Victor Sadovnichy

The major idea was and still is that Moscow State University should constantly develop to provide the best education possible and to sustain the world-class level of science. The intellectual potential is a vital element of governmental strength, therefore the MSU graduates of the highest caliber and potential are in high demand to ensure the development and well-being of the country. 

The importance of combining a basic and multidisciplinary approach in teaching and doing research was recognized and conferred in innovative courses, projects and faculties. To manifest the importance of novel ideas Lomonosovskaya award was established (1992). It is granted annually for exceptional achievements in education. To support the young researches Shuvalovskaya award (1993) for prominent advances in science was created. 

Coming into the vibrant 21 century the University expanded and extended the arrears of scientific endeavour. The coming decades of his office brought more then 20 new faculties, 150 revolutionary new departments, specialties, forms of teaching and organizing research. 

The University has reestablished the Medical Faculty that separated from it nearly a century ago and gave rise to an independent institution. Together with the Medical Research and Educational Centre (2014) they provide opportunities for professional development of doctors in contemporary scientific and interdisciplinary fields. 

During Sadovnichy’s office the University has attained a lot, maintaining its status of the leading higher educational centre. It takes the prominent position in high-throughput computing and high-performance computing having a state-of-the-art Supercomputer complex with no analogues in Russia. More than 600 research groups collaborate with MSU and exploit the complex to the benefit of science. This complex is used in pharmaceutical studies, testing new drugs and modeling very complicated physiological processes. With the help of this complex, the University performs calculations for its own space programme, launches its own satellites and carries out space investigations. 

The University has a long-standing interest and experience in studying objects of the Universe. It all started with the equipment on the second satellite launched in 1957 in USSR. To celebrate its 250 anniversary the University sent its own satellite named “University-Tatiana” (2005) on a mission. This sputnik was the first in the long list of space exploration of the University. And the latest satellite “Lomonosov” escaping the Earth gravity in 2016 is a highly equipped space laboratory. 

One of the latest faculties organized is the Faculty of Space Studies that is going to teach specialists in exploration of space including experimental medicine and biology on board. The graduates of the faculty will be prepared to take part in working out new equipment, study various conditions in space and investigate the condition of null gravity as well as various phenomena waiting to be revealed.

The concept of the New Territory was developed and put into practice: the first stone for a new building was placed in 1993 and to celebrate the 250 jubilee an opening ceremony for the New Building of the Fundamental Library was held. Nowadays this is one of the most ambitious University’s projects – the scientific and technological valley. It is planned to be a multifunctional and interdisciplinary cluster with the best possible facilities provided. It will unite groups from various fields of knowledge: biology, medicine, physics, soil, and materials studies. The new territory will feature new laboratories, centres, depositories, museums and halls. It will be an open space for communication as well.

One of the greatest achievements of the Rector's policy is a chain of University’s branches founded in several foreign countries of the former Soviet Union.

Many changes in cultural policy were brought into practice. The Cultural centre of the University flourishes giving students an opportunity to enroll on a variety of courses ranging from piano classes to contemporary dances. The series of concerts “By invitation of the Rector…” that featured many prominent performers and word-known bands. Denis Matsuev, Valery Gergiev, Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra of Moscow and many others visited the University and performed for the staff and students. 

The University’s holiday Tatiana Day was proclaimed to be the 'day of students' in Russia. 

“Festival of Science” is another successful project that was originally launched by the University in 2006 but spread to the whole country. It demonstrates achievements of science and technology in a way it is interesting and engaging for all ages. It unites the educators of the highest caliber to present state-of-the-art in a vide rage of disciplines. 

The University has always provided the best exemplars of professional, social and cultural development. To foster its effectiveness and balance its potential with the challenges the time poses, “Programme of development up to 2020” was established in 2010. Financially supported by the Russian Government and supervised by the Board of Trustees, it aims at developing of the University in a wide range of spheres:

The Programme ensures that MSU can deliver teaching and research of the top quality now and continue to do this in future. It underpins our mission to advance education and build the ‘University of the Future’ keeping up with the highest standards possible.