Barnaul is one of the most ancient cities of Western Siberia. It is known by its historical and cultural traditions, architectural monuments and museums. The city is situated in a very picturesque place on the bank of the river Ob.

Barnaul is a big industrial, scientific and cultural center. There are 6 higher educational institutions in the city and the only one which gives classical education is Altai State University.

Altai State University (ASU) was founded in 1973. Now it really takes the leading place among different scientific institutions of the city. It is a major complex, which includes 11 departments, 3 branches of the University, 4 scientific research institutes, 37 specialities and scientific branches, specialized educational bases, a voluminous scientific library. All this ensures a high level of students' education.

Altai State University provides a good training of highly-qualified specialists in natural sciences, in the humanities, economic, social and political scientific branches.

The University possesses modern buildings for study, student hostels, scientific research laboratories, a computers-stock. New information technologies for education are being working out and widely used in the University.

In July, 1997 Internet center was opened in Altai State University. It was established within the bounds of the programme of the Russian government and Open Society Institute (Soros Fund) "Internet Centers in Russian Universities".

Altai State University has close connections with educational centers of Europe, Asia and America. The University participates in 25 various Russian and International programmes, icluding Soros International Programme on making historical computer maps (INTAS-programme).

Students are offered 13 scientific branches and 24 specialities while being admitted to the University.

Admisson to the Post-graduate courses is for 37 specialities.

8000 students and more than 200 post-graduates study at full-time and correspondence departments.

The process of education is ensured by 60 chairs, where 16 Academicians and Corresponding Members of Academies of Sciences, more than 60 Doctors of Sciences, Professors, 250 Assistant Professors and Candidates of Sciences work.

Nearly 2500 school-children have a special training provided by the University. Preparatory study is organized more than in 30 specially-orientated classes of Barnaul secondary schools, in the Lyceum and Natural Sciences School and at the Preparatory Courses.

Scientists and lecturers of the University have worked out modern educational technologies, created prospective composition materials. They have had basic monographs in the spheres of History, Archaeology and Ethnography, Language and Literature of Siberian peoples published. Now an aerospace monitoring of natural resources is being held at the University.

There are 8 Thesis Defending Boards at the University, 3 of them are Thesis for a Doctor's degree Defending Boards. International and Russian scientific conferences are regularly held at Altai State University.

• Altai State University, Faculty of Mathematics and Information Technologies