THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC GEOGRAPHY AND REGIONAL STUDIES

Excerpts on the history of the department

The Department of Socio-Economic Geography and Regional Studies is a recognized centre of a large-scale complex economic and geographical research of the Voronezh Region and other areas of the Central Chernozem Region. For decades, staff and students of the department have been systematically studied the processes of territorial organization of the economy, population and resettlement, social infrastructure, the problems of sectoral and integral regionalization, the formation of sectoral and territorial socio-economic systems.
The history of the department’s development for many decades is determined by the training of highly qualified geographers as a part of their specialization in socio-economic geography.
The Department of Economic Geography was opened in the 1935-1936 academic year. It was at the initial stage of its organizational and professional development until 1937. Only two teachers (Y. Dolgov and S. Afanasyev) and one laboratory assistant were the members of its staff. The situation changed significantly in 1937, when one of the most high-profiled  Russian geographers, professor K. Mirotvortsev, who became the first head of this department, came to Voronezh from Irkutsk. Professor K.Mirotvortsev brought Russian classical university culture together with European system of education to the department, enriched experience of practical activities in the resettlement management and statistical service. G. Grishin became a leading senior lecturer, and then a professor of the department, he established the methodology of the "district school" of N.Baransky, drawn out the close relationship of scientific problems with the most pressing problems of economic and social development of the country and the region, and in the methodological plan - the integration of economic geography with the theory of social science, economic science and spatial planning. After K.Mirotvortsev’s death, G.Grishin became the Head of the Department of Economic Geography and served for more than 20 years. Until now the department has great human resources due to G. Gishin.
In the late 50's and early 60's of the 20th century, the main scientific studies in the department were related to the development of fractional zoning issues of the Chernozem Center for agricultural purposes. By the end of the 60s of the 20th century, the staff on the department was formed into a mature team capable of solving all the main scientific and educational problems.
In the early 80-ies of the 20th century, Y. Porosenkov, a senior lecturer and later professor, became the head of the department. In the methodical plan the work of the department in the 80-ies was aimed to train graduates according to the "economics and geography" specialization, in the specialty "geographer, teacher of geography." 80-ies of the 20th century, probably, were the most effective in large generalizing publications. The department was one of those university collectives of the country that supported the idea of ??transformation of economic geography into socio-economic (and later political and recreational) geography. The department (along with the other geographical collectives of the country) eventually substantiated the concept of the socio-economic region and the system-structural methodology of its study.
Thus, the modern department of socio-economic geography and regional studies of VSU represents a highly professional team of employees.

Profile of the graduates

In accordance with the federal state general educational standard of higher vocational education in the field of training "05.03.02 Geography", the schooling in of bachelors in the profile of economic and social geography is focused on the following types of professional activity:

1) design and production activities:
• regional social and economic diagnostics of countries, regions, cities;
• development of practical recommendations on regional social and economic development;
• territorial planning and urban planning;
• designing of socio-economic and economic activities in regions of different hierarchical levels, settlement systems and cities;
• monitoring of socio-economic, including demographic, migration and ethno-cultural processes.

2) controlling and auditing activities:
• preparation of documentation for comprehensive geographical expertise of various types of projects;
• participation in audit and audit activities, social and economic audit;
• participation in the development and implementation of standards for the quality of life of the population.

3) administrative activities:
• participation in the work of administrative authorities

4) pedagogical activity:
• educational  and pastoral work in general education institutions, educational institutions of secondary vocational education

Employment of graduates

For the period of its activity, the Department of Socio-Economic Geography and Regional Studies has prepared a large number of specialists - economists and geographers who successfully work in the field of education, territorial socio-economic design, forecasting and management bodies. In the past, most of the graduates were employed as teachers in general education schools, and then, as experience gained, some of them started working as head teachers and directors of schools and teachers of higher educational institutions of our country. In recent years, graduates have being employed at numerous enterprises and firms.