Kazan Federal University facts for kids
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Казанский (Приволжский) федеральный университет
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Former names
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Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin Kazan State University, Imperial Kazan University |
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| Type | Public/Federal university |
| Established | November 17, 1804 |
| Rector | Lenar Safin |
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Academic staff
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~ 4400 |
| Students | ~ 50200 |
| Address |
18 Ulitsa Kremlevskaya
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Russia
55°47′27″N 49°07′19″E / 55.7907°N 49.1219°E |
| Campus | Both urban and suburban |
| Language | Russian, English, Tatar |
| Colours | Blue and white |
| Affiliations | EUA IAU EURAS AMBA |
| Website | eng.kpfu.ru |
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Kazan (Volga region) Federal University is a big public university in Kazan, Russia. It's a place where people go to learn and do important research.
The university started way back in 1804 as Imperial Kazan University. This makes it the second oldest university in Russia that has been open continuously. A famous mathematician, Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky, who created non-Euclidean geometry, was the head of the university from 1827 to 1846. Later, in 1925, the university was named after its former student, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin).
Kazan University is also known as the birthplace of organic chemistry. This is thanks to the amazing work of scientists like Aleksandr Butlerov and Vladimir Markovnikov. It's also where electron spin resonance was discovered by Evgeny Zavoisky.
In 2011, Kazan University became a "federal" university. It's one of Russia's top universities chosen to become even better on the world stage. As of early 2023, over 52,000 students from more than 100 countries study here. They can choose from over 600 different study programs! The university focuses on research in areas like medicine, new materials, energy, and computer technology.
Contents
A Look Back: The University's Story
Kazan University has a proud history of amazing discoveries. Besides Nikolai Lobachevsky's geometry, scientists here discovered the chemical element Ruthenium and developed new ideas in chemistry. They also found electron paramagnetic resonance and acoustic paramagnetic resonance.
Many famous people have studied or worked at Kazan University. These include Vladimir Lenin, who founded the Soviet Union, and famous writers like Leo Tolstoy. The composer Mily Balakirev and painter Valery Yakobi also attended.
Early Years: Imperial Kazan University
Kazan University officially began on November 17, 1804. That's when Emperor Alexander I signed the papers to create the Kazan Imperial University. The very first students joined in 1805. At first, it was connected to Moscow State University. By 1814, the university was fully open with four main study areas: moral and political sciences, physical and mathematical sciences, medical sciences, and languages. For a long time, it was the easternmost university in the Russian Empire, serving a huge area of Russia.
In 1819, a review of the university happened. It led to some professors being dismissed and certain books removed from the library. However, Emperor Alexander I decided to fix things instead of closing the university.
In 1819–1821, a Kazan University scholar named Ivan Simonov was part of the first trip around the world that discovered Antarctica!
The main building of the university was finished in 1825. By 1830, the whole campus was complete. This included the library, chemistry lab, and an astronomical observatory. Science subjects really grew strong here.
In 1844, Professor Karl Ernst Claus discovered a new chemical element and named it Ruthenium after Russia. Later, in 1863, the university was reorganized into four main departments: History and Philology, Physics and Mathematics, Law, and Medicine.
Around 1887, Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (who later became Lenin) studied law at the university. He was later asked to leave because of student activities.
The university faced big challenges during the Russian Civil War (1918). Many students and teachers left Kazan. Some of them helped start new universities in Siberia, like in Tomsk and Irkutsk.
Girls Go to University!
Even though women could attend lectures from 1859, special courses for women were not funded by the government. In 1876, the government allowed "Higher Women's Courses" in cities with universities. From October 1876, women could enroll in evening classes at Kazan University. They studied subjects like art history, physics, and Russian literature.
In 1879, the courses expanded to include science and math. Women could study algebra, geometry, chemistry, and more. These courses allowed women to get a higher education for about ten years before they closed in 1886. Later, in 1906, after a revolution, the university was allowed to bring back the Higher Women's Courses.
The Soviet Era: Changes and Growth
After the Russian Civil War, the university worked to rebuild. In 1918, new rules made it easier for experienced teachers to become professors. This helped Kazan University start teaching and researching properly again.
The university also opened a "workers' faculty" to help peasants get an education. In 1925, the university was renamed V. I. Ulyanov-Lenin Kazan State University to honor Vladimir Lenin.
In the 1930s, some parts of the university became independent schools. For example, Kazan State Medical University started this way. During World War II, many top scientists from Moscow and Leningrad came to Kazan University. This led to the creation of a special Kazan branch of the Soviet Academy of Sciences in 1945.
After the war, Kazan University grew a lot. It received awards like the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1953 and the Order of Lenin in 1979 for its educational work. In the 1970s, two tall academic buildings for Physics and Mathematics were built. The UNICS Sports Center and Concert Hall opened in 1989.
Modern Times: Kazan University Today
On October 21, 2009, the Russian President signed a decree to create a new Volga Federal University based on Kazan State University. This project brought together several other universities and institutes in the region.
In 2013, Kazan Federal University started a program to improve its global ranking. This was part of a national plan to make top Russian universities more competitive worldwide.
How Kazan University Ranks
| University rankings | |
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| Global – Overall | |
| QS World | 322 |
| THE World | 801–1000 |
| USNWR Global | 860 |
| National – Overall | |
| Interfax National | 10 |
After becoming a federal university, KFU aimed to climb in global rankings. It joined a national project called "Project 5-100" in 2013 to boost its competitiveness.
KFU has been ranked by QS World University Rankings since 2012. It has steadily moved up from 601+ to 322nd place. As of November 2020, it was the only university in Russia with 5+ stars in QS Stars Ratings.
The university also appeared in the Academic Ranking of World Universities in 2018 and 2019, ranking 801–900. KFU is also listed in many subject rankings by QS and Times Higher Education.
Exploring the University Campus
Kazan Federal University's main campus is right in the center of Kazan. It's only a 10-minute walk from the Kazan Kremlin. The main building was designed by Petr Pyatnitsky and built in the 1820s.
From 1832 to 1841, architect M. Korinfsky designed the rest of the beautiful buildings. The main campus now has the central offices, the library, and science labs.
The Chemistry Faculty Building was built in 1953. In the 1960s and 70s, two tall academic buildings were added. A new 7-story laboratory building was completed in 2015.
In 1996, the university's buildings were added to Russia's National Cultural Heritage Register. For the university's 200th anniversary, an East Wing was added to the Main Building. This wing now houses the university's history museum, a lab-museum, and other academic units. The university also has sports centers called UNICS and Bustan.
KFU's student dorms are in the Universiade Village. This village was built for the participants of the 2013 Summer Universiade (a big sports event for university students). Kazan University also has locations across Russia and even helps use a telescope in Turkey.
What You Can Study Here
Kazan Federal University's main campus in Kazan has 15 institutes, 1 faculty, and 1 higher school. The university also has three branches in Naberezhnye Chelny, Yelabuga, and Jizzakh (Uzbekistan). These branches offer many different subjects.
Most programs are taught in Russian. If you want to study here, you can join KFU's Preparatory School to learn Russian or English. Some programs are taught entirely in English, like a six-year medical course (MBBS) and a four-year international business course.
Here are some of the main areas you can study:
- Physics, Mathematics, and IT
- Institute of Physics
- N.I. Lobachevsky Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics
- Institute of Computational Mathematics and Information Technologies
- Institute of Information Technologies and Intelligent Systems
- Institute of Engineering
- Natural Sciences
- Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies
- Institute of Fundamental Medicine and Biology
- Institute of Environmental Sciences
- Alexander Butlerov Institute of Chemistry
- Humanities
- Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication
- Institute of Social and Philosophical Sciences and Mass Communications
- Institute of International Relations
- Institute of Psychology and Education
- Faculty of Law
- Institute of Design and Spatial Arts
- Economics and Public Administration
- Institute of Management, Economics and Finance
- Higher School of Business
There are also other units that offer training and courses, but not full university degrees.
Working with the World
Kazan University has always had strong international connections. Some of its very first teachers were German professors. Karl Fuchs, a German professor, was important in starting the Kazan Medical School and studying Tatar history. He even became the university's head in the 1820s.
Today, KFU works with about 190 universities and research centers in over 53 countries. This cooperation helps with research projects, double-degree programs, and student exchanges.
In the 2015–2016 school year, about 3,000 international students studied at KFU. Each year, many KFU students and teachers visit foreign universities for conferences and studies. Also, about 1,500 international experts come to KFU for various scientific events and to teach new courses. Native speakers teach languages like Chinese, Korean, German, Spanish, and English at KFU.
KFU also works on big research projects with funding from the Russian Government. These projects include studies in neurobiology, new catalysts for rubber production, and technologies for finding oil and gas.
Since 2011, Kazan University has been part of a big project called "Pharma 2020." This project aims to develop and produce new medicines. The university has a special center for this research.
KFU also takes part in European cooperation programs like Tempus and Erasmus. These programs give students and teachers great chances to train at top European universities.
The Amazing Library
Kazan University's Nikolai Lobachevsky Scientific Library has an incredible collection of books. It includes 15,000 handwritten documents and 3,000 rare books! The library opened in 1809. It first held books from Count Grigori Alexandrovich Potemkin and later added books from the Solovetsky Monastery.
Some of the oldest and most special books are kept in a special section. These include Arabic manuscripts from the 11th century by famous thinkers like Avicenna. There's also an old copy of the Pentateuch and books by Francisco Skorin from 1518. The library has first editions of books by famous Russian writers like Pushkin and Leo Tolstoy. The original library building was built between 1825 and 1833 by Rector N. Lobachevsky, who was also the chief librarian.
Famous People from Kazan University
Many important people have been part of Kazan University's history.
Politics
Sergey Aksakov, Vladimir Lenin (expelled), Alexei Rykov, Nikolai Semashko.
Mathematics and Sciences
Aleksandr Arbuzov, Nikolai Chebotaryov, Aleksandr Butlerov, Nikolay Lobachevski, Ivan Simonov, Vladimir Markovnikov, Nikolai Zinin, Alexander Zaytsev, Karl Ernst Claus, Yevgeny Zavoisky, Roald Sagdeev, Semen Altshuler.
Music and Art
Mily Balakirev, Stanislav Govorukhin, Karl Fuchs.
Literature
Pavel Melnikov-Pechersky, Velimir Khlebnikov, Leo Tolstoy.
Education
Jan Niecisław Baudouin de Courtenay, Vladimir Bekhterev, Ivan Yakovlev, Peter Lesgaft, Nikolay Ilminsky.
Images for kids
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KFU 2nd Building and Tatar State Library
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Institute of Physics
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Main Building
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Alexander Butlerov Institute of Chemistry
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UNICS Sports Center and Concert Hall
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Kazan University Observatory
See also
In Spanish: Universidad Federal de Kazán para niños
- Education in Russia
- List of modern universities in Europe (1801–1945)
- List of Kazan State University's rectors
- List of universities in Russia
