Part II. Texts Tomsk State University

In a beautiful old park in the centre of Tomsk one can see a three-storey impressive building. It is the main building of Tomsk University. It was founded under the pressure of progressive public opinion in 1878 and opened in 1888. That is why you can see the two dates on the facade of the building. The newly-born University was the ninth in Russia and the first in Siberia.

Originally, it had only one faculty – that of medicine. The second faculty – law – was opened ten years later and two more: the faculty of physics and mathematics and the faculty of history, philology and philosophy were opened only in 1917, the year of October Revolution.

In 1934 the University was named after V.V. Kuybishev, an outstanding revolutionary who became a law student of this University in 1909, and was one of the most active leaders of the students’ revolutionary life in Tomsk in 1909 – 1910.

At present TSU is the largest classic university in the East of Russia. There are 23 departments, 5 branches, educating more than 23,000 students in 85 specializations and programs. The University’s faculties are physics, chemistry, mathematics and mechanics, applied mathematics and cybernetics, radio physics, technical physics, geology and geography, biology and soil, computer science, history and international relations, psychology, foreign languages, philosophy, culture studies, military training, international department of agriculture and ecology, international management department, High school of business, law, economics, philology and journalism. TSU was the first to carry out multilevel and continuing education. This includes pre-admission (pre-college) education, preparing specialists, bachelors and masters, (graduate programs), post-graduate education, retraining and refresher courses. The university has established 45 centers of pre-admission training on campuses of secondary schools in different regions of Siberia and Kazakhstan which annually enable 2,000 people to study there.

TSU offers a program ‘Training Managers and Executives for the Enterprises of the National Economy’ (Presidential Management Training Initiative). Its alumni are in great demand as top and senior managers at numerous enterprises.

The University has been very active in developing distance-learning programs, multi-media courses, electronic textbooks, etc. Many of them have been highly graded at international exhibitions.

Tomsk University is both the academic and research centre of Siberia. It comprises three research institutes, a lot of research laboratories, the Botanical garden founded by professor P.M. Krylov, the Herbarium and museums of paleontology, mineralogy, zoology, archeology and ethnography which are rich in various exhibits.

The University library deserves special attention because it is well known not only in Siberia but in other parts of the country as well. Its book depository numbers over 4 million volumes and the new building of the library offers fine reading-halls to the students, teachers and researchers of the University.

The University is actively involved in international programs, has signed agreements of cooperation with a number of foreign universities, conducts student and scholar exchange, and collaborates in joint educational programs.

In 2008 the University will celebrate its 130th anniversary, which will be the great date both for the teaching staff and the students.

1. Answer the questions:

1. When was TSU founded and opened?

2. What were the first faculties of TSU?

3. What role does TSU play in academic and research spheres?

4. Why does the University library deserve special attention?

5. How does TSU establish relations with other countries?

6. What programs and courses is TSU actively involved?

2. Find words in the text according to the following definitions.

• Available for use;

• A person with a first degree and who is doing advanced study;

• Study of a subject in order to discover new facts;

• Giving smth to smb and receiving smth in return;

• To work together in order to achieve smth;

• The scientific description of different races and cultures;

3. Say if the statements are true or false.

1. The foundation of the University was initiated by prominent and progressive people.

2. The University was opened with the law faculty.

3. Today TSU hosts more than 15500 students.

4. TSU is considered to be the first in Siberia and the ninth in Russia.

5. Teaching staff and students can work in 30 reading-halls of the library.

4. Give a summary of the text.