Kobzev Announces Timeline for Irkutsk Inter-University Campus

Irkutsk Region Governor Igor Kobzev, during a session of the Legislative Assembly, announced the timeline for when an inter-university campus may be built in Irkutsk.

The head of the region emphasized that he met with Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov and discussed the creation of an inter-university campus in the region.

«We plan to submit an application by April, and from 2030 to 2036 there will be additional funding. The financial and economic model is currently being studied,» said Igor Kobzev.

He also suggested that the deputies of the Legislative Assembly discuss the project again at committee meetings to develop a «consolidated decision.»

«And then, within this plan, we together must form the tasks that will be implemented within the framework of, probably, the decisions of the Russian government itself so that all this happens. Today, we have the land plot, we have the design, and, in general, the potential of our scientific educational and higher educational institutions is high,» the governor emphasized.

The concept of the inter-university campus in the Sverdlovsk district was presented in 2022. It envisages the construction of five 16-story dormitory buildings for 2,336 people, six seven-story ones for 1,296 people, as well as an additional educational building and an underground parking lot.

The campus is planned to be located on a 12-hectare (30-acre) territory at the site of Radio Station No. 5. The campus facilities themselves are to occupy about 6 hectares (15 acres), and the residential development — no more than 94,000 square meters (1.01 million sq ft) of total apartment area.

According to the land lease agreement, it is necessary to improve the green zones, street and road network, car parks, pedestrian zones, children«s and sports grounds, as well as recreational areas.

The cost of the work was estimated at 13 billion rubles (approx. $144 million USD at current rates). It was assumed that the project would be implemented by 2025, but in fact, construction has not yet begun. The region has applied for funding several times but has not received approval.