On February 25 SUSU Academic Council made a decision to form Institute of Economics, Trade and Technology on the bases of Trade and Economic Faculty and Faculty of Food Technology. A new Institute will be headed by Professor and Doctor of Science (Economics) Irina Yu. Okolnishnikova.
According to SUSU Rector Alexander L. Shestakov, the tendency towards merging of different faculties is very notable not only for South Ural State University but also for other institutions of higher education all around Russia. Considering the integration process the mergence of two faculties which are similar in their scientific directions (in this case one faculty used to be a part of the other) is quite normal and logical. This will allow to strengthen the potential of the main training directions of Trade and Economic Faculty and Faculty of Food Technology. Alexander Shestakov underlined that the integration would positively influence the scientific activity of the departments, optimization of study and cooperation with regional employers.
According to the Rector, the formation of Institute will improve the status of both Faculties. From now they will exist at completely new level and, finally, it will improve the education quality.
In the course of the meeting devoted to reorganization Irina Yu. Okolnishnikova emphasized that a new title of the Institute completely reflected the specific character of the new division which included economic, trade and service, food, graphic and advertising technologies.
Also Irina Okolnishnikova noted that the Institute staff had a great number of objectives and tasks; among them there was Admission 2013. Then the newly formed staff will have to develop the further educational process. All the students, especially the graduates of 2013, will see only the positive results of this reorganization.
The scientific activity issue is still quite urgent for the new division. The development of scientific schools in the sphere of business economics, accounting and finance, logistics, marketing, commodity examination and food technologies is of high priority for the newly formed Institute. Without scientific activity it is not possible to preserve the high status of Institute as the division of National Research South Ural State University.