The Volga State Academy of Water Transport (VGAVT) is a federal state institution of higher professional education in Nizhny Novgorod, training specialists for the river and sea fleet; it is the largest sectoral educational institution in the Volgo-Vyatka region and part of the Federal Agency for Sea and River Transport.[1] Founded in 1930.[1] In 2015 it was reorganized as the Volga State University of Water Transport named after Admiral M. P. Lazarev (VGUVT).[1] Address: Nesterova Street, Nizhny Novgorod, 603950.[1]

History and Names

The institution was founded in 1930 in Gorky as the Gorky Institute of Water Transport Engineers (GIIVT).[1] Under that name the institute trained several generations of naval architects, navigators, mechanics, and water transport operations specialists. The institute building (now VGUVT), located at 55 Piskunova Street / 7 Minin Street, was completed in 1935. It was designed by Moscow architect Anatoly Zhukov, who was also known for designing the Central Department Store on Revolution Square in Nizhny Novgorod.[2] The institution subsequently changed its status and name, becoming the Volga State Academy of Water Transport (VGAVT).[1] In 2015 VGAVT was reorganized as the Volga State University of Water Transport named after Admiral M. P. Lazarev (VGUVT).[1] Over the entire history of the institution (under its various names — GIIVT, VGAVT, VGUVT) more than 46,000 specialists have been trained.[1]

Structure and Educational Activities

The academic complex includes four branch campuses, five secondary specialized educational institutions, a center for training, retraining, and professional development of water transport managers and specialists, a complex of ship simulators, and a research unit.[1] At the start of 2010, the academic complex simultaneously enrolled more than eighteen thousand students and cadets.[1] The successor university VGUVT comprises four branch campuses in the cities of Astrakhan, Kazan, Samara, and Perm, as well as the Nizhny Novgorod River College named after I. P. Kulibin.[3]

The institution has 3 faculties, one institute (IEUiP), and 26 departments.[1] The staff includes 42 professors and 393 instructors.[1] Approximately 4,047 students are enrolled in higher education programs (bachelor's, specialist, master's, and postgraduate) at VGUVT, and 1,251 in secondary vocational programs; the academic teaching staff numbers approximately 252 people.[3] The university is authorized to issue state-recognized educational credentials, award Candidate of Sciences degrees, and hold doctoral dissertation defenses.[1] The president of the institution is Valery Mineev, and the rector is Igor Konstantinovich Kuzmichev.[1]

Infrastructure and Research Activities

For the summer recreation of staff and students, the university operates the Vodnik sports and wellness camp on the shore of the Gorky Reservoir.[1] The academy houses a Museum of River Fleet of the Volga State Academy of Water Transport, which includes an exhibition dedicated to Ivan Kulibin. Professors and doctors of science from the institution serve on doctoral dissertation defense committees jointly with Universities in Nizhny Novgorod and participate in the work of the Volgo-Vyatka Scientific Center of the Transport Academy of the Russian Federation.[1] Departmental research is conducted in the fields of applied mechanics, ship machinery and mechanisms, shipbuilding, traffic management, computer science, economics, and other disciplines.[1]

Links

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (ru) — Volga State University of Water Transport
  2. laperuz.com — History of the Gorky Institute of River Transport
  3. mintrans.gov.ru — Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation