UrFU International Profile

Ural Federal University has strong global ties; internationalization is one of the University’s top priorities. UrFU has established partnerships with more than 500 foreign universities from all over the globe; the University actively participates in international network projects: Erasmus+, BRICS Network University, CIS Network University, Shanghai Cooperation Organization University, University of the Arctic (UArctic), Association of Sino-Russian Technical Universities.

Around 4'400 international students from 101 countries are currently enrolled at Ural Federal University. The majority of our international students come from Central Asia, China, South Korea, Latin America, Mongolia, Vietnam, and countries of Europe. The University holds annual international summer schools devoted to Russian language and culture, economics and management, engineering.

Annually more than 150 UrFU students and researchers go abroad within academic mobility programs. There is a local group of the Board of European Students of Technology (BEST) at UrFU; activities of BEST group allow UrFU students to participate in short-term courses at European universities 4 times a year.

UrFU scientists participate in international research funding programs such as the EU's Seventh Framework Program (FP7), Open Society Institute's International Higher Education Support Program (HESP), and Regional Seminar for Excellence in Teaching (ReSET). Our specialists implement a whole range of applied research projects collaborating with their partners from Germany, USA, South Korea etc.

The University is also developing ties and undertaking collaborative research through inviting foreign professors to Ekaterinburg: e.g., since 2012 Dr Jean Jouzel (France), co-laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize, has been the head of the UrFU Climate Change Laboratory. From 2013 the University has launched a large-scale project "Returning to Europe: Russian elites and European innovations, norms and models (XVIII - early XXth centuries)" under the guidance of a renowned French researcher, Dr Marie-Pierre Rey.

List of International Research Laboratories

In 2013 Ural Federal University entered the list of Russian universities that won in a competitive selection for the right to receive special subsidy targeted at enhancing the global competitiveness of the university and increasing its positions in the international rankings. In October 2013 the Roadmap that will allow UrFU to enter the top-100 of world universities by 2020 was officially approved.

Currently the University is ranked among top-500 world universities according to QS World University Ranking and placed 63rd among BRICS countries universities (QS World University Rankings: BRICS).

Our Achievements

Ural Federal University is the largest regional platform for international events. In 2014 UrFU hosted the ACM-ICPC (International Collegiate Programming Contest) World Finals. In April 2016 the university became a venue for the First Forum of the BRICS Network University, and the International Young Physicists' Tournament in June 2016.

2019 Agreement with the Maritime University Vietnam

In 2008 a unique Center of Chinese language and culture – the Confucius Institute – was established on the basis of Ural Institute of Humanities. In December 2019 the UrFU Confucius Institute was included into the top-30 Best Confucius Institute branches of the world.

UrFU has pursued ways of cultural integration combining the efforts of the faculty and students. In 2013 the Thai Cultural Centre was officially opened in the University; in 2016-2019 - the Centers of European, Iranian, Turkish, Armenian, and Arabic Studies were estblished.

In 2018 and 2019, 2 United Nations Under-Secretary-Generals visited UrFU.

Annually Ural Federal University is visited by more than 150 foreign delegations representing the leading world universities, diplomatic structures and major companies and enterprises.

Executive Director of UN-Habitat M.M. Sharif

Created / Updated: 2 December 2013 / 27 January 2020