Text 1. Science at the university

Scientists who made a valuable contribution to the development of ASTU and gained wide recognition due to their work in the field of science and higher education were given the rank of the «Honorary Professor of ASTU». More than 20 professors of ASTU were awarded this high rank.

There is an Information-and-Publishing Center at the University, which publishes the collections of learned articles both in Russian and English, as well as monographs, manuals and training aids written by the members of the University’s teaching staff.

The University Scientific Library, being a member of the Russian Library Association, is the first — rate University Library in Astrakhan. The library houses some 720 thousand volumes. It stocks scientific, academic and methodology books, collections of abstracts, reference and technical literature, technical documentation, information and bibliographic materials, fiction both in Russian and foreign languages. Annually the Library purchases more than 40 thousand volumes of new editions, over 450 thousand periodicals. The fund of audio and video cassettes and compact computer discs is available at the Library.

The Library has three exchange systems and six specialized reading rooms seating up to 750 readers. The Library provides access to the Internet, to the Electronic Catalogue Library and to the bibliographical databases.

TEXT 2.International activity

International collaboration of the University has a long history.

One of the most important directions of ASTU International collaboration involves education programmes for international students. Specialist training for foreign countries has been carried out at the University since 1955. Many international graduates of the University made their way up in the countries they came from and are now at the head of state or private industrial enterprises, engaged in commerce or achieved a success in other types of business.

The University is among 19 Russian Universities that were granted a license issued by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation to conduct preliminary training of international students. The graduates of the Faculty of International Student Preliminary Training could continue their education in our University as well as in other educational institutions of the country.

At present, students from Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe, North America take various degree courses at the University. The number of such students increases annually.

Since 1955 the University has trained over 3000 specialists for 75 countries of Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America, about a hundred of them received the degree of a Doctor of Philosophy.

In addition to providing training to international students, the University participates in various exchange programmes and sends students and faculty to various educational institutions of Europe, North America and Asia.

The University’s teachers and researchers are invited by foreign counterparts to deliver lectures and conduct joint researches, as well as to take part in international conferences, symposia, exhibitions and other scientific meetings. The students of the University have their probation at the establishments of higher education and at the enterprises of France, the USA, Germany and Iran.

The operational center of the Russian branch of the International Institute of Ocean (with the headquarters on Malta) is located on the premises of the University and provides for developing links between the University’s and world scientists.

Achievements in the training of international students as well as the reputation gained by the University among foreign countries encouraged the University to initiate the establishment of the Association of the Universities of the Caspian Region Countries in 1996. The permanent headquarters of the Association is situated in ASTU. The Association’s activity is intended to the implementation and development of international, educational, scientific and cultural programs in close collaboration with the other countries of the Caspian Region. In all types of its activity the Association takes into account economic, ecological, ethnic and cultural peculiarities of the Caspian Region Countries.

Vocabulary:

Collaboration – сотрудничество

Counterpart – коллега

Premise ['premıs] – владение

Implementation – осуществление, реализация

1. What are the main tasks of the Information-and-Publishing Center?

2. What books can you find in the University Scientific Library?

3. Does the Library provide access to the Internet?

4. What was the University granted?

5. What provides for developing links between the University’s and world scientists?

6. What did achievements in the training of international students encourage the University to do?

7. What peculiarities does the Association take into account?