International Sakharov Environmental University was formed on January 20, 1992 after the resolution of the Republic of Belarus in compliance with the recommendations of the International Sakharov Congress (Moscow, May, 1991) by means of the United Nations Organization.

The necessity of founding such an educational institution appeared as a result of the tragic events of 1986 (Chernobyl disaster), when there were practically no specialists professionally trained for minimization of the consequences of radiation accidents. Following the initiatives of the International Congress of memory of Andrei Sakharov “Peace, progress, human rights” and the program “Chernobyl” controlled by the United Nations Organization, Sakharov college was inaugurated in Minsk. The next stage of the development was 1994, when after the resolution of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Belarus the college became independent International Institute of Radioecology. In 1999 after the state accreditation the Institute acquired the status of University.

The main objectives of the university are:

• education and training of specialists for work within national and international projects on alleviation and prediction of radiation accidents consequences, influence of radiation and other natural and anthropogenic factors on ecosystems, diagnostics and precautions of diseases caused by environmental factors, environmental monitoring and audit and other associated fields;
• training Ph.D. students in specialities of environmental scope;
• re-training and advanced training of specialists from Belarus, CIS and other countries in radioecology, radiation safety, radiation biology, environmental medicine, environmental monitoring and audit;
• carrying out fundamental and applied research in a wide spectra of problems of alleviation of environmental accidents, influence of ill environmental effects on human health;
• international co-operation in academic and research fields.

There are four faculties within the university:

• environmental monitoring faculty comprises chairs of physics and higher mathematics, radioecology, environmental monitoring, environmental management and audit, environmental information systems;
• environmental medicine faculty including chairs of human biology, environmental medicine and radiobiology, biochemistry and biophysics, immunology, radiation hygiene and epidemiology;
• re-training and advanced training faculty containing republic scientific, educational and information centre on radiation safety, power engineering and radioecological education;
• preliminary training faculty comprising training courses for national and foreign students.

There are four common university chairs where educational and scientific work is successfully carried out: chair of philosophy, sociology and economy, chair of English; chair of French and German, chair of physical training.

Research division of the university is Research institute of environmental problems including 14 laboratories, UNESCO chair, Centre of transfer technologies, Chemicals testing on biological activity center.

International Sakharov Environmental University is carrying out training specialists on majors:

Environmental monitoring, management and audit”,

Environmental Medicine,

Medical and biological work etc

The university has developed and now is realizing the Concept of radioecological education in the Republic of Belarus. In particular, the small project “Radiation safety. Do and learn” within the bounds of the international grant “Sustainable development of regions suffered by Chernobyl disaster (TAREG 7.03/97)”. This project is aimed at solving the problems of radiation safety in regions through radioecological education and enlightenment, especially of young people.

The university is nominated to be the base institution of academic society for CIS countries in environmental sciences and is responsible for implementation of the Agreement between CIS countries on education and training in radioecology, radiation safety, radiobiology and interdisciplinary sciences.

There are about 1,000 undergraduate students, 10 master students and more than 40 PhD students in the university. Advanced training faculty trains about 150 specialists annually, preliminary training faculty attracts up to 100 students and graduates of high schools. After the university students are sent to work at research institutions, environmental services, analytical laboratories, other organizations of environmental scope. During the university existance (13 years) 780 specialists have been trained.

Academic process is conducted by 16 professors and 50 doctors of science. Leading specialists of the National Academy of Sciences and industrial research institutions are attracted to teaching.

Scientific-research works at the University are carried out on the following contemporary directions:

1. Development of ways and means of environmental monitoring, management of environmental safety, complex appraisal of environmental system condition and of human health.
2. Development of new ways of laboratory and molecular medicine in the sphere of medical environmental monitoring.
3. Development of ways of environmental information analysis on the basis of modern informational technologies.
4. Development of theoretical and methodological fundamentals of complex use of eco-priority energy sources.
5. Perfection and practical realization of environmental education in Belarus and CIS countries.

The university carries out a research on problems concerned with alleviation of Chernobyl disaster consequences. The influence of small doses of chronicle exposure on human and animal organisms, changing their functions and modification of biomolecules suffered by ionizing radiation including other impact factors are studied there. New devises and methods for measuring ionizing radiation are processed, for instance, body counter for strontium-90.

The university has International Advisory Committee aimed at assisting international activities of ISEU and looking for different donations for it. The main objective of the Committee is joining efforts of foreign and national scientists, public figures, organizations and foundations to provide support to the university in training specialists and conducting scientific researches. The head of the Committee is the professor of Munich University Edmund Lengfelder. Members of the Committee come from United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany, the USA, Poland, Belarus and Russia.

International Advisory Committee helps the University to establish creative relations with foreign partners. Due to the support of international organizations, first of all, to IAEA the university has up-to-date educational and scientific equipment provided to train specialists at appropriate level.

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