The Government of the Chelyabinsk Region, VEB.RF State Development Corporation, and Chelyabinsk Concession Company (CCC), one of the founders of which is VTB Infrastructure Holding, have signed a direct agreement on the project to build a World-class Inter-university Campus in the Chelyabinsk Region.
The agreement defines the terms of interaction between the parties throughout the entire period of implementation of the concession agreement, including the procedure for settlements, changes in financing terms and the exchange of information about the project.
In the presence of the Governor of the Chelyabinsk Region Alexey Texler, member of the board of VTB Bank Vitaly Sergeychuk, and Deputy Chairman of VEB.RF Oleg Govorun, the document was signed by the Minister of Education and Science of the Chelyabinsk Region Vitaly Litke, CEO of CCC Alexey Shulepov and Managing Director of VEB.RF Nikolay Borisenko.
The campus project is being implemented in the format of a public-private partnership and provides for the creation of a modern educational infrastructure with a total area of 121.8 thousand square meters, intended for students of seven universities in the region.
In 2024, the construction of two hotels that provide accommodation to students within the first stage was completed. Work is currently underway on the second and third stages. Completion of the construction of six hotels of the second stage is planned for 2026, and the Research and Education Complex and Multifunctional Complex with conference halls will be launched in 2027.
Alexey Texler emphasized that the project was being implemented thanks to the pooling of resources and teamwork:
"I thank everyone for the decisions made. The campus that we will build in Chelyabinsk is the most important project for the development of our region in the field of education. This is an investment in the future, and new educational spaces for students that will provide an opportunity to solve problems in the field of science. And this would not have been possible without our partners. First of all, this is the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, which allocated federal funds. Funds from the regional budget were also allocated. But a significant share of funding is extra-budgetary. I would like to thank our partners: the VEB.RF Development Institute, VTB Bank, which not only provides financial assistance, but also leads this project as a whole, and its subsidiary, the Chelyabinsk Concession Company. Together with our partners, we are implementing a very important project. Thank you very much."
According to Alexey Shulepov, CEO of CCC (part of VTB Infrastructure Holding), the first stage was built in record time, and obtaining permits for subsequent stages confirms the high level of organization of the project. The implementation of the Inter-university Campus in the Chelyabinsk Region is an example of a successful partnership between business, government and science, aimed at creating conditions for training highly qualified personnel and developing the innovative potential of our region and our country as a whole.
Managing Director and Head of Investment Financing for the “Business. Partnership. Development” Block of VEB.RF Nikolay Borisenko noted that the signed agreement defines the terms of long-term cooperation between the government of the Chelyabinsk Region, VEB.RF and the concessionaire, Chelyabinsk Concession Company LLC, as well as approaches to risk distribution, which will ensure the most effective interaction and involvement of the parties for the successful implementation of the project.
"We are looking forward to the completion of the construction of all the facilities of the Inter-university Campus, and the agreements signed today are another guarantee that the project will be completed in full and on time. For our part, we and our industrial partners are ready to begin filling and forming the scientific and educational infrastructure − the university has concluded relevant agreements for dozens of new unique laboratories with leading enterprises in our region," said the SUSU Rector Alexander Wagner.
The construction of the Inter-university Campus is being carried out as part of the implementation of the “Youth and Children” national project.