In the modern economic landscape, knowledge and information have emerged as primary production resources. Consequently, there is an increasing demand not only for the quality of goods and services produced, but also for the proficiency of enterprise leaders, public sector employees, customs officials, and energy conservation specialists. They are expected to adeptly apply information technologies to tackle economic challenges and possess the skills to analyze and evaluate the performance of economic entities.
With the aim of nurturing competent professionals in management and economics, the Republican Educational Center (REC) was established in 1994. The center enrolled its first cohort of students in 1995.
In 2002, the REC underwent reorganization and emerged as the Faculty of Humanities and Management of the Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU). Subsequently, in 2004, it was renamed the Faculty of Management Technologies and Humanitarian Studies (FMTHS). Initially helmed by political science candidate E.P. Sapelkin and philosophy doctor A.I. Loiko, leadership of the faculty was assumed by pedagogical sciences candidate G.M. Brovka in 2009.
The Management Department, established in 1997, became the foundational department of the Faculty of Management Technologies and Humanitarian Studies (FMTHS). Many faculty members have undergone internships at universities in Europe and North America, publishing the results of their research in leading publications in Belarus and abroad. Specialized academic disciplines developed within the department aim to provide students with the opportunity to study the principles of macro- and microeconomics, the peculiarities of the real estate market, and the principles and methods of accounting system construction.
The department has established three student research circles. Students have the opportunity to present the results of their scientific work at national and international conferences and competitions. Graduates of the department are in demand at joint ventures, foreign enterprises, banks, real estate agencies, and appraisal organizations.
Since 2008, the department has hosted an annual international scientific and practical conference, "Modern Technologies of Managing Socio-Economic Processes.
The Department of Economics and Law has been involved in training students in the field of legal support for economic activities and organizational management in enterprises since 2002. In addition to the core faculty, the department collaborates with invited specialists from institutes of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, the Ministry of Economy, and the Ministry of Justice. Within the specialization, students have the opportunity to study various branches of law, including economic, civil, criminal, and administrative law.
Managers and economists who have undergone training at the department work in enterprises and organizations such as RUP "Belarusian Metallurgical Plant," OJSC "Beltransgaz," OJSC "Belarusbank," the Scientific Research Economic Institute under the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Belarus, OJSC "Krinitsa," the State Research Institute of Powder Metallurgy, and PRUP "Minsk Motor Plant named after S.I. Vavilov."
The scarcity of fuel and energy resources in the Republic of Belarus and the presence of environmental problems have necessitated the need for qualified engineering personnel focused on solving energy-saving tasks using advanced global experience. This challenge was placed before the UNESCO Department of "Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy Sources." Faculty members have organized individual work with students who have shown an interest in scientific activities. They have created conditions for students to participate in various conferences and competitions.
In addition to student education, the department has developed courses for the further training and retraining of existing industrial engineers. They facilitate the exchange of global experience in resource conservation, conduct scientific research, including joint projects with foreign partners. The department is considered one of the best among European universities in energy-efficient technologies and energy management.
With the establishment of the Republic of Belarus's state sovereignty came the necessity for specialized personnel within the customs authorities. The Belarusian State University (BSU), the Academy of Management under the President, and the Gomel University of Railway Transport had been involved in training future customs officers. However, the primary focus of education in these aforementioned institutions was on foreign languages and legal disciplines, while the specific activities of customs officials required, above all, an understanding of the peculiarities of the global and national economy.
In this context, the economic support of customs affairs became the specialization of the newly formed Department of Customs Affairs on August 30, 2004, through the reorganization of the Department of Modern Education Technologies. In accordance with the cooperation agreement between the Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU) and the Russian Customs Academy, it was decided to exchange experience, educational and methodological materials, and teaching methods, as well as to establish joint research laboratories to study current issues in customs affairs. Similar agreements were reached with the University of Zielona Góra (Poland) and the University of Münster (Germany).
In addition to departmental faculty, invited specialists from the State Customs Committee of the Republic of Belarus were involved in student education. Since 2006, the department has been organizing international virtual scientific and technical conferences, where faculty and students from Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Latvia, and Venezuela have had the opportunity to discuss current issues in foreign economic activity and international cooperation in the customs sphere.
To equip the Grads in the customs field with practical skills and abilities, introductory, economic, and pre-diploma internships were organized within Belarusian customs offices. In 2009, students conducting research in the field of customs expertise were provided with the opportunity to study the experience of experts from the Central Customs Laboratory. The department's development prospects are associated with the training of its own scientific personnel, the expansion of the thematic scope of theoretical and applied research, and the establishment of laboratories for customs expertise and technical means of customs control.
It is well-known that the most effective advertisement for any widely consumed product is its packaging. Through its design, packaging evokes associations with the corresponding quality of the product, reflects the corporate style, and ensures the recognizability of the brand. Established in 2008, the Department of Industrial Design and Packaging has been engaged in training specialists in the field of packaging design and construction. The department widely applies information technologies, and educational-methodological complexes have been introduced into the teaching process. Students of the department have repeatedly won awards at republican and international competitions and exhibitions.
The research work of the department is related to studying the influence of external and internal influences on substance transfer processes in environments and systems of complex composition. Its relevance is associated with the need to create environmentally friendly and functionally suitable packaging materials. To exchange experience and analyze the results of conducted research, the department collaborates with scientific institutions in Belarus, the National Confederation of Packaging Manufacturers of Russia, as well as packaging industry associations of other countries. In the future, there are plans to create packaging for food products with indicators of suitability and heating capabilities.
In the field of management, contemporary specialists are required to possess foreign language proficiency, knowledge of scientific research methodology, and an appreciation for the historical experience crucial for the future development of both individual enterprises and the state as a whole. Therefore, general education disciplines are taught in departments such as "History of Belarusian Statehood," "Foreign Languages," and "Philosophical Doctrines."
At the Department of Philosophical Doctrines, students acquire knowledge in philosophy, ethics, aesthetics, logic, and religious studies. A course on the methodology of science has been developed for master's students. Department staff research co-evolution processes of natural and socio-cultural systems and also develop applied aspects of scientific methodology.
Faculty members at the Department of Belarusian Statehood History teach disciplines such as "Political Science," "History of Belarus," "Cultural Studies," and "The Great Patriotic War of the Soviet People." They also conduct extensive public outreach and educational activities among students through organizing conferences, thematic competitions, museum excursions, and visits to historical and memorial sites in Belarus. The main directions of the department's research work include studying the problems of World War II history, the formation of Belarusian statehood, the development of national culture, and teaching methodology for historical disciplines.
FMTH is one of the most "language-oriented" faculties of BNTU. At the Department of Foreign Languages, every effort is made to ensure that students can master English, German, French, and Spanish languages effectively. For instance, regular meetings with native speakers are organized at the department. The most popular activities are educational and entertainment events related to the countries whose languages are being studied. These include a Christmas celebration in German at the dormitory and an English "Five o'clock" event. The department operates the Student Scientific Creativity Development Center of BNTU "Linguistics and Area Studies," where students can familiarize themselves with the principles of scientific creativity within their chosen specialty. In the interuniversity English language Olympiad in 2009, FTUG students were winners in all categories.
As of today, the Faculty of Management Technologies and Humanitarian Studies comprises eight departments, five of which have the status of graduating departments. The faculty ranks first in BNTU in terms of the number of faculty members (over 200 individuals) and the proportion of international students (10% of all students). In total, there are about 1,500 students studying at the faculty, with over 1,000 students enrolled in full-time programs.
The faculty has specialized classrooms equipped with modern teaching aids, computer labs, multimedia centers, and laboratories. Thanks to collaborations with ministries, agencies, enterprises, and organizations in Belarus, students have the opportunity to undergo training internships at leading state-owned and commercial enterprises, as well as in republican bodies of state and local government.
In the future, there are plans to develop international cooperation between the faculty and higher education institutions and research organizations in Russia, Ukraine, Germany, France, Poland, and other countries. This will enable the implementation of integrated training programs for faculty students.
