General information

Educational establishment ‘Brest State A. Pushkin University’ begins its history with the creation of a teacher's institute in Brest (the decision to establish the institute was approved by the decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the BSSR dated 6/6/1945 No. 801). In accordance with the order of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of 23/9/1950 No. 15414-r, the teacher's institute was reorganized into the Brest State Pedagogical Institute, which was renamed into Brest State University by the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Belarus dated 22 August 1995 No. 320. By the Decree of the President dated 14 May 1999 No. 275, Brest State University was named after A. Pushkin.

For 75 years, the university has gone a glorious way from a teacher's institute to a university, a leading center of cultural, educational, scientific and innovative development of the Brest region.

For the achievement of significant results in the field of quality and competitiveness of educational services, scientific products, the introduction of innovative technologies and management methods by the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of Belarus dated 1/3/2017 No. 171 the Prize of the Government for achievements in the field of quality was awarded to the educational institution ‘Brest State Pushkin University’. In 2020, in accordance with the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of 3/4/2020 No. 203, Brest State Pushkin University was awarded the Prize of the Government of Belarus in the field of quality again.

In 2020, the university successfully passed a recertification audit and received a Certificate of Conformity with state standards ISO 9001-2015 (until 2023).

Today the University is characterized by multidisciplinary and multilevel professional training. The University provides professional training of specialists in the following higher education profiles: ‘Pedagogy’, Humanities’, ‘Natural Sciences’, ‘Social Protection’, ‘Communications. Law’, ‘Economy. Control. Economics and Organization of Production’, ‘Environmental Sciences’, ‘Engineering and Technology’, ‘Physical Culture’, ‘Tourism and hospitality’.

The structure of the university includes: 9 faculties (philological, psychological and pedagogical, social and pedagogical, faculty of foreign languages, faculty of physical education, biological, physical and mathematical, historical, legal), 34 departments; magistracy; postgraduate studies; Institute for Advanced Studies and Retraining; a separate structural unit Pinsk College.

Biotechnology laboratory classes

BrSU is accredited in 35 specialties of the 1^st stage of higher education, 28 specialties of the 2^nd stage of higher education. In recent years, new specialties, specializations have been opened at the 1^st stage (‘Speech therapy’, ‘Medical psychology’, etc.) and the 2^nd stage (‘Scientific and pedagogical activity’, ‘Mathematics and computer science’, ‘Linguodidactics’, etc.) of higher education. About 6,000 students and undergraduates study at the 1^st and the 2^nd stages of higher education (605 of them are foreign students).

The Institute for Advanced Studies and Retraining implements advanced training in 10 profiles, 18 areas of education, and retraining – in 17 specialties at the level of higher education and in 3 specialties at the level of secondary specialized education.

The training of personnel with the highest scientific qualifications is carried out in 15 specialties, 3 of which correspond to the technological orders V and VI. It should be noted that 60% of full-time university teachers have academic degrees and / or titles.

Pinsk College as a structural unit of the university trains specialists in the specialties ‘Primary Education’, ‘Preschool Education’, ‘Foreign Language (English, German)’, ‘Music Education’, ‘Tourism and Hospitality’. In 2020, a student of the college Kristina Selyuzhitskaya was awarded  the third-degree diploma at the 4th Republican competition of professional skills ‘Worldskills Belarus 2020’, and a bronze medal in the ‘Primary education’ competence.

Interaction in the ‘university – college’ system is effective. For the period 2017–2020 at BrSU prepared for the Pinsk College 10 masters and 1 candidate of geographical sciences (S. Korzhenevich; scientific supervisor – professor K. Krasovsky). Director of the Pinsk College S. Borchuk successfully defended her master's thesis ‘The history of the formation and development of secondary specialized education in the Republic of Belarus in the 1940-2000s (on the example of the Pinsk College of BrSU)’ (supervisor – professor A. Sender). Currently, 2 teachers of the Pinsk College (S. Yatusevich, O. Pimenov) are enrolled in the postgraduate course (supervisor – professor A. N. Sender). The university successfully trains specialists in the framework of the abbreviated correspondence form of obtaining higher education on the basis of secondary specialized education in the following specialties: ‘Primary education (3.5 years)’, ‘Preschool education (3.5 years)’, ‘Tourism and hospitality (3.5 years)’.

Archaeological practice of the students of History Faculty

In order to strengthen the practice-oriented professional training of specialists, 46 branches of departments were created. Agreements on cooperation with 51 basic organizations have been concluded (administrations and education departments of district and city executive committees of the Brest region, ERICPOL Brest, EPAM Systems, Brest Regional Committee of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Investigative Committee of the Republic of Belarus for the Brest Region and etc.). Employees of basic organizations are directly involved in the design, implementation and assessment of the quality of the educational process in the specialties of the 1^st and the 2^nd levels of higher education. Courses with innovative content (‘Industrial Programming Methods’, ‘Linguistic Internet Resources’, ‘Computer Translation Technologies and Services’, etc.) are implemented.

In order to coordinate scientific and educational-methodical activities at the university, a Scientific-Methodological Council was created. One of the target priorities of its activities is the formation of a methodological culture among teachers through the organization of professional competitions: ‘Master of lectures’, ‘Master of practical (seminar) classes’, ‘Professional debut’ (for young teachers), ‘Technopanorama’ (competition in the sphere of modern educational information and telecommunication technologies), competition for the best thesis and master's thesis in natural sciences, pedagogical and humanitarian specialties. The Scientific and Methodological Council pays special attention to the preparation of high-quality educational and methodological support of the educational process, including educational and industrial practices. In 2018–2020 more than 40 textbooks and teaching aids, developed by university teachers, received the stamp of the Ministry of Education of Belarus, specialized educational and methodological associations of higher education institutions of Belarus, ‘National Institute of Education of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus’. In 2019–2020 in the ‘Institute of Applied Software Systems’ university teachers registered 81 electronic educational and methodological complexes. Taking into account the realities, the task associated with the introduction of modern forms of distance education, information and telecommunication technologies (Moodle, Google Meet, ZOOM, etc.), technologies of computer offline diagnostics, online diagnostics, imitation and modeling, problematic, research, expert-reflective and other methods and forms is relevant.

An important role in the training of competitive specialists is played by university centers, laboratories, and specialized classrooms. The scientific and methodological center ‘School – Family’, the Legal Clinic, the Courtroom, the Geology Office, the Ecology Center with Botanical Expositions (Winter Garden and the Garden of Continuous Blossoming) and the Agrobiological Station, the regional Belarusian-Indian Center in the field of information and communication technologies, Competence center of educational management and international educational programs, V. Kolesnik educational center function. In 2020, the Confucius Institute was created (together with Anhui University).

A Scientific and Technical Council has been established to coordinate research activities at the university.

By a joint decision of the State Committee for Science and Technology and the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the university was accredited for the status of a scientific organization (certificate of 27 December 2017 No. 192). The university has a fairly successful system of training personnel of the highest scientific qualifications: over the past three years, university teachers have defended 16 theses for the degree of candidate of sciences, 3 theses for the degree of doctor of sciences.

Scientific work at the university is carried out in accordance with the dominants of the national Strategy ‘Science and Technology: 2018–2040’, adopted at the 2^nd Congress of Scientists of Belarus, in accordance with the List of state research programs. In 2019, 15 tasks were carried out under 3 state programs: ‘Chemical technologies and materials’, ‘Nature management and ecology’, ‘Economy and humanitarian development of the Belarusian society’. The number of funded research projects carried out by the departments of the university has increased (2015 – 23; 2019 – 29). Fundamental research dominates in the structure of funded R&D (75 %).

At BrSU scientific and pedagogical schools function effectively: ‘Pedagogy and methodology of higher education’ (Professor A. Sender), ‘Country studies and tourism’ (Professor K. Krasovsky), ‘Nominative and functional linguistics’ (Professor V. Senkevich), ‘Geology and Geography’ (Professor M. Bogdasarov), ‘History, Culture and Religion of the Western Belorussian Lands’ (Professor A. Vabishchevich), ‘Psychology of Self-Consciousness’ (Professor L. Lysyuk), ‘Ecology of animals’ (professor V. Gaiduk), ‘Belarusian histories and functionalities of literature: theory and practice of interpretation of works of art’ (professor Z. Melnikova), ‘Methodological and linguodidactic aspects of students' formation of innovative linguistic education’ (V. Satinova), ‘Practical Psychology of Childhood’ (Professor of the Department of Psychology I. Valitova), etc.

Over the past three years, university professors have published 43 monographs, 483 articles in journals listed in the Higher Attestation Commission, 379 articles in foreign journals, including journals with a high impact factor included in international scientometric databases (SCOPUS, Web of Science, etc.).

The university publishes a number of scientific journals: ‘Academic Notes’, ‘BrSU Bulletin’ (included in the list of the Higher Attestation Commission of Belarus). The scientific and theoretical journal ‘BrSU Bulletin’ includes five series: ‘Philosophy. Political science. Sociology’, ‘History. Economy’, ‘Philology. Pedagogy. Psychology’, ‘Physics. Mathematics’, ‘Chemistry. Biology. Geoscience’.

For the special results of social, humanitarian and natural science research, university teachers are awarded the prizes of the first university professors S. Kondratenya and V. Kolesnik.

Great attention is paid to the organization of students' research work (SRWS), the formation of a value attitude towards science among students, attracting students to the tasks of the State Research Programs, BRFFR projects, stimulating the development of the start-up movement, preparing student applications for competitions (‘100 ideas for Belarus’, ‘National case championship 2020 for the best case solution’, ‘Agro 2.0’, etc.).

The University has a Student Scientific Society, a Council of Young Scientists, 137 student research associations (of which 10 are student research laboratories). More than 75 % of students are involved in scientific research. Over the past three years, 157 works were submitted to the Republican competition of students' scientific papers, of which 131 (83.4 %) were assigned a category, including 41 (26.1 %) – the title of laureate or the first category.

In international cooperation, the university pays special attention to the development (diversification) of export of services, expansion of the export geography and participation in international technical assistance projects, educational projects, mobility programs (including the development of ‘incoming’ mobility of teachers, students, undergraduates, graduate students). In 2019, the plan for the export of educational services was fulfilled by 158 %. 605 foreign citizens from Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, Slovakia, China, Pakistan and other countries study at the university.

The university is characterized by a multi-vector international cooperation. The University participates in the implementation of international programs UNESCO, UNDP, projects within the European educational programs Erasmus +, DAAD, international technical assistance projects within the framework of the program ‘Cross-border cooperation Poland – Belarus – Ukraine’, etc. In 2019, together with the University of Novi Sad (Serbia) an international scientific and technical project ‘Phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity of cherries and sweet cherries of Serbian and Belarusian selection’ was realized (scientific supervisor – Head of the Chemistry Department N. Kolbas). In 2020, the implementation of the European educational project ‘FOSTERC’ (‘Development of competencies in Belarusian higher education’) within the framework of the Erasmus + program was completed. Since 2020, the international scientific and technical project ‘Opening the Border Together’ is being implemented within the framework of the program of cross-border cooperation. In 2020, BrSU together with the Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University, is implementing the BRFFR-RFBR project ‘Concept and strategies for civic education of children and students in the context of information security’.

The University has signed more than 80 agreements on international cooperation, in 2019-2020 – 13 new cooperation agreements (Holon Institute of Technology (Israel); University of Novi Sad (Serbia); Institute of Education and Professional Development (Hungary); University of Presov (Slovakia); L. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Kazakhstan); Selcuk University (Turkey); Anhui University (China), etc.). The university is a part of the Border Universities Network and other consortia.

Lecture by Professor I. Shved for Anhui University Students

The University is an international dialogue platform. In particular, on the basis of the university an international seminar ‘Intercultural dialogue in the CIS space’ was held 17/5/2019, with the participation of members of the Council of Permanent Plenipotentiaries of the Commonwealth States to the statutory and other bodies of the CIS, employees of the embassies of states, management and employees of the CIS Executive Committee, management, teachers and students of the BrSU.

International Seminar ‘Intercultural Dialogue in the CIS Space’

In May 2019, a delegation from the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, led by Deputy Minister Tian Xuejun, visited the university. The visit took place within the framework of the implementation of the Directive of the President of Belarus ‘On the development of bilateral relations between the Republic of Belarus and the People's Republic of China’ and the Action Plan for 2019 as a Year of Belarusian Education in China. During the visit, the Rector of BrSU Anna Sender, Deputy Director of the Headquarters of the Confucius Institutes ‘Hanban’ Zhao Guocheng and the Rector of Anhui University Quan Guangli signed a trilateral Agreement on the establishment of the Confucius Institute at BrSU, which was inaugurated on 30 October 2020.

Signing of a trilateral Agreement on the establishment of the Confucius Institute at BrSU

Ideological and educational work with students at the university, aimed at solving the problems defined by the Concept of continuous education of children and students in the Republic of Belarus, is carried out in accordance with subprogram 11 ‘Youth policy’ of the State program ‘Education and youth policy’, the Program of continuous education of children and student youth, the Program of the education of student youth in the educational establishment ‘Brest State Pushkin University’.

The University has a Coordinating Council for Ideological and Educational Work; target programs are implemented: ‘Program for the development of volunteer activities of university students’, ‘Social protection of students’, ‘Campus’, ‘Adaptation of foreign students to the educational space of the university’, ‘Formation of a culture of a healthy lifestyle’, ‘Program for the development of student sports at the Brest State University’ and others. The university symbols (emblem, flag) were developed and approved. A large-circulation newspaper ‘Brest University’, 7 faculty newspapers are published.

Particular attention is paid to information work with students. Advocacy and youth information groups of the university are actively working. Meetings of the rector with students of faculties are held monthly, aimed at the formation of a civic position, value attitudes, worldview in accordance with the ideology of the Belarusian state, scientific and educational motivation. Particular attention is paid to the prevention of youth extremism, the involvement of young people in destructive activities.

Students of the university actively participate in various programs, forums, projects of international, republican, regional and city levels. Since April 2016, the ‘Academy of Volunteerism’ of the University, together with the Belarusian Red Cross Society, has been implementing the social project ‘School of First Aid’, together with the State Institution ‘Brest Regional Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health’ – ‘Healthy Generation’, a project aimed at socializing and the integration of children with cerebral palsy ‘Your hand is in my hand’, as well as pedagogical projects of a socially and personally significant orientation: ‘Success relay’, ‘I am a leader’, ‘Young family club’, ‘Success workshop’, ‘My life is my choice’ and others. An exclusive form of educational work is the Student Youth Parade of BrSU ‘Our landmark: SPRING – STUDENTSHIP – SUCCESS!’

Student Youth Parade of BrSU:
‘Our landmark: SPRING – STUDENTSHIP – SUCCESS!’

The professionally directed volunteer movement is widely developed at the university. There are 27 volunteer teams, a volunteer center of the university, the Council of Volunteers, the ‘Academy of Volunteering’. To participate as volunteers at the 2^nd European Olympic Games, the university formed 10 volunteer teams, which included 285 students from all faculties.

Opening of the third labor term ‘Labor Summer-2019’

The system of student self-government is constantly being improved. There are councils of student self-government of the university and faculties, student councils of dormitories, the headman of foreign students, a youth detachment of law enforcement, etc. The school ‘EXPERIENCE’ works productively to train students.

Educational work at the university is characterized by variability of forms: contests (‘Believe in yourself!’ (for the title ‘Student of the Year’), for the best study group, ‘Secrets of words and thoughts’, ‘BrSU Queen of fitness’, etc. ), festivals (‘ART Session’, ‘Student Spring’, of foreign students, etc.), educational presentation ‘Home, sweet home’ (in German and Belarusian), sports

kaleidoscope ‘September health’ and others. New forms are being actively introduced, for example: the Friendship Festival (within the framework of the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of Brest), the video magazine ‘75 years of the Great Victory’, the university online competition ‘Symbol of Memory’ on the official pages of social networks, the marathon of physical culture ‘The path to health’ and others.

‘Friendship Festival’ (within the framework of the celebration of the 1000^th anniversary of Brest)

To realize the creative potential of students at the university, there are art groups and club associations: a theatre studio, a vocal studio of pop singing ‘Stupeny’, a vocal and instrumental studio ‘ITIS’, a dance studio ‘ONE WAY’, a club of decorative and applied arts ‘Bereginya’, the club ‘Dialogue of Cultures’, the ‘Focus’ photo club, the creative workshop of decorative and applied art ‘Povyaz’, etc.

Students of BrSU every year represent the university with dignity at national and international events, become laureates, winners of creative competitions and festivals.

The university pays special attention to the development of student sports. There is a sports club. 32 students are members of the National Team of the Republic of Belarus in different sports. BrSU student-athletes are participants and winners of major international competitions. In particular, P. Asayonok (weightlifting) was a participant in the Olympic Games (2016; the 6^th place), a participant in the World Championship (2018; Turkmenistan; the 5^th place), won a bronze medal at the European Championship (2019; Georgia). A. Gorbaty took the 1^st place at the World Championship in mixed martial arts (2018; the Republic of Belarus). D. Korenkovich won the World Championship in kettlebell lifting (2017; Greece). L. Psyshchanitsa won two silver medals at the European Youth Weightlifting Championships (2017; Republic of Poland), a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships (2017; Japan), etc.

Petr Asayonak – participant of the Olympic Games, World Championships,
bronze medalist of the European Championship (2019) in weightlifting