Since Astrakhan Regional Institute for Retraining Teachers was re-named and re-structured into Astrakhan Retraining Institute, adapting to the changes in Russian education, it has significantly expanded the range of its services and now provides training not only for secondary school teachers, but also for educational psychologists, school counselors, kindergarten teachers, supplementary education specialists, school and college librarians, social workers, school and kindergarten principals, directors of children’s arts centers, etc.

Today Astrakhan Retraining Institute boasts ten specialized departments employing experienced experts and scholars, a regional center for distance education, a publishing center and a library center for information and instructional technologies. It maintains close contact and partnership with such well-known and respected organizations as the Council of Europe, the British Council and the Goethe Institute (Germany) and takes part in several Russian and international projects under grants of Project Harmony, Inc., Tempus/Tacis, Civitas-Russia and the National Personnel Training Foundation.

The Institute’s priority areas include expanding the range of available educational services, improving their quality and accessibility, implementing interactive and distance education, promoting and empowering academic research, and creating a positive atmosphere for the Institute’s staff and students.