
The Irkutsk State University of Railways (ISUR) is one of the best-known and most popular institutions of higher education in East Siberia. Every year a lot of young people try to get into the University. They take entrance examinations and pass interviews to become students of the University.
The University was founded in 1975. Before 1975 it was a branch of the Novosibirsk Railway Transport Institute. At first there were 3 faculties: the Railway Construction, the Railway Operation and the Electro-mechanical faculties.
Now about 12000 students are enrolled at the University. The University has many faculties including the faculty of Economics, the Railway Operation faculty, the Railway Construction faculty, the Electro-Mechanical and the Electro-Technical faculties. The Institute of Information Technology and Modelling as part of the University was founded in 2002.
There is also a department of foreign students. About 60 people from Mongolia study there.
The University trains students in more than 20 specialties such as Management, Finance, Bridges and Tunnels, Customs, Railway Economy, Crisis Management, Railway Operation and others. The curriculum includes subjects on specialties, social sciences, physical training and foreign languages.