The Volgograd State Social and Pedagogical University (until 2011 the Volgograd Pedagogical University) is the largest in the region and one of the oldest educational institutions in the Russian Federation for the training of teaching staff. At 11 faculties of the university, about 13,000 applicants undergo training.
The beginning of glorious deeds
Volgograd Pedagogical University was founded as an industrial pedagogical institute on October 1, 1931. Initially, the main goal of the institution was to train teachers for both general education schools and vocational schools. In 1934, the building of the GPU printing house and several dormitories were transferred to the university. However, the training area was clearly not enough.
The first graduation took place in 1935: only 83 teachers of chemistry, history, physics, and mathematics were sent to schools, technical schools, and FZU. However, by the beginning of the 1940s, the institute was already one of the largest in the south-west of the USSR.
Scorched by war
The war made adjustments to the work of the Volgograd Pedagogical University. Most male teachers and students either went to the front or participated in the construction of defensive lines. After the air raids in August 1942, the main building, the library, part of the hostels were destroyed. The work of the university was discontinued.
In the very first months after the liberation of Stalingrad, the city administration raised the issue of the immediate restoration of the educational institution before the People's Commissariat of Education. Given that there were no suitable buildings for training in the city, the pedagogical institute was temporarily moved to neighboring Kamyshin. The first classes took place on November 15, 1943. In the spring of 1945, the restoration of the main building in Stalingrad began, and in 1948, teachers and students returned to their native Academic Street in the newly rebuilt classrooms.
Post-war years
The 1950s were years of dynamic growth at the Stalingrad Industrial Pedagogical Institute. If in 1945 57 teachers taught at the university, then in 1950 their number increased to 114 people, 33% of which had academic degrees. The material and technical base was gradually strengthened; finally, students received well-equipped laboratories and linguistic classes. In 1956, the educational television center was launched.
In parallel, science developed. By 1960, educators had published about 1000 scientific papers, published 314 publications. In 1961, a full-fledged laboratory building was commissioned. In the same year, due to the renaming of the city, the institute began to be called Volgograd.
Further development
In the 1970s, the university had four dormitories, three academic buildings, and four museums (of which the Zoological University was the best in the Volga region). The construction of a new 9-story building of the institute began.
In the 1980s, VGPI continued to develop. In 1981, there were 6 faculties. The number of students exceeded 6,500, and about 400 highly qualified teachers were involved in their training.
In 1992, the institute was transformed into the Volgograd Pedagogical University under the patronage of the Russian Academy of Education. On its basis, experimental promising teaching methods were worked out. On May 10, 2011, after another reorganization, the university became known as the Volgograd State Social and Pedagogical University.
Structure
Looking at the photo of VGSPU, it becomes obvious that this is a large modern university with a strong material and technical base. Today the university is located in five buildings in the central part of the city of Volgograd. The structure includes:
- Institutes: advanced training, foreign languages, Confucius, art education, pedagogical informatics.
- Centers: educational, scientific, educational, childhood problems, historical, culture and leisure, personality development and others.
- School-studio of choreography "New time".
- Botanical Garden.
- Library, archive.
- 11 faculties.
In Volgograd, VGSPU occupies a special place among educational institutions. More than 13,000 students, interns and postgraduates from 30 countries study at the university. The institution provides training for teachers in more than 20 specialties.
The science
The leading areas of research are:
- Development of theoretical and methodological foundations of a holistic pedagogical process at school and university. Person-oriented education technologies.
- The study of history, the environment, economics, ecology and culture of the native land.
- The human factor in language and literature.
- Modernization of pedagogical systems in the region. Integration of science and education.
- Algebraic systems and related structures.
- Technologies for producing diamond-containing substances.
- Investigation of the galvanomagnetic and optical properties of low-dimensional structures in strong electric fields and others.
Scientific conferences and seminars of various levels are regularly held. The training of scientific and pedagogical personnel is carried out through graduate school and doctoral studies.
Material and technical base
The area of the educational and laboratory base of educational buildings is about 6000 m 2 . The book fund of the library numbers over 810,000 copies of scientific, educational and fiction literature. The university has its own publishing houses, including RPO and printing.
Most students in need are provided with places in 4 hostels. There is a sanatorium at VGSPU. The sports base with an area of 1550 m2 includes large and small gyms, gyms, a hall for table tennis, and a sports and fitness camp on the Akhtuba River. Employees and students relax on the Black Sea.
Admission to VGSPU
The selection committee begins to accept documents at the beginning of June at the address: Cabinet 0126 GUK, d. 27, ave. Lenin, Volgograd, Russian Federation, 400066. Previously, faculties and institutes hold Open Doors Days, a schedule of which is published on the official website of the university. There is also a list of documents for various types of training.
According to statistics for 2017, passing scores depend on the training profile. Minimum scores (38-39) were noted in such areas as economics, psychology, preschool education, and pedagogy. The maximum passing points (over 70) fell on such disciplines as choreography, design, graphics, translation studies, Chinese, English, French.
Reviews
VGSPU, being a large regional university, annually attracts thousands of applicants for various forms of training. According to students, the quality of teaching is quite good. However, in 2012, the regulatory authorities had questions for the leadership of the university, which is why it was included in the list of insufficiently effective ones. However, during the year the administration carried out a number of reorganization measures, which allowed rehabilitating themselves before the Ministry of Education and students.
A big plus is the good material and technical equipment, the availability of their own hostels, an extensive list of sports, entertainment, educational events. Interest clubs work, a student newspaper is published.