The Ural Federal University (UrFU) is one of the top ranked scientific centres in Russia, carrying out research in natural, technical, and social sciences, the humanities, and economics. Since 2008 the Ural University has carried the name of Boris Yeltsin, its graduate of 1955, elected by the people in 1991 to be the first President of Russia.

UrFU is a public, Government-owned university, part of its budget is paid by the Government, and part is made through providing education and research services. UrFU is one of the eight universities in Russia which have the ‘Federal’ status that enables them to get additional funding from the Government. The Ural University is the core of a research cluster that also includes scientific institutes of the Ural Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, specialised laboratories, and hi-tech industry companies.

The University includes 18 institutes offering over 120 Bachelor’s degree programmes and over 80 Master’s degree programmes. UrFU research facilities include dozens of research centres, innovation infrastructure, the Research Library boasting a collection of over three million books, several museums, and specialised collections. The total number of students at UrFU exceeds 50,000.

The UrFU sports facilities enable more than 30 sports teams to train and successfully compete. Every two years the University hosts one of the largest Russian student festivals, the ‘UPI Spring at the Ural Federal University’.

The University is engaged in numerous international projects funded by governmental institutions and non-governmental organizations from Russia, European Union, and the US; UrFU is a member of the SCO (Schanghai Organisation of Collaboration) Network University, the CIS (Community of Independent States) Network University and the Network University of the Arctic.

The first foreign students came to study at UrFU in the 1940s. In the past 90 years more than 2,500 specialists who now work in various countries of Europe, Asia, and Africa have been trained at the University. There are more than a thousand foreign students studying at UrFU today.

The University carries the name of Boris Yeltsin, the first President of Russia, elected by popular vote in 1991. Boris Yeltsin graduated from the Ural Polytechnic Institute (UPI, a part of UrFU today) in 1955 as a construction engineer. The beginning of his career path (before 1985) is connected to the Sverdlovsk Oblast (the Mid Urals with the centre in Ekaterinburg) where Yeltsin held the most important administrative positions, up to being the leader of the entire region.

With the start of perestroika in the USSR Yeltsin was promoted to leading positions in the country. In 1990 he left the Communist Party and in 1991 was elected the President of Russia.

Having become the first President of an independent Russia, Boris Yeltsin steered the course for the establishment of a free market economy, civil society, and democratic institutions in the country. A monument to Yeltsin was erected in Ekaterinburg and one of the central streets of the city was named in his honour. Yeltsin’s name was given to the Ural University in 2008.