Ural State Technical University (USTU), Ural State University (USU), and the Ural branch of RAS (Russian Academy of Sciences) applied for federal status that will unite them into a single federal university.

The Russian Government approved of the Ministry of Education and Science’s project regarding the introduction and performance of federal universities on June 23, 2008. In addition, the local press published the regional government’s provision on the support of the Ural Federal University project.

The application will have been fully considered by the end of August or beginning of September 2008; the final version of the project will be presented to the council at the beginning of October 2008.