Tomsk Polytechnic University
The oblast is home to six state higher education institutions and 47 research institutes. The first university in Asian Russia, Tomsk State University, was founded in 1888. Twelve years later, the first technological institute in Asian Russia, Tomsk Polytechnic University, was founded. Two years after that, in 1902, the first normal university in Asian Russia, Tomsk State Pedagogical University, was founded. Since then city often dubbed the "Siberian Athens" for its unique spirit. Today, more than 100,000 people (or 20 per cent of population of the city) study in Tomsk universities and colleges. In terms of the number of students per 10,000 people Tomsk is ranked third after Moscow and Saint-Petersburg. Tomsk Region is also ranked first in Russia in terms of the number of people engaged in R&amp;D per capita with 160 researchers per 10,000 citizens.