic Relations; School of Commerce Economics and Management; School of Marketing; School of Law; School of Language Studies. In addition, BSEU incorporates Higher School of Tourism, Higher School of Business and Management, Consulting Center for Commerce, a specialized school of pre-university training, and a specialized school of psychological and teaching updating. The University has a Research Center, an International Relations Division, and a Publishing Center.

There are two branches of the University beyond Minsk - in Bobruisk and Pinsk. The University has 57 departments (including 13 that are found in its branches), research laboratories, a student campus, and a retail trade center.)

The training of students is done on a multi-level basis. The degrees pursued are those of bachelors, specialists and masters. The graduates can also continue their education in a post-graduate school (full-time or part-time), where they pursue a Ph.D. degree, and in a post-doctorate school to pursue a post-doctorate degree (doctor habile).

The Belarus State Economic University's student body accounts for 25,000 students, with 1,200 faculty members teaching them, 47 percent of whom have advanced degrees and titles.

The priorities in the organization of teaching are thorough training, a creative approach to mastering knowledge, as well as making conditions for the realization of individual abilities. The focus is made on providing for systemic level of studies, making connections among the subjects taught, establishing interdisciplinary courses, developing independent work skills, implementing active forms of the teaching process, and effective methods of testing.

The university is proud of its technical equipment. It has about 40 computer classrooms, training bookkeeping centres, as well as automated PC-based training offices for specialists in management, finance, banking, and commerce. Lecture halls have slide projectors, “Power points”, and other required technical equipment. Classes are fully equipped for language study. Satellite TV, Internet and local computing network are widely used in the teaching process.

The Belarus State Economic University deserves the name – "grandfather of the country's economists". It was formed on May the 20^th, 1933. Located in Minsk, this University was originally called the Belarusian State National Economy Institution. The government issued a decree to name the University after the distinguished economist V.V. Kuybyshev. The University carried this name from 1935 till 1992.

During the Great Patriotic War the University was practically destroyed. Many pre-war graduates did not survive the war.

After World War II the University was restored. Regular classes started in the premises of Secondary School №12 in March, 1945.

When the University restarted its activity, only 12 faculty members gave classes for 54 students. The following year, however, there were already 38 staff members and 252 students. First post-war graduates received their diplomas on March 2, 1946. From 1946 till 1950, 455 students graduated from the University. The main University's building (Sverdlova St.,7), started functioning on January 3, 1950. Those days one section of this building served as a dormitory for girl-students.

On the 20^th of January, 1992, the Belarusian State National Economic Institute was renamed Belarus State Economic University (BSEU). In 1997 it was officially awarded the status of Leading Higher Educational Establishment in economists' training.

Annually about 3000 students graduate from the University with specialization in Economics, every third student graduates with distinction. The University continues to upgrade the quality of education and aims at high standards of contemporary university, able to meet the challenges of domestic and global economic development. New faculties and departments are created as the need arises.

BSEU is a full member of the Universities Association and takes part in many international and European programs.

It is interesting to know that:

■ The library of the University has functioned since 1993. It contains more than 1,000,000 volumes of

books, text-books, monographs, and fiction literature.

■ The University campus includes six hostels, providing residence for 3500 students.

■ Near Vilya water reserve there is a resort base for the faculty and the students of BSEU.

■ Our University has several branches in Bobruisk and Pinsk.

Discussion:

1. Explain the reasons of your choice of the educational establishment and the faculty?

2. What information did you possess while entering the University?

3. Who encouraged you in your desire to enter our University?

3. Speak about the perspective of your future job.