How to Obtain Top-Level Chemical Education?

Prof. Alexey Tyrkov, Dean of Astrakhan State University’s Chemical Department, has told at a recent meeting of the University Administration about the double-diploma program in Chemistry that the Chemical Department of ASU has launched jointly with the University of Artois (Arras, France).

According to Prof. Tyrkov, this program aims to train competitive specialists who met the present-day requirements towards knowledge and competencies that any qualified chemistry must have. The double-diploma program in Green Chemistry includes only a bachelor course now, and the two parties are planning to launch a master course in the future.

Speaking about the educational process, the Dean has pointed out that students must cover their first two years at Astrakhan State University and their 3rd year at the University of Artois. Upon their completion of the 3rd year, a student must take their theoretical exam. If the exam has been passed successfully, a student is granted a French diploma conferring the degree of a Bachelor of Chemistry on them. The 4th year is to be covered in Astrakhan again, as well as in some other Russian cities, where students practice their newly-obtained professional skills in Chemistry. Once they have defended their diploma paper, a student is granted a second diploma of higher education – a Russian diploma of a Bachelor of Chemistry issued by Astrakhan State University. Besides, our bachelors have an advantage, if they wish to join the Green Chemistry master program at the University of Artois: the French government provides a grant for them, so they do not have to spend their own money.

Prof. Tyrkov is sure that such graduates will be of high demand at the labor market both in Russia and outside it: “Firstly, specialists with a double diploma have an advantage over other graduates in the respect of international recognition of their education; secondly, they’ve gained precious experience obtained during their practical training at French and Russian enterprises. That’s why such graduates will have more chances to find a job that meets their qualifications at large companies of our country and abroad”.

Additional Information

A student wishing to cover a one-year program at their 3rd year in Arras, besides the main package of documents, must have a bank card with at least 300k RUR on it – this is an obligatory requirement to get a French academic visa. They shall be accommodated in comfortable single rooms at the students’ campus near the University of Artois; the monthly cost of accommodation is €250; the daily cost of food in the students’ canteen is about €3. The overall yearly cost is usually lower than 300k RUR.

Interviewed by T.Yu. Gavrilkina (the Innovative Laboratory of Information Linguistics of ASU)