Volga Region University Rector Rafis Burganov held a kickoff conference with the university's faculty and staff, where he summarized the past academic year and outlined plans for the new one.
"Last year, we celebrated our 50th anniversary: during this time, we grew from a branch of the Volgograd Academy to a university with six institutes. The student body increased from 150 to 4,500, new educational programs were launched, and the university's infrastructure expanded severalfold.
During the 2025 admissions campaign, 11,800 applications from 3,565 people were received. The number of applications increased by 50%, and the number of applicants by 30% compared to last year's admissions campaign, and compared to 2020, the increase was 2.6 times and 1.8 times, respectively. Overall, the university fully met its admissions targets for all educational programs," Rafis Burganov concluded at the beginning of his speech.
The rector also highlighted the positive results of the admissions campaign at Volga Region University's college. For example, in the Tourism program, there were 16 applicants per place, with an average grade point average of 5.
According to Rafis Burganov, the new academic year has seen an increase in applicants from Kazan. Furthermore, students from 70 regions of Russia have come to study at Volga Region University—mostly from Bashkortostan, Udmurtia, and the Samara region. The university also has 110 international students from 22 countries.
"The motto of Volga Region University is 'Learn to Win!' and every year we set new goals for ourselves. This academic year, that goal is to achieve professional, public, and international accreditation. Successful completion will strengthen our position in the rankings. All higher education programs are submitted for accreditation," the head of the sports university outlined the university's development plan.
Last academic year, Volga Region University actively collaborated with the Russian Football Union, resulting in the implementation of two educational modules at the RFU Academy. As a result, 23 graduates received UEFA S-20 licenses along with their bachelor's degrees, and 13 graduates qualified as referees. Collaboration with the RFU continues in the new academic year, with plans to add programs for students majoring in pedagogy and sports management.
Furthermore, with the support of the Republic of Tatarstan, the first graduating class graduated from an integrated educational program that allowed students to obtain several specializations simultaneously: coaching in their chosen sport, physical education teacher, teacher of national security and defense, teacher of supplementary education, and instructor of adaptive physical education. This is a unique experience for the Tatarstan education system.
"Research remains a priority for Volga Region University. In 2024, 18 scientific and practical conferences, roundtables, research sessions, and competitions were held. Five of these conferences were part of the Russian Ministry of Sport's scientific conference program and were held jointly with partner universities from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and China," Rafis Burganov summarized the university's research activities.
He also noted that the university's Research Institute has opened a "Phygital Sports" laboratory, which is already working to fulfill a state assignment from the Russian Ministry of Sport.
In 2024, the research institute conducted over 5,000 athlete examinations and performed nearly 19,000 medical procedures. It provides scientific and methodological support to sports teams from Tatarstan and Russia, as well as from friendly countries such as Iran, the United Arab Emirates, North Korea, and Cuba. Overall, Volga Region University is implementing 23 agreements with foreign organizations from 12 countries.
"We continue to train university national teams for competitions at various levels. Currently, the university has 41 national teams in 32 sports, and this year, work is underway to form three student national teams in phygital disciplines: football, hockey, and basketball. Every year, the university participates in the Spartakiad of Educational Institutions of Higher Education of the Republic of Tatarstan in 29 sports, and has been the undisputed overall winner since 2013. Nine of our teams in six sports participate in republican student sports leagues, and 21 teams in all-Russian leagues. This season, Volga Region University is also represented in the Higher Leagues in volleyball, handball, and artistic gymnastics," the rector noted.
He emphasized that Tatarstan's sports university annually hosts significant sporting events for Russia. For example, in 2024, the university's sports facilities hosted the large-scale multi-sport international competition, the BRICS Sports Games, which brought together athletes from 82 countries. Volga Region University played an active role in organizing and hosting the competition. This contributed to the university's infrastructure development and gave students the experience of participating in an international tournament as volunteers and athletes.
"Volga Region University is not just an educational institution, but the largest venue for mass events. In 2024, we hosted more than 620 events and 230,000 people. This is a challenging workload for the university staff, but it creates unique conditions not only for training practice-oriented specialists in the sports and tourism industries but also fosters a student environment where every student can find an activity that suits their abilities and needs," concluded Rafis Burganov.
Vice Rector for Research and International Affairs Andrey Nazarenko also summarized the past academic year. He noted positive developments in research at Volga Region University among both faculty and students, outlining areas for growth in the new academic year. He placed particular emphasis on faculty involvement in grant competitions. He noted that VSU has significant reserves and potential for scientific development, and the quantity and quality of research is increasing each year.
Alsu Zheltyakova, College Director, also spoke, discussing the results of the admissions campaign, recognizing the achievements of the faculty of the Secondary Vocational Education Department, and presenting the results of student activism in sports, creativity, and patriotic activities.
At the conclusion of the meeting, Rafis Burganov presented eight university staff and faculty with awards for their productive work and contributions to the development and promotion of physical education and sports: a Certificate of Appreciation from the Minister of Sport of Russia, a Certificate of Appreciation from the Minister of Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan, Certificates of Honor from the Ministry of Sport of Tatarstan, and a Certificate of Appreciation from the Rector of Volga Region University.
Text: Adelina Khramova
Photo: Pavel Zheleznyak
