and beautiful campus. More than 22000 of students study now in Rostov Main Building, four branches and many transport colleges. In 2009 the RSTU was included into the list of 500 best universities of the world by the independed agency «Reuter».

Vladimir I. Kolesnikov is an Honoured Man of Science of the Russian Federation, the Chairman of a number of Dissertation Boards. He consulted more than a dozen of doctors of sciences and 30 candidates of sciences. He is the author of 510 scientific works, including 10 monographs, 30 inventor’s certificates and 13 patents.

Along with profound scientific activity V.I. Kolesnikov is engaged with active social work. During several years he was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet, a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Rostov Region, the Member of the Commission of Experts in Transport at the Highest Certifying Commission of the Russian Federation, the Chairman of the Russian National Tribology Committee, the Editor or a member of the editorial boards of a number of scientific journals.

For his great services and contribution into transport education V.I. Kolesnikov was awarded the Presidential Prize in Education (2003), the Order of Honour (2006), a number of medals and the honorary titles «The Honoured Railwayman» (1989), the «The Honoured Machine Builder» and many other.

Being such a busy person, Vladimir Ivanovich pays much attention to all the aspects of students’ life. He regularly visits students hostels, attends the concerts and sport competitions. More than once he was an initiator of the charity actions in the orphanages, military hospitals or, for example, when Stavropol Region teachers and children suffered from natural calamity. Vladimir I. Kolesnikov does his best to make our University one of the most prestigious and famous educational establishments of the world. He considers that every modern specialist must possess not only his professional knowledge and competencies but know one or two foreign languages, to be computer literate and have a wide cultural outlook. Only in this case the specialists could compete in the world economic market.

Vocabulary:

an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences – академик Российской Академии Наук (РАН);

tribology – трибология, трение и износ;

the Academy of National Economy at the Government of the Russian Federation – Академия народного хозяйства при Правительству РФ;

to defend a candidate thesis – защитить кандидатскую диссертацию; a thesis for a Doctor's degree – докторская диссертация;

an Assistant Professor – доцент;

the head of the Chair – заведующий кафедрой;

an Honoured Man of Science – заслуженный деятель науки; Dissertation Board – диссертационный совет;

inventor’s certificate – авторское свидетельство на изобретение; the Legislative Assembly – Законодательное собрание;

the Member of the Commission of Experts in Transport at the Highest Certifying Commission of the Russian Federation – член Экспертного Совета по транспорту Высшей аттестационной комиссии РФ;

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the Presidential Prize – премия Президента Российской Федерации; the Order of Honour – Орден Почета.

Questions to the text:

1 What are the scientific interests of V.I. Kolesnikov?

2 What are his scientific titles and awards?

3By what facts can you prove that the Rector of the RSTU takes an active part in the social life of the country?

4 How can you interpret the words of the Rector: «The most important person in our University is a student»?

5 What is done for the students in the Rostov State Transport University to make their life more comfortable and interesting?

6 Do you think that it is necessary to participate in the charity actions?

7 Why must every modern specialist possess not only his professional knowledge and competencies but know one or two foreign languages, to be computer literate and have a wide cultural outlook?

8 What question would you like to ask the Rector?

IGOR YEVGENIEVICH LEVITIN – TRANSPORT MINISTER

OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Igor Yevgenievich Levitin is the current Russian Transport Minister. He was appointed to the position on March 9, 2004.

Igor Y. Levitin was born on February 21, 1952 in Odessa region. In 1959 he graduated from school. From 1970 until 1973 he served in the Soviet armed forces in the Odessa military district and in the southern group of the armed forces in Budapest (Hungary). In 1973 Levitin graduated from the Leningrad military school of the railroad forces and communications, in 1983 – from the Military academy of rear services (logistics) and transport, gaining the specialty of «railroad engineer». In 1983 he became Military Commandant of the railroad section of the BaykalAmur railway, in 1985 – Military Commandant and Deputy Head of Moscow Military Railway Communications Service.

From 1994–1996, he was a member of the Railways Reform commission which created the Russian Railways Company as part of its reform program.

In April 1994 Levitin started to work in the Financial and industrial company of the rail transport, in 1995 he became its Vice President. In 1995–1996 Levitin was the chief of the transport department of the privately-owned company «Phoenix-trans». In 1996 he began to work in the privately-held company «Severstaltrans» (he was in charge of the rail transportation and transport machine building).

In 1998 he was appointed the deputy director of company. As the representative of the privately-owned company «Severstaltrans» Levitin was selected into the

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Board of directors of the joint stock company «Tuapsinskiy sea commercial port». In May 2004 Igor Y. Levitin became the Minister of transport and communications of the Russian Federation in Mikhail Fradkov's government.

In 2006 Levitin headed the government Commissions of Inquiry and rendering aid to victims of the plane crashes near Sochi, Irkutsk and Donetsk. In September 2007 the government of Fradkov retired and Levitin preserved the post of the Minister of transport in the new cabinet of ministers headed by Victor Zubkov.

Levitin is Colonel of reserve, Candidate of sciences, assistant professor, senior lecturer of the Moscow State Open Pedagogical University. In January 2008 Levitin was rewarded with the medal «For the development of railroads» by President Putin`s Decree «For the large contribution to the development of the rail transport». After Medvedev`s assuming the office of the President of the Russian Federation on May 7, 2008, Igor Y. Levitin reserved the post of the Minister of transport.

Igor Y. Levitin is married, he has a daughter.

Vocabulary:

armed forces – вооруженные силы; a military district – военный округ;

military school of the railroad forces and communications – высшее военное училище железнодорожных войск и военных сообщений,

Military academy of rear services (logistics) and transport – Военная академия тыла и транспорта;

Deputy Head of Military Railway Communications Service – заместитель начальника службы военных сообщений;

deputy director – заместитель генерального директор; Board of directors – Совет директоров;

Commissions of Inquiry and rendering aid to victims of the plane crashes –

комиссия по расследованию причин и оказанию помощи пострадавшим в авиакатастрофах;

to retire – уходить в отставку; Colonel of reserve – полковник запаса; assistant professor – доцент;

senior lecturer – здесь – преподаватель; to be rewarded – быть награжденным;

to assume the office – вступать в должность.

Questions to the text:

1 What was the military career of Igor Y. Levitin? 2 What education did he get?

3 Which companies did Levitin work?

4 What experience did he gain in governmental work?

5 What are Levitin`s current position, degree and rank?

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THE ROSTOV STATE TRANSPORT UNIVERSITY – A LARGE EDUCATIONAL AND SCIENTIFIC COMPLEX

IN THE SOUTH OF RUSSIA

Scientific activity in the Rostov State Transport University

The scientific activity in the University is carried out under the guidance of an Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, an Honoured Man of Science of the Russian Federation, the Rector of the Rostov State Transport University Vladimir Ivanovitch Kolesnikov. Over 40 academicians and corresponding members of different academies, over 70 doctors of Sciences, professors and over 300 candidates of Sciences, associate professors, as well as researchers and engineers perform fundamental and scientific research work in RSTU. There are also a number of centers in the University: the research and experimental centre «Kriotransenergo» , the research laboratory «The Systems of dispatcher control», the innovation and research center «Safety on transport», a scientific and the research laboratory «Electromotor», the scientific and research center «Transport tribotechnics», the branch scientific and research laboratory «Regional transport progammes».

The University collaborates with the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences in many scientific areas: theoretical physics, tribotechnics, the problems of technogenic safety, superconductive technologies for the railway transport and others. The collective of scientists have proven their ability to carry out scientific work from fundamental research to the finished model. The high level of research is proved by the fact that the scientists of the University have repeatedly received the competitive grants from the Russian fund of fundamental research, the ministries and departments with budgetary funding.

In the recent years the University has continued the development of existing and new scientific schools. Some of them are known not only in our country but also abroad. The school of tribology is the most venerable in our University. The practical result of the research work is the creation of composite materials preventing hard deterioration and new technologies for lubricating the friction pair.

The collective of scientists perform research work aimed at solving the integrated problems: optimizing the reference terminal (station) technology, developing the united technology of moving, accumulating and forming cargo shipload lots.

The outcomes of the research work are published in the collections of scientific papers and monographies. They develop in the patents and copyrights for inventions, result in defending doctoral dissertations. Since October 1999 the scientific journal «Vestnic RGUPS» has been published in RSTU. It highlights the actual and topical problems of the field and the research work of the Russian scientists and their foreign colleagues.

Vocabulary:

to collaborate – сотрудничать; tribotechnics – триботехника;

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