South Ural State University

What South Ural State University does

South Ural State University (SUSU) is a Russian national research university headquartered at 76 Lenin Avenue, Chelyabinsk, operating as a Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. It was established in 1995 in its current legal form and participates in the national Priority 2030 strategic development program through three flagship projects: Intelligent Manufacturing, Eco-Environment of Post-Industrial Agglomeration, and Advanced Materials Synthesis. SUSU runs a main campus in Chelyabinsk plus three branch campuses in Zlatoust, Miass, and Nizhnevartovsk, delivering bachelor, specialist, master, and PhD programs across engineering, IT, natural sciences, economics, law, media, linguistics, and sports management. Research priorities include quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, industrial robotics, materials science, and digital transformation, supported by dedicated units such as the Quantum Light Engineering Laboratory, the Advanced Engineering School 'Heart of the Urals' (ПИШ 'Сердце Урала'), the AI research center VirtUm (ВиртУм), and the Digital Urals IT education center.

The university's revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining (i) state-funded budget places funded by federal and regional budgets, (ii) fee-paying tuition from domestic and international students, (iii) contract research and development services for industrial partners under partnership agreements (notably Rostelecom, Softline, ChKPZ Robot Factory, and the Chelyabinsk Region Government), (iv) international student tuition, with approximately 1,300 students currently enrolled from China via a jointly operated South Ural Institute at Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics in 2+2 and 2+2+2 formats, and (v) professional development and vocational training, including drone operator certification. Tuition is billed annually with amounts varying by program level and discipline; living costs for students are approximately 8,000-10,000 rubles per month for food and 1,000 rubles per month for dormitory accommodation.

The institution's go-to-market is sales-led through a centralized admissions office in Chelyabinsk, regional branches, an online self-serve application portal at abit.susu.ru, and an active international recruitment office. Marketing channels span the multi-language susu.ru website (Russian, English, Arabic, Chinese), VK, Telegram, MAX video, Weibo, and the Study in Russia portal, plus on-the-ground recruitment through open days and the annual Innoprom industrial exhibition. SUSU holds a granted patent on a neural network-based credit scoring program and operates proprietary applied systems including the VIZOR 01 intelligent cleaning management system. As of 2026, it ranks 42nd in RAEX-100 (up one position year-on-year), 14th in the SuperJob/Roscosmos IT graduate salary rating, and 8th in RAEX subject rankings, with 7.9 billion rubles in additional federal funding allocated for the third phase of the Interuniversity Campus.

Name

South Ural State University

Legal name

Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education South Ural State University (national research university)

Website

https://susu.ru

Company type

Public

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Short description

South Ural State University is a Russian national research university in Chelyabinsk, operating main and branch campuses to deliver higher education and applied research in engineering, IT, quantum technologies, industrial robotics, and materials science to domestic and international students, with Priority 2030 program backing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Flagship Public Research Universities (R1/R2) (EDAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF), Public Research Universities with Engineering/Polytechnic Emphasis (EDAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• University research programs
• Engineering degree programs
• Industrial robotics research
• Quantum technology research

Headquarters

HQ city

Chelyabinsk

HQ country

Russia

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. State-funded education (budget places): Government-funded educational positions for Russian students across all levels - bachelor, specialist, master, and PhD programs, funded through federal and regional budgets.
2. Fee-paying education (contract): Tuition fees from Russian and international students on paid educational programs. Annual tuition varies by program level and field of study.
3. Research and development services: Contract research and development services for industrial partners, including robotics development, digital transformation projects, and metrology services under partnership agreements.
4. International student recruitment: Tuition and fees from international students, with approximately 1,300 students from China currently enrolled, plus international exchange programs.
5. Professional training programs: Professional development and vocational training programs for industry, including drone operator certification (BAS) and corporate training for regional enterprises.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

South Ural State University is a national research university providing higher education across bachelor's, specialist, master's, and PhD levels in engineering, IT, natural sciences, economics, law, media, linguistics, and other disciplines. The university also delivers contract research and development services, professional training programs, and operates specialized centers for AI, robotics, and quantum technologies. Educational programs are offered both as state-funded budget places and as fee-paying contracts for domestic and international students.

Product overview

South Ural State University operates as a national research university offering higher education across multiple disciplines through its various schools and institutes. The university provides both traditional educational programs and specialized technology-focused offerings including Virtual SUSU for remote learning, Digital Urals for IT education, VirtUm for AI research, and the Advanced Engineering School Heart of the Urals for intelligent manufacturing. The university also develops proprietary research products including neural network-based credit scoring systems, computer vision applications for municipal services, and quantum metrology technologies. The institution participates in the Priority 2030 national program implementing strategic projects in intelligent manufacturing, environmental sustainability, and advanced materials development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Virtual SUSU Virtual platform providing remote access to university campus, education, science, culture, sport and international activities through interactive digital experiences for prospective and current students.
• Digital Urals (Цифровой Урал) IT education center providing training in digital technologies and solutions for the regional economy, with graduates expected to set industry trends.
• VirtUm (ВиртУм) Artificial intelligence research and education center, with graduates setting AI industry trends for coming years.
• Advanced Engineering School 'Heart of the Urals' (ПИШ Сердце Урала) Forward-thinking engineering school implementing educational programs in intelligent manufacturing, creating robots with computer vision, and developing AI systems for industrial production.
• Transmedia Journalism and Neuromarketing Master's Program Master's program training media professionals with neurotechnological and research competencies for modern media and digital environment work. Full-time 2-year program with 10 fee-paying places.
• Sociology Master's Program Master's program in Sociology with 5 state-funded budget places and 10 fee-paying contract places, offered as a 2.5-year part-time program.
• Neural Network Credit Scoring System Patented neural network program for in-depth analysis of borrowers' financial behavior combining traditional credit indicators with behavioral and transactional signals from open sources for improved lending decisions.
• Intelligent Cleaning Control System VIZOR 01 Smart municipal cleaning system using computer vision semantic segmentation to analyze road contamination and recommend optimal cleaning modes for municipal vehicles.
• Quantum Interferometry Method for IR Metrology Nonlinear interferometry method for infrared measurements using spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC), dramatically improving signal-to-noise ratio for quantum metrology applications.
• Industrial Robotics Center Federal-level industrial robotics center being created in Chelyabinsk for robotics development, serving as a research and training hub for industrial robotics.
• Quantum Light Engineering Laboratory Research laboratory developing nonlinear interferometry methods for quantum metrology, infrared imaging, and spectroscopy applications using spontaneous parametric down-conversion.

Quantifiable outcome

• 42nd place in RAEX-100 ranking (improved by 1 position)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Metran Project LLC (OOO Metran Proekt)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFour-party agreement with Metran Project, VNIIM named after D.I. Mendeleev, and ROSTEST for creation of industrial testing ground for predictive automatic control systems. Development and operation of domestic software-hardware complexes using AI methods with focus on standardization and metrological support.
• Rostelecom PJSCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation agreement for developing robotics complexes for industrial production automation. Rostelecom serves as integrator ensuring implementation at enterprises. SUSU develops software, Robot Factory (ChKPZ) produces equipment.
• Softline PJSCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership with Ministry of Digital Development of Chelyabinsk Region for creating regional competence center for robotic process automation (RPA) and training qualified personnel for digital economy.
• Government of Chelyabinsk RegionflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey regional partner for implementing national projects and achieving sustainable development goals. Active collaboration on interuniversity campus construction (7.9 billion rubles federal funding), digital transformation of government bodies, and regional economic development.
• Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics (China)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership including faculty and student exchanges, joint research, and educational program development. South Ural Institute established jointly in China with 1,000+ students. 2+2 and 2+2+2 study formats. Plans for joint research laboratories in materials science.
• VNIIM named after D.I. MendeleevcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFundamental metrology institute partnership in four-party agreement for industrial testing ground development and standardization of domestic AI-based measurement systems.
• ROSTEST (Testing Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in four-party agreement for metrological support and certification of domestic software-hardware complexes for industrial applications.
• Robot Factory of ChKPZ GroupcoreTechnology or IntegrationEquipment manufacturing partner in robotics development for industrial automation. Produces robotics systems while SUSU develops software and Rostelecom integrates solutions.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tomsk Polytechnic University: A national research university with engineering and applied sciences focus, similar Priority 2030 participation, and federal-level research funding. Comparable as a regional technical university with strong industry partnerships and subject ranking performance.
• Kazan Federal University: One of Russia's 10 federal universities and a Priority 2030 participant with comparable multi-disciplinary national research scope. Similar structure with regional flagship status, international student recruitment, and major federal infrastructure investment.
• Bauman Moscow State Technical University: Russia's premier technical university with deep engineering and industrial robotics focus. Comparable on Polytechnic structure, industrial partnerships with Russian enterprises, and graduate employment outcomes in technical fields.
• Novosibirsk State University: A leading Russian national research university with strong STEM and physics programs, similar RAEX and subject ranking positioning, and significant federal research funding. Both compete for top Russian applicants and research talent.
• Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University: A leading Russian national research university with strong engineering focus and industrial partnerships. Comparable on Priority 2030 participation, Polytechnic Institute structure, and emphasis on intelligent manufacturing and industrial robotics R&D.
• ITMO University: A national research university in St. Petersburg with strong IT and computer science focus. Comparable as a Priority 2030 participant competing in the same subject rankings (SUSU ranked above ITMO in ecology), IT graduate outcomes, and digital economy talent pipeline.
• Ural Federal University: The other major national research university in the Urals Federal District, headquartered in Yekaterinburg. Both institutions are flagship technical universities with similar Priority 2030 funding, regional industrial partnerships, and competition for Russian STEM applicants.

Broad incumbents

• Moscow State University: Russia's largest and most prestigious university, occupying the top position across all major Russian rankings. Sets the benchmark for SUSU's positioning ambitions and competes for the same top-tier domestic applicants and faculty.

Regional players

• South Ural State University of Telecommunications and Informatics (branch operations): Regional Chelyabinsk-based technical university with smaller scale but overlapping IT and telecommunications education offerings. Competes locally with SUSU for regional applicants and industry partnerships in the same geography.
• Harbin Engineering University: A leading Chinese engineering university with comparable engineering and applied sciences focus. Represents one of the Chinese partner institutions in SUSU's international recruitment pipeline and 2+2 program format.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCHPBbFncaCIur8t3O4RmxHA
• Xx.com/yuurgu
• Facebookfacebook.com/southuralstateunity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about South Ural State University