Higher Education in Belarus
In Belarus, education has the goal of preparing free, creative, intellectually and physically mature individuals. There is a strong recognition within the Belarusian society of the importance of education and the role of educated people. The main strategic objective for education development is to improve quality and to contribute to creating a competitive economy based on high and advanced technologies.
Education policy is guided by a number of principles:
Continuity and equal access;
Compulsory ten-year basic education
Importance of scientific knowledge and the national and cultural tradition;
Integrating education with moral upbringing and physical development;
Partnership of the state and society in the management of education.
Belarusian education is ranked among the best ones, and the Belarusian specialists are much in demand in the world. Therefore both our citizens and foreign students wish to study in the higher educational establishments (Universities) of the Republic. Belarus has been involved in training foreign students since 1961. More than 20 thousand foreigners have got their education in Belarus since then. There are 340 students per 10,000 residents of Belarus. This ratio is among the highest in Europe. In the system of higher education of Belarus a broad network of educational establishments was shaped.
Four major types can be distinguished:
Classical university;
Profile university or academy;
Institute;
Higher college.
Altogether there are 57 higher educational establishments, of which 43 are state owned (28 universities, 8 academies, 1 institute, 5 higher colleges, 1 higher school), 13 are private and 2 are run by religious organizations. Every establishment occupies its particular niche in training of highly qualified staff for various branches of national economy.
Classical and profile universities as well as institutes are classified as higher educational establishments of university type and provide a two level system of higher education with academic degrees of Bachelor and Master. Graduates both from state and private universities are granted state diplomas of higher education. But it is not that easy to become a student. High demand on higher education led to high entrance competition regardless of form of study or specialty. Therefore only the very best can study at budget cost. The entrants who passed the entrance exams successfully but did not win the competition (did not get the necessary entrance score) have the opportunity to study for their own account.
3 forms of learning are available at Belarusian higher educational establishments: full-time, evening and by correspondence. Full-time learning is the most widespread and in the greatest demand with 2/3 of the students. Less than 1% of students use evening form of learning and over 35% of students learn by correspondence. Full-time students with positive grades receive a monthly allowance. Its size depends on a student’s academic success. Some groups of students are granted social allowances; the gifted students are awarded with nominal scholarships. Correspondence and evening forms of learning are a good opportunity for persons with financial, age, physical and other limitations.
External studies represent another form of receiving higher education. It is based on the independent study of subjects from the regular curriculum. Credits and examinations are taken without obligatory attendance of classes. This form of learning is available to persons with secondary education, who cannot study full-time or leave their workplace. Diplomas are granted to external students on a regular basis.
The efficiency of any form of learning is ensured by eminently qualified teaching staff including a large number of candidates and doctors of science, associate professors and professors. But higher education in Belarus does not only mean lectures, seminars and exams. In addition Belarusian students participate in international scientific conferences and competitions, student exchange programs. Belarusian teams take first places at competitions in mathematics, economy and programming. However organization of the educational process is not the only concern of the Higher School. Much attention is paid to students’ living conditions, providing non-residents with a hostel accommodation. University administration renders assistance in conducting leisure activities of students. Let’s take for example Belarusian State University (BSU), the largest higher educational establishment in the Republic. The BSU Students’ Tutorial Board is the initiator of students’ festivals, sports and athletics meetings, tourist programs and the Bard’s club sessions, which became regular events in the life of the BSU students. Such bodies function at many educational establishments.
This is how the student years at Belarusian higher educational establishments are spent. After graduation the budget students are provided with the first workplaces. Finding a good job on specialty both in the republic and abroad is not a problem for paying students either. Belarus has bilateral agreements on mutual recognition of education certificates with dozens of the world countries.
Low cost of learning and scientific literature, accommodation, transport, high quality of academic education, good conditions of Belarusian diploma recognition abroad, stable political situation and low crime rate are just some of the reasons that attract foreign students. Annually about 3,000 students from over 70 world countries (China, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Poland, Jordan, India) study in the republic. Foreign students are offered a year’s preparatory Russian language course. There is a possibility of getting an inexpensive hostel accommodation. Universities place at students’ free disposal sports facilities and library funds, encourage their creative activities.
After university graduation young specialists have the possibility to get a postgraduate education. Here training of the scientific personnel with highest qualifications is conducted with granting scientific degrees of Candidate of Science (equivalent of PhD; postgraduate courses-aspirantura, adjunktura (military), assistentura (probation period)) and Doctor of Science (doktorantura). Establishments providing postgraduate education include higher educational establishments (regardless of pattern of ownership), scientific and other organizations entitled to engage in postgraduate education in accordance with established procedure.
Regardless of pattern of ownership and departmental affiliation all higher educational establishments are subordinate to the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus.
BSEU
The Belarus State Economic University (BSEU) was founded in 1933. 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 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 called aspirantura (full-time or part-time), where they pursue a Ph.D. degree, and in a post-doctorate school called doctorantura 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, of whom 47 percent 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 of 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 centers, as well as automated PC-based training offices for specialists in management, finance, banking, and commerce. Lecture halls have slide projectors 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 20th,1933. Located in Minsk, this university was originally called the Belarusian State National Economy Institution. At the request of the University's faculty members, the government issued a decree to name the University after the distinguished economist V.V. Kujbyshev. The University carried this name from 1935 till 1992.
During the Great Patriotic War the invading Fascist Army caused severe damage to the University. Many pre-war graduates did not survive the war.
After World War II the University was restored. The SNK BSSR passed a resolution on the University reopening on October 28, 1944. 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 (7 Sverdlova St.), started functioning on January 3, 1950. Those days one section of this building served as a dormitory for girl- students.
On the 20th of January, 1992, the Belarusian State National Economic Institute was renamed Belarus State Economic University (BSEU) by decree # 21 of the Soviet of Ministers of Belarus. 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 specialiation 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.