Dagestan State University was founded in October 1931 as the Teachers' Training Institute, and later, in 1957, it was transformed into Dagestan State University (DSU). During its formation and development, the University has played a prominent role in the socio-economic and cultural development of the peoples of Dagestan and the development of its scientific, technical, educational, and artistic communities. Thereby, the University performed a historical mission in the life of the peoples of Dagestan and Russia.
Today DSU ranks as a significant educational, scientific and cultural center that provides training at all levels of pre-university, University, postgraduate, and further education in 59 specialties and degree programs for natural sciences, liberal arts, and technical studies.
The University has an innovative academic, research, and organizational structure that includes 17 faculties, seven filial branches, 103 departments, two museums (historical and biological), a virtual library containing more than 2.5 million volumes, a biological station, and a planetarium. It also owns its seaside recreation base, a sports complex, a clinic, and a students' resort center. Within the University, several scientific schools meeting high international standards have been formed. These scientific schools provide the base for training and comprise different education forms such as specialization, postgraduate studies, and doctorate. DSU is an advanced research center with 70 subject areas for postgraduate studies and 18 subject areas for a doctorate. There are seven dissertation councils in Dagestan State University specializing in these areas of scientific research.
DSU team amounts to nearly 3,000 members made by academic staff and other employees. The University academic staff includes one member of the Russian Academy of Education, four corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Science, 11 members of branch academies, 216 professors and doctoral degree holders, 618 senior lecturers – holders of candidate degree, more than a hundred distinguished scientists and education workers of Russia and Dagestan. The total number of DSU students exceeds 20,000. At present, nearly 600 DSU postgraduates are seeking candidate and doctoral degrees.
Dagestan State University is a leading university of North Caucasus Federal District for its extensive use and promotion of modern technologies in academic and scientific work and management. It was the first in Dagestan to open the Internet Centre and to introduce distance education.
Currently, much attention is being paid to innovation in higher education, the creation of small enterprises, and young researchers' projects in small enterprises. All these measures are aimed at creating and marketing high-tech products.
