The Graduation Ceremony for attendees of the SUSU Military Training Centre took place on the square in front of the university main building. South Ural State University is the only higher educational institution in our region that has a Military Training Centre. It is one of the major centres in Russia and recognized as one of the best in our country.
More than 600 people graduated from the Military Training Centre this year. The SUSU Rector Aleksandr Shestakov congratulated them. He noted that the SUSU Military Training Centre is a place where they honour the traditions of classical military education and, at the same time, boldly introduce innovations in line with the trends of the time.
"We have been developing the project for a long time, and now we are launching a new specialty related to the control of unmanned aerial vehicles. We also constantly update our material and technical base, which is one of the best among the military training centres in our country," says Aleksandr Shestakov. "We provide high-quality education to our students, both basic and military, which allows them to be successful in any chosen field."
The 75th Graduation Ceremony took place this year. Representatives of the Military Registration and Enlistment Office and the Council of Veterans attended the ceremony to congratulate the graduates. Anatolii Surkov, Chairman of the Regional Public Organization of Veterans and Individuals of War and Labour, Armed Forces and Law Enforcement Agency of the Chelyabinsk Region, addressed the graduates with a welcoming speech.
"The native land can feed and water, delight the eye with great spaces, forests, lakes, but cannot defend itself. This should be done by those whom the earth feeds and makes happy. The situation is turbulent, we must always be ready to defend the Motherland," emphasized Anatolii Surkov. "And heroes aren't born, they are made, including in such military training centres. Russia has always won not only by force of arms, but also by strength of spirit and love for the Motherland."
According to the Chief Enlistment Officer of the Chelyabinsk Region, Andrei Maksurov, the training of the students at the SUSU Military Training Centre is carried out at a high level. He positively assessed both the practical work of the students during the reservist training camp, and the quality of marching drill training.
"The military department at a university is a good cause. Of course, the priority for the students is getting a higher professional education, but in any case, the guys are liable for military duty, and if necessary, they should be ready to defend the Motherland," notes Andrei Maksurov. "And studying at the Military Training Centre gives them all the necessary skills and knowledge − they take the oath, learn how to shoot and work with military equipment."
Today, the Centre trains reserve officers, sergeants and soldiers for armoured troops, signal troops, missile forces and artillery, and the service for protecting official secrets of the Russian Armed Forces.
The training duration for officers is 2.5 years, sergeants − 2 years, and privates − 1.5 years. Also, students undergo a 30-day training session for military reservists on the basis of military units, where they administer the Military Oath and pass a qualifying exam. And now the Graduation Ceremony is taking place − farewell to the flag of the Military Training Centre.
"The students of the Military Training Centre began preparing for today's event from the first days of their studies at the Centre," says Colonel Nikolai Karpov, Head of the SUSU Military Training Centre. "Today there are no longer those second-year students who came to study with us, the guys have become more disciplined and responsible. We see before us fully trained defenders of the Motherland."
Petr Cheskidov, a graduate of the Military Training Centre, received the diploma with honours today. The guy studied Software Engineering at the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science. In parallel, he received a military specialty as a signalman.
"I immediately decided that I wanted to be an officer. I studied for 2.5 years. It was an interesting time. A lot of new information, useful material and knowledge that I received in my main specialty often came in handy during my studies at the Military Training Centre," Petr Cheskidov shared his impressions. "During the reservist training camp, we practiced the acquired knowledge, it was an experience that cannot be gleaned from textbooks."
Petr Cheskidov plans to continue his studies at SUSU in the Master's degree programme at the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science. And Iurii Zhukov will graduate from the university only next year. Today he graduated from the Military Training Centre. The guy is a reserve sergeant.
"I study at the Faculty of Automotive Engineering. When I entered SUSU, I found out that there was a military centre here, and immediately decided to simultaneously receive a military education," says Iurii. "I was assigned to the armoured troops. The reservist training camp in Chebarkul was very memorable. I also managed to ride the tank, the shooting made a huge impression on me."
Iurii Zhukov notes that training at the Military Training Centre has become a rewarding experience for him. The study instilled discipline in him and developed volitional powers.
Upon graduation from the university, a student who successfully completed his studies at the Military Training Centre is awarded the military rank of "lieutenant", "sergeant" or "private", depending on the chosen specialty, and he is enrolled in the reserve of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation without military service. A student who graduated from the Military Training Centre can enter service under a contract in the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Investigative Committee, and the prosecutor's office. The university cooperates with military authorities and law enforcement agencies in the selection of personnel. A new recruitment for training at the Military Training Centre will begin in the autumn of 2021.