University of Kyiv has been established in 1834 and now has 17 faculties and 4 institutes. There are 158 departments. The teaching staff numbers 1,768 people, including 321 Professors and more than 1,000 Associate Professors. These are the highest numbers among the universities of Ukraine.

Nowadays about 20 thousand students study at the University of Kyiv. Training is conducted in 58 specialties which passed state certification in 1998. Now more than 1700 postgraduates and over 100 persons are working on Doctorate degrees in 155 areas.

By the Presidential Decree No. 1496/99 dated 25, November, 1999, University of Kyiv:

• has the status of National University;
• has funding from State Budget;
• has tax-free (VAT and profit) status;
• has been allowed to have double salaries for all University staff;
• has the Statute signed by the President of Ukraine.

Rector of the University is equal to Minister of Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.

89 of 450 members of Ukrainian Parliament are post-graduates of the National Taras Shevchenko University of Kyiv.

Department on Nuclear Physics and Safety has been established in 1944 to investigate fast neutron interaction with nuclei to develop fast-neutron breeder reactors. The founder of the department, Prof. Leipunsky, moved later to Obninsk to establish the IPPE.

Department of Nuclear Physics and Safety has separate building, where offices, laboratories and experimental facilities are located.

The former University student work at the Rivne NPP; Zaporizhzhe NPP, South-Ukrainian NPP, Khmelnitsky NPP, Balakovo NPP, Novo-Voronezh NPP, etc.

In year 2000 Department of Nuclear Physics and Safety in collaboration with the Institute for Nuclear Research (Kyiv) and Institute of Single Crystals (Kharkiv) of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine has been awarded State Prize of Ukraine in Science and Technology.