About us
The Institute of Management and Economics of the Forestry Sector (IMFSE, Russian abbreviation IUELS) has rich, long and glorious history. This history is deeply rooted in the history of our university — the Saint Petersburg State Forestry Technical University (earlier Academy). The University itself was founded in 1803 by a decree of Emperor Alexander the First. It is the oldest forest university in our country and entire Europe. The history of our institute is inseparable from the subsequent uneasy history of the University, our country and its forest sector.
Although economics has always been an integral part of forest science, it is interesting that the first forest economics specialization emerged only in the mid-1920s, more than a century after birth of the forest university in 1803. On November 26, 1929, the original Forest Institute was reorganized into the Forestry Academy and small forest economic section was transformed into a separate forest economic faculty. That was the day of birth of our Institute. Later on, the forest economic faculty was reformed into engineering and economic faculty, then into faculty of economics and management. Since 2015 it is the Institute of Management and Economics of Forest Sector (IMEFS). From its birth to the present day, our Institute remains the leading academic, scientific and educational tool in Russia, a real forge of cadres for its vast forest sector. Among our graduates, there are many outstanding representatives of the government, business, technology, science, academia and education.
Currently, our institute employs more than forty highly qualified faculty staff members. Almost all of them are doctors and candidates of science (PhDs), professors and associate professors (docents). They have impressive experience in education, science and business in Russia and abroad. We invite business leaders and scientists from Russia and from abroad for teaching and working with our students.
Today, more than 1,000 students (including bachelors, masters and postgraduates) study at our institute every year. Of these, about 400 students are full-time and some 600 are extra-mural students. About 260 students graduate every year, including 100 full-time and 160 extra-mural graduates. Of them some 40 to 50 masters and post-graduates. Our students undergo real practical training in real production environment. Our education system meets international standards and allows for our students to study individual courses and modules in Russia and abroad in the leading universities of the world — our partners. Students who speak English have an opportunity to obtain an additional second international diploma in the Master’s Program (Forpek) — “Forest Policy and Economics”.
We proceed from the fact that the main problems of the modern forest sector in Russia and worldwide are not so much forestry or technical issues. They are predominantly economic problems, which are to be solved by mainly economic methods. We well prepare our students to solve these problems. We strongly believe that in the current competitive market economy environment (and this is strong opinion of majority of employers in the global forest sector) every manager at primary, upper and high management and administrative level should have sound economic education — first or second one. In any case, welcome to our Institute of Management and Economics of Forest Sector!