For our university 2016 was full of important events and achievements. Here are the most significant of them.

1. The most important event of the last year: Institute of Economics, Management and Law became Kazan Innovative University named after V. G. Timiryasov (IEML)!

After more than 20 years of its existence the university became a large innovational scientific-educational complex acknowledged not only in Russia but also far beyond. Nowadays our university offers all levels of education: vocational education, BA, MA, PhD, MBA. In fact, the institution gained university status long time ago because of its wide range of programs of education and research in humanities, social, technical and engineering fields. KIU keeps following academic traditions that were set up by its founder and first rector Vitaliy Timiryasov: combining classical education with modern educational technologies. For the university this is a new region-oriented stage of development and introducing new educational technologies. 

2. Rustam Minnikhanov, the president of the Republic of Tatarstan, visited Kazan Innovative University and took part in a research-to-practice conference “Civil society formation in the Republic of Tatarstan” devoted to the 10^th anniversary of Public Chamber of the Republic of Tatarstan.

3. KIU became the only university of the Volga region in Top-10 of the most relevant institutes of higher education in Russia in the field of management (economics, finance, law). t surpassed many public and private universities of our country. The rating shows the real work results of the institutes of higher education and labor market’s demand for them. At the same time it allows school-leavers to decide where to enter to have an occupation with good job opportunities.

4. KIU vocational college hit top 3 of the best private vocational colleges in Russia. National rating and certification agency Rosrating published the list of the best private vocational colleges of Russia. KIU vocational college became the 3^rd in this list and was the only representative of the Republic of Tatarstan in top-15.

5. In 2016 KIU rector Asiya Timiryasova was elected to the Public Chamber of the Republic of Tatarstan from State Council of the Republic of Tatarstan. Moreover, she became a member of Expert Council of Committee on Labor, Social Policy and Veterans Issues of State Duma of the Russian Federation. The fact of including the rector to the Public Chamber and the Expert Council indicates the appreciation of the University’s achievements in social activities, such as rendering free legal or other assistance and patriotic work.

6. Vladimir Leonov, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sport of the Republic of Tatarstan, awarded KIU with a letter of appreciation for fruitful work and substantial contribution to the development of state youth policy of the Republic of Tatarstan.  

7. KIU (IEML) will have state-funded places in 2016/2017 academic year. Regarding the results of the Federal competition, Kazan Innovative University obtains state-funded places every year 5 years in a row. This fact indicates the appreciation of the University’s high-quality education on the federal level.

8. KIU students Valery Saleyev and Alexander Zharinov became laureates of the 2016 Russian Federation President’s Prize for support of talented youth in the frameworks of the “Education” national priority project. Engel Fattakhov, Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan, took part in awarding ceremony.

Such diplomas which are awarded since 2006 are given to winners of international, All-Russian and regional academic competition, creative contests, festivals and sports events. 

9. According to the results of the “Student of the year” annual award, the best student of the Republic of Tatarstan was KIU student Diana Mamakova. She also won the “XXI century leader” competition and the Special state scholarship of the Republic of Tatarstan. These victories gave her an opportunity to study in any country for free. 

10. 3 KIU students won Special state scholarships of the Republic of Tatarstan for excellent studying, research and winning different academic competitions.

11. After a competition of scientific and research works KIU students were awarded with Kazan Mayor Scholarship.

12. KIU employee Dmitry Kornishin and 4 KIU students won the XII Republican competition “50 best innovative ideas for the Republic of Tatarstan”. This competition is aimed at supporting scientific and technical, economic, social and humanitarian problem-solving projects.

13. KIU students became the winners of the 1st Republican competition “Lawyer of the year” among other law students of Kazan universities. Participation in the competition let the students adopt the best practices of acting lawyers and show their declamatory, communicative and analytical skills.

14. Talented students of KIU (IEML) took the Grand Prix of the “All-Russian Student Spring – 2016”. MixStyle dance team took the Grand Prix in “Choreography”. KIU fashion theater became a laureate in “Creative genre” (“Costume theater” nomination). These victories are the result of systematic work in developing students’ personalities and creating conditions for realization of their personal potential.

15. The 1^st stage of a mutual educational project of the Republic of Tatarstan and the Republic of Crimea “State and municipal management” was completed this year at KIU. This project is aimed at training senior executives and is a great example of effective interregional cooperation. Crimean students found this experience very useful for their professional activity.

16.  KIU Chinese language center was set up in 2016. Professional translators and Chinese language experts are trained at KIU, therefore a place for Chinese classes, workshops and round tables was a necessity. The university actively develops cooperation with Chinese educational institutions, such as Liaoning Shihua University and Hunan University of Science and Technology. In the frameworks of this cooperation many promising directions have been developed: tuition-free Master’s degrees, language courses, learning Russian and Chinese as foreign languages, summer language schools and exchange programs.

17. 5 out of 25 total winners of Lobachevsky research paper competition are the students of KIU. Over 600 research papers were sent by Russian and international students. Traditionally our university took an active part in organization and performance of the event. Our students showed their scientific and research potential that was duly appreciated.

18. KIU students are the total winners of Republican stage of All-Russian competition of Federal Bailiff Service. The winners were awarded by Radik Ilyasov, Head of the Administration of FBS. 14 KIU Law faculty students were among the winners.

19. KIU students Yulia Sichevskaya and Karina Khaleeva took the 1^st place in “Young Professionals” WorldSkillsRussia Championship qualification in “Entrepreneurship” nomination. 4 teams from our university hit top 10. These victories would be impossible without skilful leadership of highly experienced KIU teachers. The winners have a right to take part in the following Regional stage of WorldSkills in February, 2017.

20. KIU acquired a status of Regional educational platform of National system of tourism specialists training and skill improvement “Turobrazovaniye”. This is a large-scale project for creating a national system of tourism specialists training and skill improvement and it is implemented by Federal tourism agency (Russiatourism) and State University of Management in the frameworks of federal special-purpose program. Thousands of state-funded places, innovative education methods, using of high-end technologies, practicing teachers, Russiatourism certificates – these are the advantages of the educational project intended to propel Russian tourism industry to the next level.