In 2020, the Republic celebrates the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Kalmyk State University. After the return of the Kalmyks from Siberia and the restoration of the republic's autonomy, there arose a need to boost and develop the national economy. To achieve these goals, specialists of various profiles, including engineering, were required.
In 1961, under the trust "Kalmstroy" from the Rostov Engineering and Construction Institute, a training and consulting point (TCP) was opened for first-year students of the evening form studying construction specialties. To ensure the educational process, lecturers regularly came from Rostov to Elista to give lectures and conduct laboratory-practical and seminar classes. At that time, the TCP was headed by Menglinov N.O.
In 1966, on the initiative of the Government of the Kalmyk ASSR and with the consent of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education of the RSFSR, the general technical faculty (GTF) of the Volgograd Institute of Urban Economy Engineers was opened in Elista, with Associate Professor Badmaev S.B. appointed dean. Classes were held in correspondence form, with a 3-year course of study in mechanical and construction specialties. After completing the first stage, students were transferred to targeted places in other universities of the country for final completion of their studies in the chosen specialty, depending on production needs and personal interests. This approach to specialist training allowed the republic by the late 1960s and early 1970s to somewhat reduce the acute shortage of engineering personnel in construction, mechanization, motor transport, electrification, etc.
In January 1970, by decree of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR, Kalmyk State University (KSU) was opened in Elista. Taking into account the specifics of the republic's economy, non-traditional faculties were organized within the university — agricultural and technical. The GTF of VIIGKh was transferred to KSU with the right to train students in correspondence and evening forms. Associate Professor Mandzhikov F.Ch. was appointed dean of the GTF.
Until 1981, the General Technical Faculty at KSU was the only technical faculty in Kalmykia, with 700–800 students annually studying in evening and correspondence forms. The republic needed specialists of various profiles, so a branch of the GTF was established at the Caspian Machine-Building Plant in Lagani, where faculty lecturers regularly traveled to deliver lectures and consultations.
The list of specialties and qualifications obtained by GTF students was extensive: mechanical engineer for agricultural machinery operation, motor transport, ship engine operation, lifting and transport machines, food product machinery and mechanisms, industrial and civil construction, water supply, heat and gas supply, electrification and electrical equipment operation, road construction, construction and road machine operation, mechanical engineering technology, technology of sewing and knitwear products, etc. The GTF also offered two technological specialties in correspondence form: technology of consumer goods and food technology.
The material and technical base, teaching staff, and experience gained in organizing the educational process allowed in subsequent years the opening of hydro-reclamation, construction, and technical specialties with full daytime education.
In the second half of the 1970s, land reclamation work developed widely in southern Russia, including Kalmykia — for the development of the Sarpinskaya lowland for rice cultivation. To carry out the large volume of design and survey, construction and installation, and operational work on irrigated lands and other water management facilities, engineering personnel of reclamation profile were needed. To address this, on the initiative of the Government of the KASSR, Rector Chapchaev A.A., and Dean Borlikov G.M., by order No. 318 of the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of the RSFSR dated 03.06.81, a hydro-reclamation faculty was opened at Kalmyk State University with full training programs in daytime and correspondence forms. The first dean was Associate Professor Kumeev S.S. (1981–1982). From 1982 to 1992, the faculty was headed by Associate Professor Ilishkin I.I. Student admission was carried out in two specialties: "Hydro-reclamation" and "Mechanization of hydro-reclamation works." The first graduation in these specialties was in 1986 with 89 graduates (43 hydraulic engineers and 46 mechanical engineers). This was the first graduation of engineers in the history of Kalmykia and the university. In total, from 1981 to 1994, 502 reclamation profile engineers graduated full-time, including 249 hydraulic engineers and 253 mechanics.
In 1990, based on the hydro-reclamation faculty, the first full training cycle for full-time and correspondence students was launched in "Industrial and Civil Construction" and "Agricultural Mechanization" specialties; the faculty was renamed the engineering-reclamation faculty. Dean was Associate Professor Ilishkin I.I. The first graduation of construction engineers (20 people) and agricultural production mechanics (23 people) took place in 1995. From 1990 to 2015, 928 engineers graduated full-time, including 586 builders and 342 mechanics.
In the 1990s, due to the country's transition to a market economy, demand for engineering personnel decreased, and in 1992 the General Technical and Engineering-Reclamation faculties were merged into one engineering faculty, with Associate Professor Vaslyayev S.M. appointed dean.
At the end of the 20th century, many regions of the Russian Federation, including Kalmykia, experienced environmental deterioration. The worsening state of the environment was aggravated by contradictions in society-nature interactions, the emergence of new biologically unsafe phenomena, growth of unutilized waste, technogenic transformations of the natural environment, and a lack of environmental specialists. In these years, on the initiative and direct participation of Prof. Borlikov G.M., a scientific direction in ecology, environmental protection, rational nature management, and study of Kalmykia and Northern Caspian natural resources was organized and developed at the university. Training began in the engineering faculty in the specialty "Environmental Land Improvement," giving the faculty a new engineering-ecological focus. To date, the university has trained and graduated 280 environmental engineers.
To optimize the educational process and expand educational services, in 2007, the engineering-technological faculty was formed on the basis of the engineering faculty, with Associate Professor Chimidov P.P. appointed dean; since 2014, Professor Eviev V.A. has headed the faculty.
As can be seen from this brief history of engineering education, our university and faculty have always been flexible and dynamic higher education units, quickly responding to the republic's economic needs for highly qualified specialists. Depending on the tasks set at different times, the specialties and departments' profile changed. It is worth noting that over the years, professors and department heads such as Chapchaev A.A., Savchenko-Belsky K.A., Badmaev S.B., Kumeev S.S., Dmitryuk G.N., Abezin V.G., and others have significantly contributed to the establishment and development of engineering education in the republic.
The faculty currently employs 6 Doctors of Science, professors, 32 Candidates of Science, associate professors, 13 senior lecturers, and assistants.
The departments have necessary educational and scientific laboratories, offices, computer and multimedia classrooms. Modern devices, certificates for testing construction materials, and the latest measuring equipment enable the laboratories of construction materials and geodesy, alongside educational activities, to conduct research commissioned by industrial enterprises.
The faculty runs three educational-scientific-production centers — "New Technologies, Expertise, and Construction Certification," UNPC "Lotos," "Seed Breeding Center," and the sewing atelier "Altn Zyun," where students engage in scientific, production activities, and acquire additional work skills (driver, gas-electric welder, mason, computer operator, tailor-cutter, etc.). Workshops are organized for machine and mechanism repair and for locksmith, carpentry, turning, and welding works, as well as a sewing production office. The university administration pays great attention to improving the engineering training material and technical base — over the past 5 years, more than 15 million rubles worth of educational and scientific research equipment has been purchased.
Currently, 990 students receive higher education at the faculty, including 569 full-time students (32 master's students) and 421 part-time students. The demand for engineering programs is also evidenced by 130 foreign students from 11 CIS and far-abroad countries studying at the ITF (Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Belarus, Zambia, Morocco, Congo, Azerbaijan).
During their studies, engineering students participate in academic mobility programs and internships at Lomonosov Moscow State University, Yondjin College (Daegu, South Korea), production practice in Germany, research practice in St. Petersburg (Research Institute of Agrarian and Ecological Problems), Moscow (Centrospas; MSU Design and Technology), and Zernograd (North Caucasus Machine Testing Station).
One indicator of engineering education quality is the victories of our students in various competitions: 1st place at the All-Russian Olympiad in Saransk and 1st place at the international Olympiad in Saratov in "Agroengineering," prize places (1st, 2nd, 3rd) in "Construction" Olympiads in Volgograd and diploma project contests in "Land Improvement and Water Use" in Moscow, 1st place at the international festival-competition of children's and youth creativity "Star of Beijing" as part of the international project "Salute to Talents" (Beijing, China), and 3rd place at the International Mathematics Olympiad (Israel).
Every year, our bachelor's and master's students participate in the "UMNIK" innovative development contest (Youth Scientific-Innovative Contest participant). Over the past 5 years, more than 30 students have won scientific grants with two-year funding of 500,000 rubles.
Faculty graduates work in construction, operation, and design of environmental facilities, industrial and civil objects, operation and repair of agricultural, construction, and reclamation machinery. They also work in secondary general and vocational education, in traffic police and emergency services.
Today, faculty alumni form the core of the republic's engineering-pedagogical intelligentsia, productively working in all spheres of the economy, education, construction, and industrial production. Many have become heads of ministries, departments, organizations, and enterprises.