University's History

Donetsk State University of Economy and Trade has a long history. The stages of its development explicitely reflect periods of Ukraine's modern history. As an academic establishment the University gets its origin from the Higher Co-operative Courses for Instructors which functioned under the Central Ukrainian Co-operative Committee since the autumn of 1917. These Courses served as a base for the Ukrainian Co-operative Institute set up in January 1920 by the initiative of professor M.I.Tugan-Baranovsky.

Mikhail Ivanovich Tugan-Baranovsky is a prominent scientist - economist well-known in the world, a stateman and a public figure of Ukraine in the time of national liberation struggle, self-determination and state renaissanse after the February Revolution of 1917 in Russia and downfall of the autocracy. At the end of 1918 he proposed to set up co-operative institute and worked out its objectives and sillabus by himself. However, he did not manage himself to realise the above plans. In January 1919 on economic issues M.I.Tugan-Baranovsky left for Paris with as the counsellor the delegation of the Directoria of the Ukraine's People Republic but died on his way back home near Odessa.

The building of the Kiev Cooperative Institute after V.Ya. Chubar.

To enlarge On November 16, 1920 Kiev Department on Higher Academic Establishments issued on order on joining the Co-operative Institute to Kiev Institute of National Economy with the rights of Co-operative Faculty. In 1922 Kiev Co-operative Technicum (Technical College) was singled out from Kiev Institute of National Economy. The training at the Technicum was held according to the curriculae and sillabuses of an economic higher learning establishment (further referred to as vuz). It trained higher learning staff for cooperative movement. In September 1920 the Soviet of People's Commissars found it reasonable to transform the Co-operative Technicum into the Co-operative Institute named after V.Ya.Chubar'. As such it was existing till 1934 when a so-called "Kiev period" of the vuz ended.

"Kharkov phase" developed as follows. In accordance with the decision of the Ukrainian SSR's Government two institutes were founded on the base of the Trade Faculty of Kharkov Institute of National Economy named after л.нБrx: the Kharkov Institute of Exchange and Distribution and Kharkov Institute of Planning and Economy of Consumers' Cooperation.

Kharkov Institute of Exchange and Distribution underwent two renamings: in accordance with the changes of people's commissariat's names and goals: in 1932 as the Institute of Supplies and in 1934 as the Ukrainian Institute of State Trade.

In 1933-1934 academic year Kharkov Institute of Planning Consumers' Co-operation joined Kiev Co-operative Institute with location in the city of Kharkov and at the beginning of academic year 1935-1936 it was renamed into the Ukrainian Institute of Consumers' Co-operation. The above-said Institute incorporated Voronezh Co-operative Institute and Voroshilovgrad Institute of Public Catering Engineers.

However, functioning of two similar and small-size institutes in Kharkov made no sense. Since in 1935-1936 academic year in accordance with the government's decision the separately functioning Ukrainian Institute of State Trade and Kharkov Institute of Consumers' Co-operation were united serving as a base for the Ukrainian Institute of Soviet Trade (in 1940 renamed for Kharkov Institute of Soviet Trade).

When the Great Patriotic War began the classes at the Institute were temporarily stopped and the building housed a hospital. During the occupation the Institute was robbed while its premises were destroyed because of bombardments. Upon liberation of Kharkov of German-fascist invaders in 1943 instruction at Kharkov Institute of Soviet Trade resumed.

In June 1959 the Ukraine's Council of Ministers passed the resolution on moving Institute from the city of Kharkov to the city of Stalino renaming it into Stalino Institute of Soviet Trade. Such a government's decision was brought about by the Donbass objective need in new academic establishments.

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After city of Stalino's renaming into the city of Donetsk the Institute changed its name as well and started bearing the name of Donetsk Institute of Soviet Trade. Thus its "Donetsk period" began.

Since 1960 Donetsk Institute of Soviet Trade actively opened its subsidiaries in many towns of Ukraine (Simferopol, Kerch, Kharkov, Kiev, Odessa, L'vov, Zaporozh'ye, Krivoy Rog, Lugansk).

Kharkov department. 1966.

State exams at the Simpheropol department. The second on the left is an assistant professor, candidate of sciences (economics), the head of the Accounting and Economic Activity Analyses Department Leonid Petrovich Gafanovich. 1965. 1965 З.

Later on these subsidiaries served as bases for founding Kiev University of Trade and Economy, Kharkov Academy of Technology and Organization of Nutrition, Krivoy Rog Institute of National Economy, Kerch Institute of Fishing.

In 1992 Donetsk Institute of Soviet Trade changed its name for Donetsk State Commercial Institute and in 1998 in accordance with the decision by the State Attestation Board and resolution by the Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers the VUZ was accredited for the highest, fourth level, and got the University status.

Today Donetsk State University of Economy and Trade is a leading VUZ of trade and economy in Ukraine. The efforts of its professors and academics are targeted upon continious revision of the instruction materials and methods, setting up a flexible system of training specialists for the Ukraine's economy. Since its beginning the University has trained about 70 thousand specialists for the economy in general, trade and public catering in particular. Due to its fruitful activity DonSUET/ Donetsk State University of Economy and Trade / has turned into an academic and science center of economic instruction famous for its achievements far beyond the Ukrainian borders.

The University incorporates 4 academic establishments of the 1st level of accreditation: Dokuchayevsk, Kramatorsk, Mariupol' and Shakhtersk Technicums. In 1999 the University opened Economic and Technology Faculty in town Sevastopol' and Simpheropol' Training and Consultation Centre.

The DonSUET succeeds in realizing a multi-level system of training specialists: pre- VUZ intruction - junior specialist - bachelor - kandidat of science - doctor of science. The integrated curriculae were designed and are being implemented for all the specialists.

The University's alumni work in many countries of the world. For foreign countries alone the VUZ has trained about 1000 specialists.

The DonSUET scientists' achievements are widely spreaded. The University teaching staff includes 32 full doctors, 30 professors, 161 kandidats of sciences and 116 associate professors.

The research studies of academic schools on economics and finances in trade, accounting, analysis and control, marketing and commercial activities, marketing management, equipment for food industries, technology of public catering, occupational safety are widely known in the world.

The contribution made by the University scientists and academics was highly assessed by the Ukraine's government.

DonSUET successfully co-operates with a number of authoritative international and domestic structures and organizations. The University scientists work as experts of the Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers, the Committees of the Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada,the Ukraine's Highest Attestation Board. They actively participate in working out the row of economic acts passed by the Verkhovna Rada.

Donetsk State University of Economy and Trade named after M.Tugan-Baranovsky was one of the first higher learning establishments in Ukraine that unitiated the work on international science projects within the framework of European Program TEMPUS/TACIS. The University scientists are successful in co-operating with foreign partners as well as within REAP program of British Council financed by the Know-How Fund having won the grants for designing economic courses begining since 1998. Besides, annually DonSUET scientists get grants for participating in foreign-held scientific conferences and seminars, in publicating scientific articles within the framework of TACIS, British Council, TREX, "Vozrozhdeniye" Fund, USAID Programmes. The VUZ keeps close contacts with California University /USA/, Athens University /Greece/. Simultaneously with the development of creative contacts with theVUZes in foreign states DonSUET keeps on its traditional ties with Russia's universities /Russian Economic Academy named after G.V.Plekhanov, St. Petersburg Trade and Economy University, Voronezh University, Moscow University of Consumers' Co-operation/.

Today DonSUET trains specialists not only for trade and service but also for other fields of economy having gained the right to be the centre of training economic specialists in the region. Despites the difficulties the country faces, the VUZ restructures to meet the current needs to be closely integrated with Europe and provide the young qualified specialists for the independent Ukrainian state.