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Таврійський національний університет імені В. І. Вернадського | |
 New University Logo from 2021 | |
| Latin:Universitas Taurica | |
| Motto | Latin:Nosce Te Ipsum |
|---|---|
Motto in English | Know thyself |
| Festive Day | October 14 (14-10) |
| Type | Publicresearch university |
| Established | September 3, 1918 (1918-09-03) |
| Budget | ₴81.38 million (US$1.96 million) (2024)[1] |
| Rector | Valerii Bortniak[2] |
| Prorectors |
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| Students | 2,125 (December 2023)[3] |
| Location | , 44°56′11″N34°08′03″E / 44.93639°N 34.13417°E /44.93639; 34.13417 |
| Campus | Urban, 1.73 acres (0.70 ha) |
| Affiliated Institutions | College of Municipal Services, Crimea Renewal Center[4] |
| Colors | Blue |
| Website | tnu |
TheTaurida University, or officially the V.I. Vernadsky Taurida National University (Ukrainian:Таврійський національний університет імені В. І. Вернадського,Crimean Tatar:V. İ. Vernadskiy adında Tavriya Milliy Universiteti) is apublic university inSimferopol, Ukraine, currently temporarily relocated toKyiv.
The university was originally founded in 1918 in Simferopol (Crimean Tatar:Aqmescit)as the first Western-style university inCrimea (in contrast to the earliermadrasahs), during the turbulent period of theCivil War in the formerRussian Empire. Between 1920 and 1921, the university was headed by the Ukrainian scientistVolodymyr Vernadsky, who later resigned in protest against Soviet educational reforms. Eventually, the institution was reorganized into“people’s institutes.”
Throughout the 20th century, the institution was reorganized and renamed several times. In 1999, the then-namedM. V. Frunze Crimean State University restored its historical name. Following the occupation of Crimea by theRussian Federation, Taurida University was reestablished in Kyiv in 2016.
As part of a new reform initiative, theMinistry of Education and Science of Ukraine plans to merge Taurida University with theNational University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, where it would function as a dedicated center for Crimean studies. However, this proposal has been postponed until 2025.
Taurida University was founded in 1918 in Simferopol, Crimea, following a resolution by the short-livedCrimean Regional Government. The idea for the university had been initially proposed in 1916 by entrepreneur and scholarSolomon Krym, who advocated for the establishment of a higher education institution in the region. The university officially opened on October 14, 1918, withDr. Roman Helwig serving as its first rector.
After the death of its first rector, Ukrainian scientistVolodymyr Vernadsky led the university, having declined to emigrate abroad. Under Soviet rule in the 1920s, the institution was reorganized intoM. V. Frunze Crimean University. Some departments were closed, funding was cut, and the university’s autonomy diminished — a process Vernadsky criticized as the erosion of academic freedom.
In 1921, Vernadsky resigned in protest. Despite political instability, the university attracted prominent scholars, includingVladimir Obruchev,Boris Grekov, andAbram Ioffe. In the 1920s–30s, Soviet educational reforms led to the division of the university into several institutions. One of them, theCrimean State Pedagogical Institute (est. 1925), was later transformed into theSimferopol State University in 1972.
After Ukraine gained independence, the university retained its Soviet name for some time. In 1999, a presidential decree restored its historical title and granted it national university status.
Following Russia’s occupation of Crimea in 2014, the occupying authorities dissolved the university’s Department of Ukrainian Philology and integrated the institution into the newly created V. I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University. In response, Ukraine’s Ministry of Education terminated its contract with the then-rector for collaboration with the occupying regime.
In 2016, Taurida National University was reestablished in Kyiv under the leadership of its new rector,Volodymyr Kazarin.
In late 2023, Ukraine’s Minister of Education and Science,Oksen Lisovyi, announced a higher education reform aimed at modernizing the university system, citing factors like demographic decline and low enrollment in smaller institutions. A government draft proposal circulated in early 2024 suggested merging V. I. Vernadsky Taurida National University with theNational University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy, with plans to create a specializedCenter for Crimean Studies. The proposal sparked backlash from Taurida University’s administration, prompting meetings with ministry officials and public debate. By February 2024, the government decided to postpone any merger until at least the end of the year, giving Taurida University the opportunity to present a new development strategy and remain independent. Meanwhile, NaUKMA has independently pursued the creation of an interdisciplinary center, focused on research, policy development, and preservingCrimean Tatar language, culture, andhistory. While NaUKMA supports reform, its leadership clarified that it was not the initiator of the proposed integration.
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