“International Sakharov Environmental Institute” of the Belarusian State University
Sakharov International College of Radioecology
On January 20, 1992, the Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus №20 “On the opening of the Sakharov College of Radioecology at the Belarusian State University named after V. I. Lenin” was issued. The college was headed by the candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, associate professor A. M. Lyutsko.
The college was assigned the following tasks:
- training and advanced training of specialists in the field of radioecology, radiation safety, radiobiology, radiation and nuclear medicine, radiation technologies;
- conducting scientific research in the field of radioecology, radiation technologies, studying the consequences of radiation accidents;
- participation in the preparation of information for enterprises, organizations, institutions and the public on radioecological issues;
- international cooperation on educational and scientific problems of radioecology.
On January 27-28, the first meeting of the International Board of Trustees of the college was held, which was attended by the wife of A. D. Sakharov, E. Bonner.
The first students of the college with a three-year program were 65 people who completed two courses of higher educational institutions in the specialities of natural science and medical profiles. To organize the educational process, the college was allocated 8 rooms in the building of the Minsk Correspondence Polytechnic at 23/1 Dolgobrodskaya Street. Student practices were conducted in the city of Khoyniki, Gomel region, where a field station was established.
The academic year began on November 3, 1992. Teaching and learning had to be done in extreme conditions due to the lack of specialized literature, well-established discipline programs, lack of space, educational equipment and highly qualified teachers.
The second set of students was carried out in 1993. The training program was designed for four years. This time, applicants with general secondary education were also accepted. At the end of the academic year, the speciality “Radiobiology and radiation medicine” with the specialization “Medical ecology” was opened. The entire building at 23/1 Dolgobrodskaya Street was completely transferred to the College. The educational process has stabilized, the material and technical base has been strengthened, and after the opening of the research sector, the scope of scientific research has expanded.
In 1994, students were recruited for a 5-year period of study. Within the framework of the speciality “Radioecology”, training was conducted in the specializations “Nuclear physics and radiochemistry”, “Radiation safety” (later the specializations “Environmental monitoring and audit” and “Environmental information systems” were added to them). In the speciality “Radiobiology and radiation medicine”, students specialized in “Radiobiology”, “Medical ecology”, “Immunology” (later the specialization “Radiation hygiene and epidemiology” swas introduced).
Sakharov International Institute for Radioecology
On October 21, 1994, by the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Belarus, the college was transformed into the Sakharov International Institute of Radioecology, which was headed by Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Associate Professor Alexander Mikhailovich Lyutsko, Rector of the college.
In 1995, the first graduation of 38 specialists took place. For the training of highly qualified scientific personnel, a postgraduate course was opened in 9 specialities.
By the beginning of the 1997-1998 school year, the Department of Philosophy, Sociology and Economics, Department of Environmental Monitoring, Department of Radiobiology, Department of Human Biology, Department of Immunology were established.
On March 19, 1998, the rector of the Institute was appointed Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Milyutin Alexander Antonovich. Under his leadership, structural transformations, strengthening of the material and technical base, development of scientific and methodological support for the educational process and scientific research, and expansion of international cooperation continued.
International Sakharov Environmental University
In July 1999, the Sakharov International Institute for Radioecology passed the certification of the Republican State Inspectorate of the Education System of the Republic of Belarus and was transformed into the International Sakharov Environmental University.
Main tasks of the university are:
- training of specialists to work on national and international programs and projects in the field of elimination and forecasting of the consequences of radiation accidents, analysis of the impact of radiation and other natural and man-made factors on various ecosystems, diagnosis and prevention due to adverse conditions of environmental monitoring and audit, and in other related areas;
- training of personnel of the highest scientific qualification in the specialities of environmental orientation;
- professional development and retraining of specialists of the Republic of Belarus, the CIS countries and other countries in radioecology, radiation safety, radiobiology, environmental medicine;
- conducting fundamental and applied research on a wide range of problems of preventing and eliminating the consequences of environmental disasters, the impact of adverse environmental conditions on human health;
- international cooperation in the field of educational and scientific activities.
From 2003 to 2012, the University was headed by Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Semyon Petrovich Kundas.
In 2013, the Candidate of Biological Sciences, Associate Professor Valery Ivanovich Dunai, who previously headed the Department of Human Ecology at BSU, was appointed to the post of rector of the university.
International Sakharov Environmental Institute of the Belarusian State University
Today
In 2015, the university was renamed to the “International Sakharov Environmental Institute of the Belarusian State University” and included in the complex of the Belarusian State University. The Institute is headed by the director – Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor Maskevich Sergey Aleksandrovich.
The Institute includes three faculties: environmental monitoring, environmental medicine, advanced training and retraining, Yerevan branch (Republic of Armenia), a joint faculty with the Tajik National University in Dushanbe.
Currently, the Institute has 13 departments: Information Technologies in Ecology and Medicine; Environmental Monitoring and Management; Energy-Efficient Technologies; Nuclear and Radiation Safety; General and Medical Physics; Social and Humanitarian Sciences and Sustainable Development; Environmental Chemistry and Biochemistry; Immunology; Environmental Medicine and Radiobiology; General Biology and Genetics; Linguistic Disciplines and Intercultural Communications; Physical Education; Additional Education. Educational-methodical activity is accompanied by: a teaching laboratory for innovative technology; laboratory of environmental biotechnology, teaching laboratory for environmental education.
There are 207 faculty members at the institute (14 professors, 23 doctors of science, 109 candidates of science).
The Institute prepares 1,775 students, undergraduates (full-time and part-time), 31 postgraduates (full-time and part-time) and 1 doctoral student.
Full-time students are trained in the following specialities: “Nuclear and Radiation Safety”, “Environmental Protection” (areas: “Environmental Management and Expertise”, “Environmental Monitoring”), “Energy-Efficient Technologies and Energy Management”, “Medical Physics”, “Information Systems and Technologies (in Healthcare)”, “Information Systems and Technologies (in Ecology)”, “Medical and Biological Business”, “Medical Ecology”. Students receive one of the following qualifications: “Engineer”, ” Ecologist. The engineer for the protection of the environment”, “Engineer-Energy Manager”, “Medical Physicist”, “Software Engineer”, “Engineer-Ecologist”. “Biologist-Analyst. Teacher of Biology”, “Ecologist-Expert”, ” Biologist-Ecologist. Teacher of Biology and Ecology”.
Work on employment begins already at 3-4 courses. When assigning students to practice, the graduating departments take into account the possibility of future employment at the place of production and pre-graduate practice. For this purpose, the graduating departments constantly maintain contacts with institutions and organizations that are potential consumers of personnel, conclude cooperation agreements with them. Subsequently, during the distribution, some of the graduates remain to work in those organizations where they directly passed the internship.
- The Faculty of Environmental Monitoring trains students in a group of engineering specialities related to ensuring the rational use of natural resources, environmental safety and environmental protection. Students are taught methods of environmental monitoring, radiation monitoring, environmental impact assessment; analysis of the data obtained for making decisions on environmental management, working with legal and regulatory documentation, the basics of nuclear and radiation safety at nuclear power plants and when exposed to ionizing radiation on personnel and the population; fundamentals of medical physics and the use of radiation technologies in medicine, conducting a system energy analysis (energy audit) of enterprises, technological processes and devices, evaluating their functional, economic and energy efficiency; calculating the energy efficiency of design solutions, evaluating their environmental safety. In 2020, the staff of the Faculty of Environmental Monitoring carried out 12 research and development projects; 222 scientific papers were published: 1 monograph, 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals and collections of materials, 153 abstracts; 4 textbooks were published; faculty members participated in 45 conferences and round tables, including 15 international ones.
- The Faculty of Environmental Medicine trains students to study and evaluate the impact of environmental factors of bio-and abiogenic origin on the state of cells, tissues, organs and all body systems (cardiovascular, nervous, endocrine, immune). Students are trained in the diagnosis of various pathologies, evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment (immune, screening immunoreactive drugs), methods of search for molecular markers of impact on the body of environmental factors and molecular markers occurring pathological processes, as well as the entire spectrum of modern diagnostic methods. Employees of the Faculty of Environmental Medicine in 2020 performed 15 research projects; 287 scientific papers were published, including: 2 monographs, 92 articles in peer-reviewed journals, 179 abstracts. 8 textbooks have been published (5 of them with the stamp of the Ministry of Education), 3 electronic educational and methodological complexes have been registered in the state information register. Faculty members participated in 115 conferences and seminars, including 110 international or with international participation. According to the results of the research, 2 patents were obtained, 2 applications for patents were filed, 29 acts on the use of the results of the research were drawn up.
- The Faculty of Advanced Training and Retraining conducts work in three areas: preparatory courses for applicants, a preparatory department for foreign citizens, advanced training and retraining of managers and specialists.
On the basis of the Faculty, IAEA courses on radiation protection and safety of ionizing radiation sources are conducted. The courses are conducted according to a standard program developed by the IAEA specialists and leading specialists of training centers in Argentina, Belarus, Brazil, China, Cuba, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Great Britain, India, Iran, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Morocco, Russia, Romania, Syria, Slovenia, Spain, the United States, Turkey, the Philippines, South Africa, and other countries.
The international activities of the Institute are aimed at ensuring its closer integration with the international university community, obtaining additional opportunities for accelerated development and competitive advantages.
International Sakharov Environmental State Institute of the BSU has permanent and effective contacts with the offices of international organizations and programs operating in the territory of the Republic of Belarus: the UN Office in the Republic of Belarus, the UNICEF Children’s Fund, UNESCO, the Minsk International Educational Center, the German Academic Exchange Service DAAD, etc. Long-term cooperation is carried out within the framework of the Program of the Baltic University (Sweden).
The Institute participates in the implementation of international projects under the following programs: Erasmus+, cross-border cooperation programs, etc. In 2020, the Institute continued to implement 8 international projects: including: Erasmus+ program: “Defining the goals and tools of expert assessment for medical education (healthcare)”, Erasmus+program: “Promoting the development of dual education in Belarusian higher education”. The international activities of the Institute were also aimed at the integration of environmental education in the CIS member states and the development of new promising specialities in the environmental field, taking into account the global trend.
Traditionally, the ISEI BSU is considered by foreign applicants as a fundamental educational institution of an environmental profile. During the period from 2006 to 2020, the Institute has trained more than 500 students from the CIS countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan). In 2020, 187 international students (full-time and part-time) who are citizens of the Russian Federation, China, the United States, Ukraine, Lithuania, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, Iraq, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Sri Lanka, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Nepal, Somalia, Burkina Faso were enrolled in the ISEI BSU.
Timeline of events
1992 – Resolution of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus №20 “On the opening of the International Sakharov College of Radioecology at the Belarusian State University named after V. I. Lenin”.
1992 – field station was established in Khoiniki, Gomel region, which later received the status of a Regional training and Information Center on Radiation Safety Issues.
1992 – creation of the Students Guild.
1992 – International Board of Trustees of the College started its work.
1993 – creation of the research sector in the structure of the Sakharov International College of Radioecology.
1994 – International Sakharov College of Radioecology was transformed into the International Sakharov Institute of Radioecology on the basis of the order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Belarus.
1994 – Board of the Institute, the highest governing body of the International Sakharov Institute of Radioecology, began its work.
1994 – speciality “Radiobiology and radiation medicine” was opened.
1995 – creation of the Department of Radioecology; the Department of Radiobiology and Medical Ecology; the Department of Humanitarian Education.
1995 – opening of postgraduate courses in 9 specialities.
1997 – Institute established new departments: Philosophy, Sociology and Economics; Environmental Monitoring; Radiobiology; Human Biology; Immunology.
1998 – departments of the Institute were transformed into three faculties: radioecology; radiobiology and environmental medicine; advanced training and retraining of personnel.
1999 – Department of Educational Resources was opened.
1999 – International Sakharov Institute of Radioecology was transformed into the International Sakharov Environmental University.
2000 – the International Scientific Conference “Sakharov Readings: Environmental Problems of the XXI Century” was established and is held annually.
2001 – creation of the faculty of pre-university training.
2001 – new specialities “Environmental monitoring, management and audit”, “Medical ecology”, “Medical and biological business” were opened.
2005 – International Sakharov Environmental University received the status of the basic organization for environmental education of the CIS member states by the decision of the heads of government of the CIS countries.
2007 – opening of the faculty of distance learning.
2007 – in order to develop innovative activities for the introduction of energy-saving technologies using renewable energy sources, the educational and scientific complex “International Ecological Park “Volma”was created.
2007 – foundation of the scientific-practical and informational-analytical journal “Ecological Bulletin”.
2011 – educational and methodological association for environmental education was established.
2011 – establishment of a branch of the University in Yerevan (Republic of Armenia) in the speciality of “Medical ecology”.
2013 – speciality “Medical physics” was opened.
2015 – International Sakharov Environmental University is included in the complex of the Belarusian State University and renamed the educational institution ” International Sakharov Environmental Institute” of the Belarusian State University.
2016 – Faculty of Environmental-Saving Technologies of TNU-ISEI BSU was opened (on the basis of the joint Institute of Technologies of the Tajik National University and the Belarusian State University (in Dushanbe, Republic of Tajikistan), which provides training in the first stage of higher education: energy-efficient technologies and energy management, nuclear and radiation safety, medical and biological science.
2017 – Department of Additional Education was established at the Faculty of Advanced Training and Retraining.
2017 – laboratory of ecological biotechnology was opened.
2018 – educational and methodological laboratory of innovative technologies and the educational and methodological laboratory of environmental education were opened.
2020 – new speciality in the master’s program – bioinformatics was opened; new profilizations were opened in the speciality “Ecology – urban ecology”; “Environmental biotechnology”.
2020 – new speciality was opened in the postgraduate – “Clinical immunology, allergology”.