Belarusian State University

The Belarusian State University is a center of education, culture and science, the major higher educational establishment in Belarus. It is quite young but at the game time the oldest University in our republic. It was founded in 1921, 1010 workers and peasants were admitted to its two faculties that year. The first President of the BSU was Professor V. I. Picheta.

The republic's first University rapidly grew and developed and in the pre-war period a number of independent higher schools for medicine, pedagogics, national economy appeared on its basis.

During the Great Patriotic War the University was razed to the ground by the nazi invaders. In the post-war years the University was quickly restored and in a short period of time it turned into one of the largest institutions of higher education of the country.

Nowadays, the University has about 1^,000 students, 125 Departments more than 144 F teaching staff, including 211 full Professors, 935 Associate Professors and doctors.

At present there are … departments at the University: Mathematics, Applied Mathematics, Chemistry, Geography, Biology, Philology, Journalism, History, Economy, Law, International Relations'which limn specialists in 17 professions and 50 specializations. It has day and correspondence departments where thousands of students study. They attend lectures and seminars. All the students study foreign languages. Students' practical work is given much attention to.

The Fundamental Library in the BSU is one of the biggest libraries it) Belarus. At present it possesses over 2 million volumes in Belarusian, Russian and other languages. It has 15 departments and 12 reading halls, a computer catalogue and central archives.

A lot of students carry out research work in various laboratories which are equipped with up-to-date devices.

Every year hundreds of young specialists begin working in different branches of national economy, science, education, in mass media, prosecutor's offices and courts.

In 1967 the Belarusian State University was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour for its contribution to the development of science and academic training.

The Belarusian State University is a major world University center, a member of the International Universities' Association. At present the BSU I has links with over 100 higher educational establishments and research centers of the world. The University participates in a number of international projects like TEMPUS, INTAS, COPERNICUS, etc. It organizes international conferences, seminars and exhibitions

Here is some information about the University system in Great Britain. It is intended to increase your general knowledge on the problem discussed. Read the text and define the basic features of each university type.

Modern University System in Great Britain

There are 90 universities in Great Britain today, compared with 47 in 1990, and only 17 in 1945. They fall into five broad categories: the medieval English universities, the medieval Scottish ones, the nineteenth century “redbrick” ones, the previous polytechnics, and finally the twentieth-century “plate-glass” universities. They are all private institutions, receiving direct grants for central government

There are not very important legal distinctions between the various types of universities in the country. But it is possible to discern a few broad categories.