Francisk Skorina Gomel State University

Francisk Skorina Gomel State University was established in 1930. Today it is one of the most prominent research and development and academic centers of the Republic of Belarus, recognized by the national and world scientific community. The oldest university of the region is an intellectual and cultural center of Belarusian Polessye and an alma mater to more than 71 000 highly qualified specialists.

Owing to the multidisciplinary nature of the University training of specialists for high and secondary schools, for research institutions, enterprises and organizations is conducted there. It conducts fundamental, exploratory, applied research work and develops cooperation with foreign scientific and educational institutions.

523 lecturers work at GSU, among theses there are 46 Doctors of science, 34 professors, 224 candidates of science and 213 docents. Of these, there are 4 correspondent members of the National Academy of sciences of Belarus.

More than 9000 students are trained at the University, including more than 1100 foreign students. The University has 12 Faculties – Biology, Geology and Geography, History, Foreign Languages, Mathematics and programming technologies, Physics and Information Technologies, Psychology and Pedagogy, Physical culture, Philology, Economics, Law and Faculty of Distance learning and Pre-university training. First degree of education is represented in 37 specialities; Master’s degree programme is available in 22 of them. Training of skilled scientific and teaching personnel is provided by the PhD programme in 46 specialities and doctorate – in 6 specialities. The University has 3 dissertation defense councils in four specialities, including the doctoral one.

The University includes 2 research institutes: the institute of history and culture of East Slavic peoples and the institute of physics and chemistry; the Center for collective use on environmental monitoring and study of the composition and properties of matter (CCU Isomer) as a part of four research laboratories. There are 3 joint laboratories: International Chinese-Belarusian Scientific Laboratory for Vacuum-Plasma Technologies; Polish-Belarusian scientific laboratory of sol-gel materials and technologies; Belarusian-Chinese science laboratory on electromagnetic metamaterials and multi-function plasma surface technology.

The room of Chinese studies and the scientific and methodical Center for Russian Studies are functioning at the University. Confucius Room and the Confucius Institute were opened there in 2017. There are two scientific journals published at the University: “Proceedings of Francisk Skorina Gomel State University” and “Problems of physics, mathematics and technology”. The leading role of GSU in development of scientific research is expressed in organization of international, republican and regional scientific conferences.

GSU achieved success in the sphere of international cooperation. It is involved in 165 scientific and research works, including 27 international ones. High-tech developments of the University are used not only by domestic enterprises, but also exported to other countries. Originality and distinction of the new equipment technologies and equipment developed by the scientists of our University are proved by copyright certificates and patents, as well as by medals and diplomas at respected international exhibitions.

The University is included into the Association Unter-Academia and actively involved into implementation of international projects within the frames of ERASMUS+.

The University is involved in international projects. GSU is participant in the international project TransFerr « Transition metal oxides with metastable phases: a way towards superior ferroic properties», which is carried out within the program HORIZON 2020. The university participates in the projects «Spectroscopic properties of sol-gel composite materials exhibiting persistence luminescence for the application as luminescent solar concentrators» and «Non-invasive and multi-analytical approach to the discovering of “Old Believer Faith icons” of VETKA Museum (Gomel Region, Vetka)» within the program of Central European Initiative (KEP) together with the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, PAS (Poland) and Palermo university (Italy).

Currently, the University is implementing three ERASMUS+ projects:

1. «From university to labour market in the 21st Century: A step forward in work-based placements» (UniLab). Coordinator – EUCEN, Belgium;
2. «Development of practically-oriented student-centred education in the field of modelling of Cyber-Physical Systems» (CybPhys). Coordinator – Riga Technical University, Latvia;
3. EU best practices-based education in Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Culture for the Belarusian Academia (Radium). Coordinator - The University of Bologna, Italy.