The Faculty of Agriculture traces its origins back to 1970, when the Kalmyk State University was established. Initially, it was called the Agricultural Faculty. The first dean was Associate Professor V.V. Ulchinov, Candidate of Economic Sciences. In subsequent years, the deanship was held by Associate Professors N.E. Goryaev, Yu.S. Petrushkin, Professors M.M. Okonov, A.N. Arilov, and since 2006, the dean of the faculty has been Professor A.K. Natyrov, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences.
A significant contribution to the establishment of the faculty was made by Professor M.B. Narmaev, a People's Writer of Kalmykia and active participant in the Great Patriotic War, Professors A.F. Nosov, A.M. Monastyrëv, A.G. Kharaev, A.P. Basangov, M.M. Kleev, V.A. Moroz, Yu.M. Maslov, A.V. Rudenko, V.A. Kokorev, and many others.
Over its 45-year history, the Faculty of Agriculture has trained tens of thousands of highly qualified specialists — agronomists, zootechnicians, technologists in agricultural production and processing, and economists.
The faculty comprises three departments: the Department of Agronomy, the Department of Zootechnics and Veterinary Science, and the Department of Agricultural Technologies and Processing of Agricultural Products.
There are 42 teaching staff members: 8 professors with doctoral degrees and 23 associate professors with candidate degrees.
The faculty has 40 classrooms, auditoriums, and laboratories, equipped with modern teaching aids, audio and video equipment. It has its own educational and production facilities including livestock farms, a mini-farm within the university complex for educational and research purposes, a greenhouse complex for growing vegetables in a closed ground area of 4134 m² (0.6 ha), a poultry house, an experimental training field, and a fruit orchard.
Currently, professors A.N. Arilov, Yu.N. Arylov, L.G. Moiseykina, M.M. Okonov, T.I. Bakinova, V.I. Yanov, A.K. Natyrov, M.S. Zulaev, and associate professors B.S. Ubushaev, O.E. Frantsuzov, G.D. Goryaev, V.K. Bolaev, Ts.B. Tyurbeev, O.B. Gendjieva, O.Sh. Kedeeva, S.S. Mashtykov, A.N. Mandzhieva, P.M. Pompaev, V.E. Barinov, A.L. Badmakhalgaev, E.A. Djirgalova, among others, actively teach at the faculty.
The faculty has established strong educational and scientific ties with agricultural universities in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and China. In January 2015, an agreement on network cooperation was signed and successfully implemented between Kalmyk State University, Don State Agrarian University, Volga State Agrarian University, the Volga Research Institute of Meat and Dairy Production and Processing, and the North Caucasus Research Institute of Veterinary Medicine.
Students of the faculty undertake internships under two programs in Germany (LOGOe.V. and Doula-Nienburg), and participate in academic exchanges with leading specialized agricultural universities in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. This greatly improves the quality of training future agricultural specialists.
For over 20 years, Kalmyk State University has cooperated with the Association of State Universities of the Caspian Region (Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Iran).
Between 2013 and 2015, the university was among 13 Russian universities to win a Ministry of Education and Science grant "Personnel for the Region" — a strategic partnership program of Kalmyk State University and leading enterprises and organizations of the Republic of Kalmykia for training personnel for the region's innovative and socio-economic development. This work was carried out in collaboration with Russia's largest breeding farms: OJSC Breeding Plant "Ulan-Kheecha", LLC Agrofirm "Aduchi", SPK Breeding Plant "Pervomaysky". Academic research institutes were also involved: Volga Research Institute of Meat and Dairy Production and Processing (Volgograd), All-Russian Research Institute of Experimental Veterinary Medicine named after Ya.N. Kovalenko (Moscow). The grant amounting to 80 million rubles significantly strengthened the university’s material and technical base. The Collective Use Center "BioVet" was established, where 13 veterinary-medical and ecological laboratories operate, equipped with the latest high-precision equipment. The biochemical analysis laboratory includes an automated system for full biochemical and hematological blood analysis, including hormone levels and tumor markers. The molecular genetics and PCR analysis laboratory is equipped with an automated fluorescence hybridization system, allowing DNA research of any organism structure. In 2013, molecular genetic and immunogenetic expertise laboratories received registration certificates from the State Breeding Registry of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation.
The veterinary examination laboratory is equipped with modern devices for analyzing animal and plant products, with capabilities to assess quality, detect falsifications, and analyze product composition.
The university’s veterinary clinic has excellent facilities, including a separate operating area. It is equipped with a full range of clinical examination tools: ultrasound scanner, urine analyzer with express diagnostics, cardiograph with automated interpretation software, X-ray machine including a digitizer with image digitization and computer transfer software. For more detailed environmental examinations, including food and feed products, the laboratory is equipped with thin-layer, liquid, and gas chromatography, Fourier spectrometry for atomic spectrometric analysis, and heavy metals research.
Modern high-precision equipment enables scientific research across all biological and agricultural topics. Environmental monitoring of the surroundings is conducted, molecular diagnostics of widespread and little-known infectious agents are performed, and informational-analytical support for breeding work in agricultural enterprises is implemented. A project for quality assessment and certification of food and animal feed products is underway.
During 2014-2016, Kalmyk State University completed a European Union TEMPUS grant titled "Development and implementation of a master's program on the preservation, production, and marketing of traditional food products in Russia and Kazakhstan," in cooperation with universities from France, Italy, Sweden, and agricultural universities in Kazakhstan and Russia.
In 2017, the faculty began training master's students under the specialty 19.04.03 "Animal-Origin Food Products" with the program "Food Safety, Production, and Marketing of Traditional Food Products."
Since 2007, the faculty publishes the quarterly newspaper "Agro-News."
For 45 years, Kalmyk State University has been preparing agronomists, zootechnicians, and agricultural production technologists in demand in the region.
Modern laboratories, multimedia-equipped classrooms, and a highly professional teaching staff represent the university today.
The achievements and successes of graduates are the defining factor for any university. We are proud that graduates of the Faculty of Agriculture contribute greatly to the development of Russian science and higher education, lead agricultural enterprises, hold senior positions in government bodies at various levels, and successfully engage in business.
The faculty team sincerely hopes that the provided list of training areas and their descriptions will help applicants make the right choice of profession.
We are always open to new ideas, cooperation, and development.