The history of V.G. Belinsky Institute of Teacher Education dates back to 1 July 1939, when the Teacher Training Institute was established. In 1941, it was transformed into the Pedagogical Institute comprising three faculties (Physics and Mathematics; Russian Language and Literature; History). The gradual advancement of the institute was accompanied by founding new faculties (Natural Sciences – 1948; Physical Training – 1956; Further Teacher Education – 1961; Foreign Languages – 1964; Primary Education – 1977; Economics, Management and Computer Sciences – 1993; Law – 1994; Psychology and Social Sciences – 1994) and launching new study fields, e.g. journalism, biochemistry, ecology, speech and language therapy, special psychology, arts, music, and translation studies.

The well-established practices of training highly qualified specialists for the education system and significant research and academic potential of the institute led to its transformation into V.G. Belinsky Penza State Pedagogical University on 9 December 1994. The HEI housed 11 faculties (Physics and Mathematics; Russian Language and Literature; History; Natural and Geographic Sciences; Foreign Languages; Primary and Special Education; Physical Training; Economics, Management and Computer Sciences; Law; Psychology; Social Sciences and Social Work). Since October 2012, it is the unit of Penza State University.

Currently, V.G. Belinsky Institute of Teacher Education includes 3 faculties (History, Languages and Literature; Pedagogy, Psychology and Social Sciences; Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences) with 26 departments. In addition, the institute comprises the Centre for Further Teacher Education, Centre for Music Education, Pedagogical Philharmonia, I.I. Sprygin Botanical Garden, Biostation, Museum of Engaging Sciences, and Museum of Teacher Education History.

Research interests of the institute staff cover a significant range of humanities and natural sciences. The scientific and academic schools examine differential and geometric structures and their automorphisms; fauna and ecology of Chiroptera in the Volga Region; population factors and genetic mechanisms for maintaining intraspecific polymorphism and taxonomic homogeneity; regional features of Russian nation formation; interrelations between Russia and Europe during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. Moreover, teaching staff promote research in communities organisation of free-living protozoa, freshwater zooplankton and macrozoobenthos; molecular, genetic and physiological aspects of plant ontogenesis; plant productivity; motivation-oriented educational environment through multidimensional psychological and pedagogical tools; interpretation of literary texts of the 19th – 21st centuries; migration processes and problems of adaptation, etc. The institute actively encourages students research, so that their works have received numerous federal level awards.

Teaching staff of the institute extensively participate in the international research events all over the world. The institute annually holds international, all-Russian and inter-university research-to-practice conferences bringing together researchers, academics, teachers, students and schoolchildren: “Burning Issues in Humanities: Linguistics, Journalism, History”, “Lebedev Readings”, “Buslaev Readings”, “ Laptev Readings”, “Avdeev Readings”, “National Security and State Interests of Russia” and others.

FACULTIES

Faculty of History, Languages and Literature
Faculty of Pedagogy, Psychology and Social Sciences
Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences

CONTACTS

Dr. Olga Surina
Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Associate Professor
Director of V.G. Belinsky Institute of Teacher Education

37 Lermontova Street, building 11, office 102
Tel.: +7 (8412) 54-83-62
E-mail: pedinstitut@pnzgu.ru

Prof. Dr. Olga Sukhova
Doctor of Historical Sciences, Professor
Dean of the Faculty of History, Languages and Literature

37 Lermontova Street, building 11, office 227
Tel.: +7 (8412) 64-32-91
E-mail: iff@pnzgu.ru

Prof. Dr. Sergey Titov
Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor
Dean of the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences

37 Lermontova Street, building 15, office 239
Tel.: +7 (8412) 64-39-00
Email: ffmen2016@mail.ru

Prof. Dr. Aleksandr Tugarov
Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, Professor
Dean of the Faculty of Pedagogy, Psychology and Social Sciences

37 Lermontova Street, building 12, office 221
Tel.: +7 (8412) 20-37-81
E-mail: fppsn@pnzgu.ru

Official web-page of the Institute of Teacher Education (in Russian)