Sergey Volkov was elected rector of KRSU: the university is entering a new stage of development

June 27, 2025 at the Kyrgyz-Russian Slavic University named after. B.N. Yeltsin (KRSU) held a meeting of the Governing Council — the key body that determines the strategic directions of the university’s development. The event was chaired by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Konstantin Mogilevsky and brought together representatives of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Kyrgyz Republic, the State Duma of the Russian Federation, the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as diplomats and experts from the two countries.

Election of the rector: unanimous support of Sergei Volkov

The central event of the meeting was the election of the rector of KRSU. Acting rector Sergei Volkov, director of the International Institute of Additional Education and Personnel Engineering Marina Yurchenko and professor Marat Kudaykulov were vying for the post. The Governing Council, consisting of 12 representatives of Kyrgyzstan and Russia, unanimously — with 11 votes out of 11 present — supported the candidacy of Sergei Volkov. He was elected rector for a five-year term.

In his program, Volkov presented the KRSU Development Strategy until 2040, which focuses on modernizing educational programs, developing scientific research and strengthening international cooperation. The new rector emphasized that the university will continue to train specialists in demand in the labor market, including through the launch of network programs with leading universities in Russia and the EAEU countries, as well as the opening of colleges in the regions of Kyrgyzstan.

KRSU development strategy: ambitious goals

The KRSU development strategy until 2040 provides for the achievement of the following goals:

• Inclusion in the top 500 best universities in the world according to QS.
• Creation of three clusters: engineering, technical, biomedical and socio-humanitarian.
• Increase in the number of students to 20 thousand, of which 25% will be foreign citizens.
• Development of network educational programs with leading universities in Russia and the EAEU.

Volkov especially noted that education at KRSU will remain accessible, competitive and of high quality, with an emphasis on training specialists for the specific tasks of enterprises.

Support at the legislative level

Deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh, Chairman of the Committee on Social Policy Vinera Raimbachaeva expressed the readiness of her committee to provide support to the KRSU at the legislative level. Commenting on the university development strategy, she noted: «I am glad that you have a concept for the development of the university and a readiness to build a new campus building that meets modern international standards. Kyrgyz and Russian students study at the university, and a lot can be achieved with such programs».

An outside view: opinion of the Chamber of Commerce

President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Kyrgyz Republic Temir Sariev highly appreciated the ambitious plans of KRSU, noting their strategic importance. «You have outlined an ambitious plan: 300, 200, 100th place in world rankings— these are serious guidelines. These are not just numbers, this is a vector of development, and there is a lot of work ahead. But even in the short term, KRSU may well become the leading university in Kyrgyzstan —you have everything for this», — said Sariev.

He also emphasized the unique role of KRSU as a university named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, and his contribution to the development of educational ties between countries. Sariev recalled that KRSU has historically been a center for the development of effective methods for teaching the Russian language, which were used in kindergartens and schools in Kyrgyzstan. «These programs need to be updated and implemented as soon as possible.  We are faced with the challenge of maintaining proficiency in the Russian language —and this is also a serious task», he added.

New Campus: The Educational Town of the Future

The meeting participants were presented with a project for the construction of a new KRSU campus, which by 2032 should become a modern educational town. The first stage (2025–2028) includes

• Construction of educational buildings for the engineering and humanitarian clusters (21,600 m² and 18,900 m², respectively).
• Creation of dormitories for 2,820 places.
• Construction of housing for teachers and a museum complex.

The project received the support of the Governing Council, as well as recommendations for further refinement. Konstantin Mogilevsky noted that an agreement has already been reached between the presidents of the two countries on the implementation of the project, a preliminary design has been selected, and registration of the land plot has begun.

Endowment fund: sustainable financing

Another key initiative was the project to create an endowment fund for KRSU with an initial capital of 3 million soms. By 2040, its volume is planned to increase to 1 billion soms. The fund's income will be used for scholarships, scientific grants and development of the university's infrastructure. Funds will be raised through contributions from graduates and university partners.

Konstantin Mogilevsky: KRSU is entering a new round of development

Summing up the meeting, Chairman of the Governing Council Konstantin Mogilevsky highly appreciated the level of preparation and constructive dialogue. He emphasized that the unanimous election of Sergei Volkov reflects trust in the university's leadership team.

«KRSU — is the largest of the Slavic universities, and it is confidently gaining momentum, entering a new stage of development. We have high hopes for the university and its leadership», — said Mogilevsky.

Who is Sergei Volkov?

Sergei Volkov is 35 years old. He graduated from Magnitogorsk State Technical University. G.I. Nosova, majoring in «Foundry production of ferrous and non-ferrous metals» (specialty and graduate school), is a candidate of technical sciences and the author of 25 scientific papers. Since 2012, Volkov worked in the trade union organization of undergraduate and graduate students at MSTU, and later served as vice-rector for administrative and economic work, capital construction, infrastructure development, economics and strategic development. In 2019 and 2023, he was awarded certificates of honor from the Russian Ministry of Education and Science. From October 2024, Volkov served as acting rector of KRSU.

Prospects for KRSU

The meeting of the Governing Council confirmed the ambitious plans of the KRSU to modernize and strengthen its position in the international arena. Unanimous support for the initiatives of the university and the new rector indicates a high level of trust on the part of Russia and Kyrgyzstan. KRSU continues to strengthen educational and cultural ties between countries, becoming an important center for training highly qualified specialists.