The academic year began with a ceremonial event “Welcome to the University!” for freshmen of Irkutsk State University. More than 2 500 first-year students gathered at the “Trud” stadium to meet their groupmates, lecturers and the university leadership.

The first-year students were greeted by the University Rector, Professor Alexander Schmidt. He introduced the University’s Vice-rectors, Directors of Institutes and Deans of Faculties and congratulated the freshmen on the start of a new stage of their lives – student life.

Alexander Schmidt, ISU Rector:

Now you are on a new stage of your lives. Tomorrow you will realize that studying at a university, at a higher education institution, is fundamentally different from school. As a person who has gone through this stage, with all my heart I wish you not to relax. There will be much more freedom, and what does that mean? It means you have to be more responsible. You are now in charge of your own destiny. Explore and seek opportunities the university gives you.

The first-year students were also greeted by the guests of honor – representatives of Irkutsk Region Government, the Board of Trustees of ISU. Vladislav Smetanin, the chairman of the student’s union of ISU, congratulated the students on the beginning of a new stage of life as well.

The freshmen took the symbolic oath of a student, heard the academic song “Gaudeamus” for the first time, visited the workshops of ISU student’s union getting acquainted with the variety of extracurricular activities.