Yerevan State University (YSU) (Armenian: Երևանի Պետական Համալսարան) is a university in Yerevan, Armenia. It is the largest university in Armenia. It was founded on May 16, 1919. Its faculties contain 110 departments. Of its 3,150 employees, 1,190 comprise the teaching staff which includes 25 academicians, 130 professors, 700 docents (associate professors), and 360 assistant lecturers. The university has 400 researchers, 1350 post-graduate students, and 8,500 undergraduates, including 300 students from abroad. Instruction is in Armenian, but instruction in Russian and English for foreign students is arranged according to need. The academic year is from September 1 through June 30. Yerevan State University was established in May, 1919 and was officially inaugurated on January 23, 1921. The university was called Yerevan Popular University and was situated on Astafyan (now Abovyan) street in the building of the former teaching seminary, which was built around 1900-1906. The construction of new buildings (architect E. Tigranyan) began in the fifties in the territory between Mravyan and Charents streets, they are still there. The first rector of the YSU was H.