Topic # 1

Irkutsk state university

Irkutsk State University was founded in 1918. It was the first higher educational establishment in Eastern Siberia. First there were only two faculties at the University. They were the faculty of history and philology and the law faculty. The faculty of physics and mathematics was set up in 1919. In the twenties many prominent scientists came to Irkutsk to teach at the University: Prof. Rubenstein, Prof. Svarchevsky, Prof. Frank-Kamenetsky and others. The first rector of the University was Prof. Rubenstein.

The structure of the University was changed several times. Now there are 14 faculties at the University. They are the faculties of chemistry, physics, biology, geology, geography and others. Two of them became independent Institutes in 1999. They are Law Institute and Institute of Mathematics, Economics and Informatics. Now the University has a few more Institutes. They are Institute of Social Sciences, International Institute of Economics and Linguistics and Baikal School of International Business. But in spite of these changes our University has remained a classical University.

The University occupies several buildings. The older buildings are located in the center of Irkutsk.

The academic staff of the University is highly qualified. A lot of doctors of sciences and candidates of sciences teach at our University. They also carry out research in different fields of science. There are three research institutes at our University. They are Institute of Biology, Institute of Gas and Oil, and Institute of Applied Physics. Some of our scientists are well known in our country and abroad. Students have an opportunity to do research at different laboratories and students’ scientific societies. Educational level at our University is rather high, and many enterprises, commercial organizations, secondary and higher schools are eager to hire our graduates.

Topic # 2

Irkutsk university computer center

There is a large computer center at Irkutsk State University. It was set up in 1959. First there was only one machine at the computer centre. It was an electronic computing machine of the first generation the URAL-1. The staff of the computer center was only twenty people.

Now the computer center is a large educational and scientific center. Many specialists work there. There are many operators, engineers, programmers and research workers. At the center there are seven laboratories, for example, the laboratory of mathematical statistics and the theory of probability, the laboratory of methods of research of management systems, the laboratory of automatization, the laboratory of programming and others.

The computer center is equipped with modern electronic machines of the third and fourth generations. There are two workstations, a mainframe, and many personal computers at the center.

The students of the University have their computer practice at the computer center. They learn to operate modern computers, to read, analyze and compile programs.

Internet center was established in 1997. It was set up under the sponsorship of Soros fund. The students of Irkutsk State University can have a free Internet access.