Saratov State University of Genetics, Biotechnology and Engineering named after N. I. Vavilov

About Saratov State University of Genetics, Biotechnology and Engineering named after N. I. Vavilov

Saratov State University of Genetics, Biotechnology and Engineering named after N.I. Vavilov is a federal state university in Saratov. It is also called Vavilov University and appears as SGAU in some university documents. The university says it was founded on 15 September 1913 as Higher Agricultural Courses. It is named after the Russian geneticist Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov. The founder is the Russian Federation, represented by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The main address is 4 Petr Stolypin Avenue, building 3, Saratov 410012. Saratov has another university with a similar name: Saratov State University named after N.G. Chernyshevsky. It is a different institution with its own website.

Institutes and research

The university has six institutes: Genetics and Agronomy; Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy; Agribusiness; Engineering and Robotics; Biotechnology; and International Relations. A College of Finance and Technology and three branches (in Krasny Kut, Marx and Pugachev) offer secondary vocational programmes. It lists 45 research laboratories, a science park and a business incubator. Areas of training include bioengineering and bioinformatics, genetics, biotechnology, veterinary medicine, landscape architecture, applied computer science, agricultural engineering and economics and management.

For international applicants

Bachelor's programmes last 4 years, specialist's programmes 5 to 6 years and master's programmes 2 years. Postgraduate study lasts 4 years full-time. The Institute of International Relations works with foreign students and runs the preparatory programmes. These programmes are for foreign citizens and stateless persons who plan to continue to a bachelor's, specialist's, master's or postgraduate programme. They combine an intensive Russian language course with adaptation modules in one of three profiles: engineering and technical, medical and biological, or economics. Programmes last from 7 to 14 months and are full-time. Applicants take a video interview with institute staff, conducted in Russian. Graduates receive a certificate of Russian at level B1. The university reports that more than 300 students from 17 countries completed these programmes in a recent year. A double-degree agreement with Tashkent State Agrarian University dates from 2018.

Housing

The university states that dormitories are provided for non-resident and foreign students. Campus facilities include medical centres, canteens and buffets, and gyms. The university also has a sports complex with a swimming pool and three sports and recreation camps on the Volga River. Meetings with dormitory staff and the Institute of International Relations are held for foreign students.