With the approach of summer, school graduates have a heated debate about what to do next, whether it is worth getting higher education. Many people decide to study after school, then the following questions arise: which university to choose, what profession to study, and so on. Of course, most applicants choose state-run higher education institutions, but there are those that appeal to commercial projects. We will talk about one of them in this article - this is the VEGU Academy. A lot has been said about this educational institution in the past, they say it now. However, to this day it is not easy to make any unambiguous opinion.
VEGU Academy - what is it?
Despite the fact that this educational institution has been operating for more than twenty years and has a powerful educational and material base, in addition, more than twenty thousand people study there annually, not many applicants have enough information about it. "WEGU Academy? What is it?" - so many school graduates react when they are told about it. For some reason, this academy is undeservedly in the shadows. Although, on the other hand, she does not need advertising, her achievements speak for themselves. Well, let's see what the VEGU Academy is, for this we will return to the distant 1993.
How it all began?
In the winter of 1993, a sensational note appeared in the media of Bashkortostan about the creation of a fundamentally new higher educational institution - the Eastern Institute of Economics, Humanities, Management and Law (WEGU). After this message, a flurry of calls and phone calls literally fell upon the admissions committee and the administration with a request to give detailed information about this university, about the conditions for admission, about what the methodology of innovative education and the organization of the educational process are.
As the rector of this university, E. K. Minabaev recalls, the institute appeared in a very difficult and “hungry” time for higher education, someone was waiting for manna from heaven (money from the country's skinny budget), someone was depressed, constantly complaining about life , someone threatened with layoffs and strikes, and many left pedagogical activity altogether. And at the same time, tens of thousands of school graduates remained overboard with higher education, as there were, and still are, strictly limited places in universities and institutes in the country. This whole situation gradually matured into an idea that became a reality (VEGU Academy was founded at the end of January 1993).
Heavy period
Old-timers say that in early March a real stir began, there were huge lines, there were few employees. Students of that set recall that the interview was then conducted directly by the rector and vice-rectors. Work was carried out from morning to late evening, seven days a week. So, in just a month, more than three thousand people passed through the selection committee, but only one and a half thousand became students. As a result, violent passions began to flare up around the institute’s employees, there were tears, and indignation, and threats from those who did not pass the interview.
From the memoirs of the vice-rector
As the first vice-rector of the academy S. G. Masalimov recalls, few people believed in this university. So, in the spring of 1993, VEGU teachers held a practical scientific conference on alternative education. Almost all of its participants expressed their opinion that this system would turn out to be unviable, arguing that it would take at least twenty years to establish it, subject to state support. And nevertheless, this university was supported by many state structures - this is the leadership of both the Bashgospedinstitut, and the Law Institute of Internal Affairs, etc.
Second set
From the first days, only three faculties were opened: economic, pedagogical and legal. 52 associate professors and 14 professors were involved in cooperation. Then general institute departments began to form, the number of specialists increased significantly. As the saying goes, the process has begun.
Before the first students could sit at their desks, the second set was announced. Interest in the institute did not wane, even on the contrary, it was growing. And again, huge lines lined up in the selection committee, and even a preliminary appointment was made. In the summer of 1993, more than five thousand applicants made an attempt to enter this university, but only three thousand were accepted.
Rapid development
The VEGU Academy is interesting for its unusually fast pace of formation and development. After the first year of work, it became clear that this is not a spontaneously formed organization, but a serious university that sets real and noble goals, develops according to a clearly planned scheme with strictly adhered to certain deadlines. Over the course of just one year, the following were opened: its publishing house, Vostochny Universitet (printing equipment was purchased); computer classes; own library; representative offices in other cities (Belebey, Birsk, Almetyevsk, Tuymazy, Yekaterinburg, Samara, Sterlitamak); College of Humanities. In addition, the main directions of scientific and research work were outlined, administrative and educational-methodical departments, departments were formed. They started talking about the university.
Of course, opponents and supporters appeared. Thanks to both of them, this educational institution continues to develop. This is largely due to the fact that the VEGU Academy is run by a very difficult person - doctor of historical sciences, professor Evgeny Kadyrovich Minnibaev. This talented, unconventional-minded person has put together a team that knows how to win.
Academy Status
The formation of this university began with one room with an area of 10 square meters, and today the VEGU Academy is an association that spreads throughout the country: from Moscow and Sochi to Tomsk and Novokuznetsk. Today's students of this university study in spacious and bright classrooms, in modern computer classes, use a unique multimedia scientific library. In 2007, the university passed state accreditation. According to its results, the Accreditation Board of the Federal Service issued a decision according to which VEGU received the status of the academy. Today it has a very high rating among Russian universities. More than 60 percent of the teaching staff have degrees of doctors and candidates of sciences. The scientific and research activities of students and teachers are organized by the departments and research institute of this university. The VEGU Academy provides training for thousands of graduate students and students, more than 40 thousand graduates work in commercial and state structures.
General information about the university
Today's VEGU Academy has at its disposal a powerful educational base: 28 educational buildings throughout the country; 69 computer classes equipped with the latest equipment and software; a unique library, the fund of which includes more than one million books and manuals; multimedia library; special electronic complex of teaching materials. The academy has sixteen institutes, five of which are located in Ufa, and eleven in various regions of Russia. Today, without exaggeration, we can say that this university has received universal recognition both at the public and at the state level. It could not be otherwise. That's what the VEGU Academy has achieved in a relatively short period. “What is this?” - this question was raised at the beginning of our article, now we can answer it - this is a whole country, thousands of people work and study here, expanding geography, ongoing construction, growing material and technical equipment.
What are the innovative technologies of the educational process?
The leadership of the academy set a course for the development of the educational process in accordance with the development of modern digital technologies, thereby seriously outstripping all universities in our country. For example, at VEGU, all methodological literature is translated into electronic form. This helps to simplify access to information for any student. The problem even consisted not only in the fact that there wasn’t enough print media for everyone (according to the norms, two textbooks had one textbook), the system error was that most of the information in them was very outdated. This is explained by the fact that the path of this data from its appearance to the time of delivery to students is usually 5-8 years. And this is too long in the modern world. After all, we live in a turbulent century regarding the development of science and technology. In the scientific world, theories arise and go into oblivion at the speed of falling stars in the sky. As a result, while the textbook is being created, the information in it for the most part becomes unnecessary. How can a student be taught using knowledge that is no longer useful to him? Therefore, the leadership of the academy is engaged in the search, processing and introducing into the educational process all the useful modern information - this is scientific discoveries, and the development of scientists, and theories, and articles by leading experts, etc. All this knowledge is translated into electronic form and immediately included in the educational process.
Today, the VEGU Academy Digital Library Foundation has more than 15 thousand different publications. Among them, there are unique ones: training systems, interactive educational methodological complexes, review lectures, etc.
Conclusion
Today it is not just electronic text on a computer or tablet’s monitor, but a resource that can conduct a dialogue with a student, prompt him, as well as answer student questions and check it. This unique system was created by university employees who systematically implement mechanisms for managing work with the content of the educational process along this path. The Academy does not lag behind progress, and in some issues it is itself an impetus to its development.
In the archives of the university there are many scientific works of its students, which to this day have not lost their relevance. Recently, the Academy opened access to the World Wide Web. In order to avoid the unlawful use of these works, an additional verification item has appeared in many text uniqueness programs - the VEGU Academy. Anti-plagiarism now has access to the works of university students, thereby excluding reprinting them by other students.