With a history dating back to 1724, the University is the oldest institution of higher education in Russia. Today, SPbU successfully combines tradition and innovation, being one of the leading international centres of education, science and culture. It is ranked among the top 300 universities around the world and in second place in Eastern Europe and Central Asia according to the QS Rankings. The University is also ranked in second place in Russia in the QS Graduate Employability Ranking. It is the best in Russia for Employer-Student connections. As a dynamic institution, it designs multidisciplinary academic programmes that combine fundamental theoretical problems with real-world, practical application.