History
Beginning with the day of its foundation in 1(13) April 1865 Odessa National Mechniсkov University (ONU) has been one of the leaders in the educational system formation, the development of scientific investigations and the culture of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest universities in Ukraine. Together with the universities of Kiiv, Charckiv and Lviv, it determines the state and prospects of the development of the education, science and culture in our country. ONU is a university that is noted throughout the world. It has a considerable worldwide authority and among 75 world best universities it possesses an honorary 48th place in the world rating.
The scientists noted throughout the world have added lots of new chapters to the history of Ukraine and the University: I.I.Mechnikov – the Nobel prizeman; physiologist I.M.Sechenov – the founder of the native physiology; the first president of Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, academician, microbiologist D.K.Zabolotniy; academician, botanist V.I.Lipskiy; biologist O.O.Kovalevskiy; physicist F.N.Shvedov; physicist-theorist, founder of the mathematic department of Novorossiysk Nature Study Association M.O.Rosumiv; academician, the founder of the world-famous organic chemists’ school M.D.Zelinskiy; member of the Academy of Sciences of Russia and USSR, historian and archeologist F.I.Uspenskiy; academician, a member of the National Academy of Sciences Presidium, the founder of the physical-chemical institute in Ukraine O.V.Bogatskiy; slavicist V.I.Grigorovich; zoologist D.K.Tretijakov; geologist O.N.Krishtarovich; chemist L.V.Pisarzchevskiy and many others.
It should be mentioned that three of the six presidents of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences worked as professors in ONU: academicians D.K.Zabolotniy, V.I.Lipskiy, O.O.Prochanin. Nowadays five prizewinners of the national award, fifteen honoured workers of education and men of science and technology work in ONU.
ONU is the only university in Ukraine that has accomplished a sort of a labour feat by working without a break during the Second World War, even while being in the evacuation.
In 1965 ONU was awarded the Order of Red Labour Banner for prominent services to the cause of specialist training. In 1978 it was included into the list of the leading universities of USSR.
The history of the higher education in the southern Ukraine began in 1865 with a building of Novorossiysk Imperial University. Its further development goes hand in hand with work of ONU. A nationwide influence of ONU on education consists in the fact that the majority of the higher education establishments in the southern Ukraine have been created on the basis of the faculties of ONU (Odessa State Medical University, Odessa State Economical University, Odessa National Law Academy).
Odessa National Mechnickov University is accredited in full measure at the forth level of accreditation. According to the order of the Department of Education from 04.03.1998 the training of students is organized at a many-level system: bachelor, specialist, magister.
Nowadays I.M.Koval, a doctor of political sciences and a professor, has an appointment as a principal.
The main aim of the university is to train qualified human resources in order to supply a need of specialists in education, science, art, economy, law, business etc. in different spheres of economy and manufacture. The measures that are targeted at meeting the goal objective are listed in the University Regulations, which is approved by the Department of Education of Ukraine 12.04.2005 (registration number 37).
Four institutes (Institute of Mathematics, Economy and Mechanics, Institute of Social Sciencies, Institute of Postgraduate Education) and ten faculties (historical, philological, romano-germain philology, economic-legal, biological, geologic-geophysical, chemical, physical, and the faculty of pre-university education) secure educational process in the University. Furthermore there functions a specialized deanery for work with foreign students, the preparation department for foreign students, business and social work college of ONU. There are 102 chairs and a magistracy in ONU.
More than 500 people of 102 professions do here postgraduate study that is one of the biggest in Ukraine. Every year 30-35 Ph.D. theses are defended.
From year to year more than 30 doctorate candidates work in the doctorate. They defend from 10 to 15 doctorate theses annually.
Altogether there are 7 specialized senates in the University, where dissertations are defended for 29 specialties.
Odessa National Mechnickov University created a new successful system of educational institutions and centers in the southern Ukraine in such cities as Nikolaev, Cherson, Pervomaisk, Illichevsk, Yuzhniy, Belgorod-Dnestrovsk, Teplodar. This net has a nationwide value, as it has brought the education within the reach where the youth only dreamt about it. The usage of authorial educational technologies saves no less than 20% of public funds for specialist trainings.
The University realizes specialist trainings for 20 departments and 41 specialties on the basis of the corresponding license. Recently there has been created a number of new specialties: microbiology and virology, psychology, the Bulgarian language and literature, computer systems and nets, translation, philosophy, applied linguistics, publishing and editorship, non-productive sphere management, bookkeeping and audition, international economic relations etc. Educational activity is also conducted in the preparation department for Ukrainian citizens and in the preparation department for foreign citizens. In the Institution of postgraduate studies one can obtain retraining, advanced training and the second higher education for all the specialties under another license. In 1996 there was created a business and social work college of ONU. In 1999 a complex “School-College-University” appeared on its basis for the first time in Ukraine. The complex has got a status of experimental project. The unicity of this complex consists in the economy of budgetary funds for each specialist’s training; social protection of youth increases; a social atmosphere in small cities improves noticeably. The lycees of Rishelie, Ochackov and Belgorod-Dnestrovsk collaborate with the University.
The total amount of university workers is about 3500 people, including 179 doctors of science, professors, almost 732 candidates of science, associate professors. The number of scientific-pedagogical personnel, those who conduct educational process and carry out scientific investigations, is 1671 people. 125 doctors of science, professors; 576 candidates of science, associate professors, including 57 academicians, corresponding members Ukrainian Academy of Sciences and branch academies; honored workers of science, prizewinners of many national and other awards take part in the educational process. About 8000 students study by contract basis. More than 700 foreign citizens also obtain education at the University.
The worldwide recognition of ONU as one of the leading Ukrainian universities is also supported by its collaboration with almost 100 world universities, for instance such projects as TEMPUS-TACIS, numerous programs INTAS, KNOW-HOW, SCOR and others. To secure the educational process in Odessa city the university has 8 main educational buildings with 70637 sq.m. of a general floor area, and 52937 sq.m. of academic area. Social basis of the university includes 8 dormitories with 40500 sq.m. of a floor area; 4 refectories and coffee-bars; medical aid posts and athletic-recreating camp “Chernomorka” that can receive 500 people. The sports buildings of ONU (the oldest stadium in Odessa, 2 gyms, tennis courts) helped to prepare champions of the world, Europe, USSR and Ukraine, Olympic Games, numerous world-class athletes, masters of sport.
28 famous scientific schools function in ONU. Numerous researches with a total volume of 7 mln. grivnas are fulfilled every year for state budget and economic agreement topics.
24 academic universities are members of 18 research and professional councils of Ukraine.
Scientific researches are concentrated in 30 scientific departments, among them – 4 Research Studies Institutes, 11 Research and Development Centers, 14 Scientific Research Laboratories.
The astronomical observatory of ONU, founded in 1871, is one of the oldest in Ukraine. The third collection of the starry heaven in the world, taken during the 20 century, represents a national endow of Ukraine.
The Research Studies Institute of Physics, founded in 1926, is the first scientific institute of physical profile in Ukraine. A world famous center with regard to optical data record represents Ukraine in the International Committee of scientific photographs. Works of the Institute received national awards of USSR and Ukraine and the award of the American photographical society.
The Institute of combustion and nonconventional technologies is the only institute of such a profile in Ukraine. It comprises a basis of the Ukrainian department of the US institute of combustion and represents Ukraine in the European consortium for nanomaterials.
The scientific library is one of the biggest and the oldest libraries in Ukraine. It was founded in 1817 and it possesses now more than 3.6 mln. of volumes. Among those volumes you can find unique, old publications of ΧV-ΧVΙΙΙ centuries – 5 incunabula, 27 paleotypes that were printed in the first century of typography (ΧVc.); and about 9000 rare and valuable books. The treasure of a national typography “The Ostrog Bible”, which was published in Ostrog in 1581 by Ivan Fedorov, belongs to the unique books. The oldest book in the library is an incunabulum of John Andrea’s heraldry “Tractate about the roots”. It was published in Nurnberg in 1476.
The Botanic Garden is one of the oldest and the most famous scientific centers in Ukraine, which struggles for the variety of the world flora to be saved. It was founded in 1867. From 1928 to 1937 the academician, ex-president of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences V.I.Lipskiy governed the Botanic Garden. The Garden has the status of a natural memorial and by the resolution of the Ministry it is reckoned among the national-protection fund of Ukraine. Its funds of introduced plants contain 3840 species, forms, sorts and hybrids.
1902 a famous zoologist P.M.Buchinskiy founded the hydrobiological station. At different times there worked outstanding biologists D.K.Tretijakov, Y.P.Zaicev and others.
Petrographic-myneralogical museum (1865) is a national endow. The funds of museum consist of 12500 samples from every corner of the globe. Concerning the scientific value there is a collection of ore deposition among them, including ferromanganesian concretions from the bottom of the World Ocean. The most valuable exhibit of the museum is the biggest in Ukraine collection of meteorites.
The Museum of Zoology (beginning of the ΧΙΧ c.) is also one of the oldest museums in Ukraine. Scientific collections number more than 50000 objects and have unique finds from ΧΙΧ c., such as professor E.E.Ballion’s collection of flies, I.I.Mechnickov’s anthropological collection. A fully built-up skeleton of a 27 m. high blue whale is also considered a unique exhibit of the museum.
The Paleontological Museum was founded in 1873 on the basis of the Rishelie lycee collection. This museum belongs to 10 best museums of the world and numbers more than 40000 objects. Many collections are considered as a pattern for studying the fauna of former Black Sea area. The Paleontological museum doesn’t have any countertypes in Ukraine, and many of its exhibits are unique. An underground paleontological reserved area in karst caves of Odessa is also a national endow. It represents a unique burial ground of more than 40 species of extinct animals.
The members of ONU have published about 8700works only within 3 recent years. There are 116 monographs among them, 395 textbooks, more than 2000 teacher editions. More than 2150 works have been published in world famous magazines. A publishing house “Astroprint” works with ONU.
Odessa National Mechnickov University is a universally recognized leading institution of higher education among classical universities. It is a national, scientific and cultural center of Ukraine.
