Educational activities Since 2015, MUCTR has been the head of the federal educational and methodological association in the field of higher education in chemical engineering specialties. Among other things, the association has been endeavouring to prepare new all-Russian all-Russian educational standards for the chemical industry. The university also remains the primary organization relied upon by CIS member states for training, professional retraining and advanced training of personnel working in the chemical industry. Starting in 2019 MUCTR has also become a member of the
Rosatom consortium of flagship universities, a university consortium whose main task is to coordinate science and activities of higher, postgraduate and additional professional education in the interests of the nuclear industry. In 2018 MUCTR signed an agreement with the
Kazan National Research Technological University on cooperation in the educational sphere. A year later, together with
Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, MUCTR launched a joint bachelor's program to train specialists in modern materials science and renewable energy. In 2020, together with the Moscow Innovation Agency, MUCTR launched a master's program under the title "Business Management in the Digital Economy". At the same time, MUCTR signed an agreement with the Perm State Agrarian and Technological University to create an Internet platform that to offer programs in the continuing professional education sector. Recently in 2021, the university launched an online bachelor's program in chemical technology. This initiative was implemented together in cooperation with the
Far Eastern Federal University,
Tomsk Polytechnic University and other universities, with the support of
Sibur. As of 2021, MUCTR consists of two branches located in Novomoskovsk and in Tashkent. The history of the former branch can be traced back to 1959 when it started as a faculty of the Dmitri Mendeleev Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology at the Stalinogorsk Chemical Combine. Due to a rapid decrease in the number of applicants to this branch, there have been ongoing discussions since 2019 on the possibility of closing the branch. The first foreign branch of MUCTR located in Tashkent was initially launched back in 2019, while its official opening ceremony took place on May 27, 2021. The curriculum is approved by the Ministry of Higher and Secondary Specialized Education of Uzbekistan, and training is conducted in Russian, following the Federal Educational Standards of Russia. The Tashkent branch prepares MA students for careers in materials science and protection of materials from corrosion, and chemical technologies of nanomaterials. BA students can pursue degrees in materials science and technology, nanomaterials and nanosystems; technology of artistic processing of materials; technology of synthetic biologically active substances, chemical pharmaceuticals and cosmetics; and safety of technological processes and production.
Recognition and rankings 2023 • 1,955th place in the ranking by
US News & World Report. • 43rd place in the top 100 Russian universities in the engineering and technical fields, according to the newspaper
Kommersant • 47th place in the ranking of the best universities in Russia according to Expert RA • 852 place in the international ranking of scientific institutions of the
SCImago Institutions Rankings • Small Grand Prix of the
RBK Communication Laboratory in the field of scientific communication
2020 • 559th place in the world and 17th among Russian universities in the global ranking of universities
Round University Ranking • Leader in the ratings of employers in the field of biochemical enterprises according to the "Expert" version (developed with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science, the presidential platform "Russia is a country of opportunities", the Presidential Grants Fund,
Ural Federal University and the St. Petersburg branch of the
Higher School of Economics) • Winner in the category "Effect of presence" for the best promotion of scientists in the media for the award "Communication Laboratory" RVC in 2020 • 48th place in the ranking of educational institutions according to
Interfax (since 2017, the university is above 52nd place) • 58th place in the ranking of the best universities in Russia according to Expert RA
2019 and earlier • Reflected in group 1101-1200 of the international domestic rating "Three missions of the university" (2019) • Placed in group 401–450 in the
Academic Ranking of World Universities in Chemical Engineering (2018) • Took 705th place in the global ranking SCImago Institutions Rankings (2018 год)
Research In 2010–2014, under the “Megagrant programs”, MCTUR launched the International Laboratory of Functional Materials Based on Glass named after Academician P. D. Sarkisov. The laboratory was initially headed by the Italian scientist Albert Paleari and the head of the Department of Chemical Technology of Glass and Sitalls Vladimir Sigaev. One of the laboratory's key contributions has been the creation of radioactive microspheres that could be potentially used for the treatment of oncological diseases. In 2017 the university also launched the International Center for Laser Technologies which has been investigating femtosecond laser modification of the structures of optical materials. The center developed an "eternal archive disk" based on nanostructured glass. Distinctive features of this material include its durability, resistance to aggressive environments and potential to store large amounts of information. Specialists from MUCTR regularly publish articles in international peer-reviewed journals in collaboration with Russian and foreign colleagues. In 2020-2021 alone, the media reported about the following MCTUR-supported studies: • search for new forms of delivery of targeted cancer drugs using
silica gel; • work on natural plastic components obtained from agricultural waste; • development of an environmentally friendly and economical way of processing sulphur dumps at enterprises; • creation of a new sorbent technology for an elusive form of radioactive iodine -
iodomethane, which retains up to 99.5% of the dangerous
isotopes; • study of hydrogen fuel and development of new inexpensive ways to convert hydrogen and its compounds from molybdenum blue; • an alternative method of extracting xenon from natural gas and, as a result, reducing the cost of anaesthesia; • development of new light-emitting devices based on
aerogel from
Silicon dioxide with embedded luminescent particles and much more. In October 2018, the "Mendeleev Engineering Center" was founded with the support of the
Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the
Ministry of Industry and Trade. The coordination of many scientific laboratories, including ones specialising in petrochemistry, agrochemistry, pharmaceuticals, radiochemistry, polymer chemistry, and fine organic synthesis has been achieved under the auspices of the Mendeleev Engineering Center. There are more than 80 units of the latest equipment for elemental and molecular analysis, electron microscopy, and determination of physicochemical parameters of solids and liquids. In 2020, the center's profit amounted to more than 4.8 million rubles, and its revenue - was 42.5 million rubles. In 2019, the
Russian government signed a decree on the creation of an
Mendeleev Valley Innovation Scientific and Technological Centre on the territory of the MUCTR Tushino campus. According to the project description, the center is supposed to unite both scientific and business representatives to reduce the time between scientific discovery and its practical implementation. Particularly it might help to stipulate import substitution in Russia in the field of chemical industry. There are five main startup trends in the Mendeleev Valley –
high tech, chemistry,
agrochemistry, agrobiotechnology and
biotechnology; medical and pharmaceutical chemistry; special purpose and high-energy substances. Center has three main clusters which are all curated by the
Ministry of Industry and Trade. Initially, the number of private investments in the project was estimated at around 5 billion rubbles. The project was supposed to launch in 2020, however, as of the end of 2021 the working date has still not been confirmed. MUCTR and its Novomoskovsk branch work on the development of the Composite Valley INTTS, located on 29 hectares
special economic zone Uzlovaya in Tula oblast. The project was initially supported by the
Tula State University and later approved by the
Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin in January 2021. The launch is scheduled for 2023. MUCTR announced its plans to invest in the research on high-tech chemistry that the university scientists would conduct in the center. Besides MUCTR, the project is supported by the Moscow State University,
Rosatom, and the Russian Academy of Science.
Partnership MUCTR employees regularly participate in the projects sponsored by federal target programs, scientific grants, and research under agreements with leading companies in the chemical industry, including the state corporation
Rosatom,
Sibur, Pharmasynthesis, EuroChem, As of 2021, the university has signed more than 120 partnership agreements on scientific and educational cooperation with universities and organizations from more than 35 countries across the globe. The university cooperates with such leading centers as
Royal Society of Chemistry and German Maico-Mannesmann Akademie für Wissenschaft und Bildung. In 1995, under the interinstitutional agreements with
UNESCO, the university opened the program "Green Chemistry for Sustainable Development". In 2005, together with the
Kurchatov Institute,
Uralchem, and
Uralkali, they launched the International Educational and Scientific Center for Transfer of Pharmaceutical and Biotechnologies. Since 2020, the university signed up an agreement with the
Crimean Federal University and the
Sevastopol National Technical University to study the process of how to make drinking water from seawater. MCTUR laboratories help the
Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology with the development of
COVID-19 vaccine, and since June 2021 they agreed to cooperate to ensure drug safety in Russia. In May 2020, MUCTR and the Russian Federal Environmental Operator (FEO) initiated the creation of a federal scientific and educational consortium "Advanced EcoTechnologies", the task of which is to create an infrastructure for handling I-II class waste and scientific exchange in this industry. Besides MCTUR and FEO, the consortium includes Viatka State University,
Yuri Gagarin State Technical University of Saratov,
Udmurt State University, and other organizations.
Other activities Since 1905, the Academic Big Choir has been operating at the MUCTR. In the early 1900s, the choir repeatedly invited
Sergei Diaghilev to participate in "Russian Seasons" in Paris. As of 2021, the choir includes around 120 people. The choir cooperates with the Polyphonic Association of the
Tuscany,
Milan Conservatory, Sheremetev Center Chamber Choir, Academic Choirs of Moscow State University,
Central Bank of Russia and Rybinsk Aviation-technological academy. The university also publishes largely-circulated newspaper Mendeleevets that since 2001 has been registered as media. Its first issue was released on June 27, 1949. The predecessor was the newspaper "Moscow Technologist", the printing press release of which was interrupted with the beginning of the WWII. In 2020, MUCTR, together with the Federal Environmental Operator, launched the project titled Mendeleev Classes to promote the education of high school students. The project operates in
Udmurtia,
Irkutsk,
Kirov,
Kurgan and
Saratov Oblast. Students could take classes in chemistry, physics and mathematics. Graduates of the program receive additional 10 points for the results of the state examination that will be counted upon admission to the university. In 2020, the university opened Russia's first children's chemical technopark "Mendeleev Center", its main audience is from 14 to 18 years old, but there are projects for children from 8 to 13 years old. == Buildings ==