My Academy

Within the years of its existence the academy has turned out over 42 thousands of qualified specialists has trained hundreds of Candidates and Doctors of science, Readers and Professors. Our Higher Educational Institution is the biggest Agricultural Academy of the country at present.

In July, 1944, Soviet of People's Commissars took a decision to оpen the Stalingrad Agricultural Institute in the town of Urupinsk. The contingent of students admitted to the first course was 400 people. The opening of the Institute took place on October, 14^th, 1944.

In spring, 1948, the first graduates were turned out, 178 specialists were sent to the farms of the region and the country. The same year the Institute was transferred to Stalingrad. In spite of all the difficulties and economic dislocation, the Government managed to find necessary means for the construction of a new complex of buildings for the Institute in Stalingrad.

In April 1994 the Institute was reorganized into the Volgograd State Agricultural Academy according to the decision of the Committee on Higher Schools of Russia. By that time over 8 thousand students were studying at the 7 faculties and the turnout of specialists was over 33 thousand people.

The faculties in the Academy were:

· Agronomical faculty;

· Zoo – veterinary faculty;

· Faculty of Agricultural Mechanization;

· Ecological and Land-Improvement faculty;

· Faculty of Economics;

· Faculty of Agricultural electrification.

And in July, 2004 the 7^th faculty of Technology of Production and Processing of Agricultural Products was opened.

10 thousand students, both full-time and correspondence-course students are studying at 7 faculties on 18 specialities. Besides, an educational-methodological centre is functioning successfully where hundreds of graduates from specialized secondary educational institutions are trained according to the accelerated training program.

The educational process is carried out at 49 Departments by 560 teachers and scientists, including 3 Academicians of Russian Academy of Agricultural science, 6 deserved men of Science RF, 17 deserved workers in various branches of people’s economy, 65 Professors and over 250 Readers.

At present almost 200 post graduates and over 100 competitors are studying at the post graduate courses.

Nowadays the Volgograd State Agricultural Academy includes 6 educational buildings, 6 students’ hostels, 4 residential houses for Teachers, a canteen, a fleet of motor vehicles, “Gornaya Polyana” economic base. This is also a scientific research complex, post-graduate courses, information and analytical center, centers of amateur art activities, center of pedagogical skills improvement, lecture rooms, laboratories, museums, a library, printing-works, and other subdivisions.

The Academy is rich in good traditions but the most wonderful one is to create all the necessary conditions for students so that they could develop their capabilities, expand their mental outlooks, improve their cultural level, physical state and political education.

5. Answer the questions:

a. When and where was the opening of the VSAA?

b. When was the Institute reorganized?

c. How many faculties are there at the Academy?

d. When was the 7^th faculty opened?

e. How many divisions does the Academy have?

f. What do you know about the pedagogical staff?

g. What does the Academy include nowadays?

h. What do you know about the traditions in the VSAA?