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Office of International Relations comprises the Dean Office for International Students, the Information and Organization Department, the International Projects Department, and the Department of Cooperation with foreign universities. The Office of International Relations also coordinates activities of the Chair of Russian as a Foreign Language, which offers courses of Russian language at different levels - Pre-University Orientation/Admission courses, undergraduate and graduate courses for international students and courses for postgraduate students. |
The Office conducts its activities in the following directions:
- Implementation of international training and research programs and projects;
- Organization of student, postgraduate student and faculty internships and practice abroad;
- Participation in integration process of CIS higher agricultural educational institutions into the world educational association;
- Holding of international scientific conferences and workshops;
- Organization of training and traineeship of international students, postgraduate students and specialists;
- Attracting foreign investments into the University development.
During the last 15 years the University has implemented more than ten international educational and research projects. Among them are the Project of the World Bank “ARIS” to support agrarian reforms in Russia, the Project of the World Bank Institute of Economic Development to train lecturers in the area of project analysis, more than 10 projects TEMPUS-TACIS in the area of economic and ecologic education and quality management in education, research projects EC “INTAS”, the project “REAP” (Regional academic cooperation) of the Ministry of International Development of Great Britain, the project of German Society of Technical Cooperation (GTZ) to create the Center of sustainable development of rural territories, and NATO project on long-term evaluation of soil formation. Participation of the University in international projects and programs provides considerable improvement of the material-technical and training-methodical bases, development of new curricula and syllabi, training and advanced training of faculty from agrarian universities in Russia and CIS countries.
Several Centers have been jointly created with foreign partners: the Center to support the dairy branch (jointly with the Netherlands), Russian-German educational and demonstration Center for fruit and vegetables processing, and others. At present, the work is carried out to implement the Master Degree Program resulting in “double” diploma in agrarian economics jointly with Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany.
Within the framework of bilateral agreements with foreign universities working research programs are being implemented. Results of research are published in joint scientific editions, including textbooks that are distributed in Russia and CIS countries. The University develops international relations with universities in Germany, Iran, USA, the Netherlands, China and Kazakhstan in the most active way.
Faculty members, researchers, postgraduate students and students of the University participate in international scientific and scientific-practical conferences. Every year about 3-5 conferences of the international status are held at the University. Every year more than 30 foreign delegations visit the University. The well-known scientists, and leading specialists in different branches of agricultural science are the members of these delegations. They meet their colleagues and as a rule manage to find time to lecture on important scientific issues in students’ auditoriums.
Every year 50-70 students of the University pass “sandwich” training in European and American universities. According to the agreement with the Center of International Youth and Students’ Exchange programs groups of foreign students-volunteers arrive to the University. It has become a good practice to receive foreign students’ delegation at the University and send the University students’ delegation abroad to visit foreign university.
Lately the number of international students has increased. Many of them come to study within the postgraduate and doctoral programs. About 200 international students, postgraduate students and doctorants carry out their research in the laboratories, research centers and University Chairs. Defense of Candidate’s dissertation may be done in Russian or in English.
Every year about 150 students and postgraduates take production practice in European, and Asian countries, and in the USA. The Timiryazev University students have practical training on farms, in research centers and agricultural firms in the Netherlands, the USA, Great Britain, Germany, Sweden, Norway, Check Republic, and other countries.