Founded by the decree of Empress Catherine II in 1773, Saint-Petersburg Mining University is the first technical higher educational institution in Russia. Today the university boasts a unique combination of the richest tradition and modern state-of-the-art technologies and facilities across its eight schools, including: Geological Prospecting Oil and Gas Engineering Mining Engineering Civil Engineering Power and Mechanical Engineering Mineral Raw Material Processing Economics Humanities and Sciences Its well-developed infrastructure and high competence of academic staff provide over 12,000 students with the best education through its wide range of bachelor’s, master’s and specialist’s profiles for future employees of Russian and international companies engaged in estimation, prospecting, exploitation, exploration and processing of raw materials, oil, gas, diamonds, and ores. Saint-Petersburg Mining University is also the initiator of a number of international projects, such as the Russian-UK Raw Materials Dialogue, as well as the Russian-German Raw Materials Forum. The Russian-German Raw Materials Forum was established under the auspices, along with the direct participation of Russian President, Vladimir Putin, and German Chancellor, Angela Merkel.