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A University in Far East Building the Region’s Dreams

Peculiarly located at the head of the Golden Horn Bay, not far from Russia’s borders with China and North Korea, Vladivostok is one of the most unique and attractive cities in Russia. From its founding in 1860 to today, the image of the city as a deserted, covered with military outpost at the end of the world has turned into an international center that draws attention from all over the world by its breathtaking nature, and modern infrastructure.  

Vladivostok has always been very special and strikingly different from most Russian cities thanks to its geographical location and specific history. That is the reason why the city is named Vladivostok, meaning the ruler of East. Having such an assertive name, the city unsurprisingly has an unusual urban landscape despite the predominantly Soviet influence. After its opening to foreigners in 1992, the Primorye capital has gone through a dramatic change becoming even more beautiful. 

The most significant symbolic monuments of this transformation in the city are two giant cable-stayed bridges, namely the Zolotoy Rog Bridge over the Golden Horn Bay in the center of the city, and the Russky Bridge from the mainland to Russky Island. They were built along with other infrastructure facilities for the APEC Ministerial Meeting – Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, which was hosted by Vladivostok in autumn 2012. This important event confirms once again the international identity of the city. Even though Primorye has had challenges with outgoing immigration flow to Moscow, both the authorities in the city and its friendly and open people at every turn assert their increasing optimism in future and international ambition.  

In building of the whole city’s ambition,  Far Easter Federal University (FEFU) carries out an important mission. With its new campus on the picturesque Ajax Bay of Russky Island, FEFU is the largest, and one of the most internationally recognized higher education institution in the Russian Far East. Talking to The Nordic Page, FEFU rector Sergey V. Ivanets states that they are striving to foster integration of the Russian Far East into international education, research, and high-tech development. 

– Our main goal is to make our university and the city a center of educational innovation not only in Far East Russia but also in Asia pacific region, says he. 

  • Far Easter Federal University (FEFU) rector Sergey V. Ivanets (on right) tells their plans in his office viewing the newly built university campus on beautiful Russky Island./ Photo: Maxim Mukhamodeev

The federal status and increasing support, earned by the University in 2010, are the perfect start for the university management’s aim to create a world class university by 2019. 

Much has been done for this purpose. Modern classes and conference venues at the newly designed university campus become house to a number of important organizations every year. Even during our short stay in the city, there were three international conferences at the university. 

Mr. Ivanets explains their eagerness to arrange these activities as an inevitable part of their internationalization perspective. He says they have a very good infrastructure for hosting simultaneous events including both scientific and cultural ones. 

Reminding that they have recently hosted Asia Pacific Parliamentarian Forum, Mr. Ivanets suggests the city’s proximity to the surrounding countries and new transportation facilities provide great advantages for the future events.

FEFU rector also invites international students to his university.   The university has 84 undergraduate programs and 54 graduate programs and tens of them are in English.  He notes that they have adopted a comprehensive system making more attractive for international academic community. 

– We have one thousand students from 22 countries, almost 90 of our teaching staff are international and we have dual degree programs with the universities of the USA, China, Republic of Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Spain. In our three year plan, we would like to see more international students and professors on our campus, says Mr. Ivanets. 

As a call to prospective students and professionals, FEFU rector points out that studying or working at FEFU is a good change to be part of the formation of this new international academic attraction center. 

President of Far Eastern Federal University, Sergey Ivanets holds a PhD having graduated from Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (now National Research Nuclear University), majoring in Applied Mathematics. From 1989 to 1995, he worked as intern researcher and pursued postgraduate studies at MEPI.
From 1996 to 1999, he worked as the Second Secretary at the Russian Federation Embassy in the U.S., where he coordinated issues of scientific and technological cooperation.
From 1999 to 2001, he was the Chief Specialist of the Russian Aviation and Space Agency, from 2007 to 2008 – the First Secretary at the Russian Federation Embassy in Argentina.
Dr. Sergey Ivanets began working at the Ministry of Education and Science in 2007. In September 2008, he was appointed Director of the Strategy and Prospective Projects in Education and Science Department. In June 2010, he became the Head of the International Integration Department in the Ministry of Education and Science, and in December of the same year, he was appointed a Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. In this position, he supervised the Far East of Russia. 
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