Irkutsk State Institute of Transport has acquired a higher status and now the name of the Institution is Irkutsk State Transport University (ISTU). ISTU was founded on May 9, 1963. It is located in Irkutsk - industrial, administrative and cultural centre of East Siberia. At present ISTU is the leading transport University of East Siberia which trains highly qualified engineers.

Full-time (5 years) and part-time tuition is conducted on 9 specialities:

• Electric Power supply;
• Electric transport;
• Automatics, telemechanics and communication at the railway transport;
• Software of computers and automated systems;
• Information systems in technique and technologies;
• Railway freightage and Management (railway transport);
• Carriages and Wagons;
• Economics and Management at an enterprise (Railway transport).

The programmes of higher education including post-graduate courses are being realized at the university. The University offers seven specialties in post-graduate study.

Nowadays ISTU is a modern higher education establishment with social infrastructure providing all necessary conditions for the training of highly qualified specialists. The University is provided with well-equipped lecture halls, computer rooms, unique laboratories and stands. 7,000 students study at the University.

More than 300 teachers including 62 full professors, 153 Doctors of sciences work at the University. Taking into consideration the requirements of the region in the development of new technologies application, the teaching staff of the University is carrying out fundamental and applied research in:

1. development of telecommunications and information;
2. alternative energy sources;
3. resource saving technologies;
4. technical devices of new generation;
5. perfection of transportation process technology;
6. insurance of increased efficiency and financial-economic activity of railway transport;
7. ecological problems solving.

ISTU has an extended experience and high skilled staff including 6 full Professors-Doctors dealing with Energy and Environmental Information Technologies. They are: V. Salomatov, A. Kruykov, I. Golub, V. Borduschko, Yu. Muchopat, N. Klimov.

Departments and sections that will participate in the Network Project are as follows:

• Electrotechnic Department;
• Information and Telecommunication Systems Section;
• Energy Supply Section and
• the Center of Information Technologies.

Participation in the Programme will promote the Institution in the following problems:

1. to develop the Regional Information System on energy distribution and safety;
2. to carry out control and optimum management of energy consumption at the East Siberian railway;
3. to develop and carry out optimum management of the Institution building heating system.

Scientists from the Irkutsk State Technical University and from the Siberian Energy Institute take part in joint projects as well.