Volny University of Pskov

Pskov Volny ("Independent") University was established in 1992 as one of the first independent institutions of higher education in Russia. The university's founders are leaders of local state institutions, private enterprises, and research and cultural organizations who came together to form a joint-stock company and direct all dividends toward the university. The administration includes leading specialists in various fields of education who develop curriculum and teaching methods for the university's B.S., M.S., and foreign language programs.

The university consists of five academic faculties:

• Social Sciences: sociology and several schools of psychology
• Law
• Business: banking, accounting, foreign trade, commerce, marketing, strategic planning, and personnel management
• Art Studies: music and management of cultural institutions
• Information Systems
• English for Business Management.

Each academic program involves professional internships and mandatory English language study. French, Dutch, and German are offered as electives. There are currently about 200 students at Volny, most of whom have received scholarships that the university arranges with various sponsoring organizations.

Volny has partnered with the U.S. nonprofit Interweave in Olympia, WA, since 1992 to conduct faculty and student exchanges. It also has close relations with Tacoma Community College, Tacoma, WA, which granted two scholarships to Volny students in 1993. In the summers of 1993 and 1995, the university hosted a group of American students for a summer language program.

Last updated:    February 1999

A print version of much of the information contained in this NIS Third Sector Organizations section can be found in the The Post-Soviet Handbook (Seattle and London: University of Washington Press, 1999).

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