Multibillion-dollar Russian university to open next year

Chronicle of Higher Education : The Far Eastern Federal University is part of Russia’s $20 billion investment in revitalizing the area around Vladivostok, in the far eastern part of the country. The university, which is the result of a merger of several smaller universities in the area, formally opens next year, although some classes are currently being held on the older campuses. The plan is to have a student population of 30â000, almost double the total number of students formerly enrolled at the merged universities. Areas of specialization will include Asian languages, marine biology, nanotechnology, and energy-conservation technology, and classes will be taught in both Russian and English. However, the university is drawing criticism in several areas. According to Alexander Molochov, the dean of the physics department, the university is lacking a strong academic staff, and recruitment is difficult. Other critics point to the inhospitable weather on the island where the campus has been built, the lack of freshwater supplies, the current lack of laboratory facilities, the corruption present in the campus construction process, and the overall remoteness of the area.