A warm welcome in the North: A university where every international student is known by sight
Syktyvkar University was founded in 1972. Today it implements about 200 multi-level higher education (bachelor's, master's, specialty, postgraduate) programs and 5 secondary vocational education programs. In 2017, the University received the status of a flagship University. In 2020, it was ranked 150th out of 337 in the National University ranking (Interfax).
For almost half a century, the University has given way to life for more than 38,000 graduates (excluding graduates of the Komi state pedagogical Institute, which was incorporated in 2014). Today, the University has about 7.5 thousand students, including about 150 foreign citizens.
The University has 8 dormitories, 10 educational and laboratory buildings, 14 institutes, cafes and canteens, a medical center, a swimming pool, museums, libraries, a driving school, a botanical garden, sports sections and creative teams.
For foreign citizens, the University has developed two educational programs that are partially implemented in English: the program in the specialty "General Medicine" has been implemented since 2018, and the master's program in the direction of "Applied Informatics" is waiting for applicants since 2021. The preparatory department has been teaching the program "Russian as a foreign language" for more than five years with five training profiles (medical and biological, engineering and technical, natural science, economic, and humanitarian). Graduates of the sub-faculty become students not only in Pitirim Sorokin Syktyvkar State University but also at other Russian universities.
For almost half a century, the University has given way to life for more than 38,000 graduates (excluding graduates of the Komi state pedagogical Institute, which was incorporated in 2014). Today, the University has about 7.5 thousand students, including about 150 foreign citizens.
The University has 8 dormitories, 10 educational and laboratory buildings, 14 institutes, cafes and canteens, a medical center, a swimming pool, museums, libraries, a driving school, a botanical garden, sports sections and creative teams.
For foreign citizens, the University has developed two educational programs that are partially implemented in English: the program in the specialty "General Medicine" has been implemented since 2018, and the master's program in the direction of "Applied Informatics" is waiting for applicants since 2021. The preparatory department has been teaching the program "Russian as a foreign language" for more than five years with five training profiles (medical and biological, engineering and technical, natural science, economic, and humanitarian). Graduates of the sub-faculty become students not only in Pitirim Sorokin Syktyvkar State University but also at other Russian universities.
Pitirim Sorokin Syktyvkar State University is currently the only University in the Komi Republic that trains doctors. This means that we have a great responsibility for the quality of graduate training. This also means that all the best specialists and practitioners of the leading clinics of the Republic teach here. The University has its own medical center, where medical students practice in the basics of nursing, get practical training in certain clinical disciplines, and international students also receive medical care if necessary. Komi is a sparsely populated region, the University does not have many students, there are small study groups, so we pay maximum attention to every future doctor, including international students, both in the classroom and in practice. They quickly join the team, enthusiastically practice, and only get positive feedback about their work in hospitals and clinics. More than a hundred of our students performed an important mission in hospitals during the COVID-19 outbreak and received gratitude from the head of the Komi Republic. International students were among them. We give strong knowledge at Pitirim Sorokin Syktyvkar State University and teach to apply it in practice.
Olga Sotnikova
Pitirim Sorokin Syktyvkar State University rector
About the Komi Republic and Syktyvkar
The Komi Republic is located in the North-East of the European part of the Russian Federation. This is the 11th largest region in Russia, which can fit 11 Switzerland, almost two Great Britain or Germany together with the Czech Republic. But less than a million people live in these open spaces. In the East of the Republic, there are the Ural Mountains — the border between parts of the world, Europe and Asia.
Syktyvkar is a compact and convenient city. It is one of the thirty safest cities in Russia. Everything is within walking distance. You don't need a car or even public transport to get around, and the city has a well-developed bus network. This is where the main University, which international students have chosen for several years, is located. They learn Russian at the preparatory department or enter the so-called bilingual educational programs.
The city is close to Moscow and other industrial and cultural centers of Russia. There is a little more than a thousand kilometers distance from Syktyvkar to Moscow and St. Petersburg. By plane, you can reach the capitals in an hour and a half. Flights are regular, 3–5 departures per day. Airlines often arrange promotions where you can buy cheap tickets for 5–6 thousand rubles (70–90 $).
Syktyvkar is a combination of the romance of the Far North with the dynamics of modern life. In May and June, you can observe a unique phenomenon in the city — white nights. The sun goes below the horizon for only four hours. You don't even need street lights between sunset and dawn. The sun is shining brightly at three in the morning. In winter, residents of the Komi Republic enjoy the Northern lights.
The tourist infrastructure of the Komi Republic is a UNESCO heritage site, in the Pechora-Ilychsky nature reserve is one of the seven wonders of Russia — the Manpupuner plateau. The weathering pillars are the object of the cult of the small Mansi people; many legends are associated with them. The world's first moose farm is located in the same reserve.
The Komi Republic is located in the North-East of the European part of the Russian Federation. This is the 11th largest region in Russia, which can fit 11 Switzerland, almost two Great Britain or Germany together with the Czech Republic. But less than a million people live in these open spaces. In the East of the Republic, there are the Ural Mountains — the border between parts of the world, Europe and Asia.
Syktyvkar is a compact and convenient city. It is one of the thirty safest cities in Russia. Everything is within walking distance. You don't need a car or even public transport to get around, and the city has a well-developed bus network. This is where the main University, which international students have chosen for several years, is located. They learn Russian at the preparatory department or enter the so-called bilingual educational programs.
The city is close to Moscow and other industrial and cultural centers of Russia. There is a little more than a thousand kilometers distance from Syktyvkar to Moscow and St. Petersburg. By plane, you can reach the capitals in an hour and a half. Flights are regular, 3–5 departures per day. Airlines often arrange promotions where you can buy cheap tickets for 5–6 thousand rubles (70–90 $).
Syktyvkar is a combination of the romance of the Far North with the dynamics of modern life. In May and June, you can observe a unique phenomenon in the city — white nights. The sun goes below the horizon for only four hours. You don't even need street lights between sunset and dawn. The sun is shining brightly at three in the morning. In winter, residents of the Komi Republic enjoy the Northern lights.
The tourist infrastructure of the Komi Republic is a UNESCO heritage site, in the Pechora-Ilychsky nature reserve is one of the seven wonders of Russia — the Manpupuner plateau. The weathering pillars are the object of the cult of the small Mansi people; many legends are associated with them. The world's first moose farm is located in the same reserve.
Manpupuner Plateau in the Komi Republic of the Russian Federation
Author: International Department of the Pitirim Sorokin Syktyvkar State University, Nikolay Spichak and Janna Ivankova.