THE MISSION of the Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs is the formation of a highly educated personality with moral and democratic values, training a highly professional, competitive specialist who is aware of the essence and social significance of his\her profession, observes the law and is able to act according to the principles of justice for sustainable development of society.
The Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs is considered to be an intellectual educational and scientific space integrated into the world scientific and educational community, based on the principles of integrity, professionalism, dedication, prestige, equality and gender-sensitive leadership for the sake of building a secure society.
The Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs focuses on the values of professionalism, integrity, respect, customer service, responsibility and accountability, our staff strives for excellence and continuous improvement. In doing so, we shall adhere to the core values to guide our decisions and behavior. We value:
The Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs begins its history with the Donetsk Special Police High School (1961), which was first located in the village of Novozhdanivka, Khartsyzsk district, Stalin region. In 1962 only 130 young police officers completed their studying there.
In 1965, after the relocation of the Donetsk Special Police High School to the city of Donetsk, the educational institution development began, including construction of the school campus.
In March 1992, the Donetsk Special Police Secondary School was reorganized into the Donetsk Police School of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine.
The date of birth of the higher educational institution is February 8, 1993, when the Donetsk Institute of Internal Affairs was established on the basis of the Donetsk branch of distance learning of the Ukrainian Academy of Internal Affairs and the Donetsk Police School at the Donetsk State University. The institute began its development with 3 faculties and 8 departments, which were part of its structure.
There are many bright and sometimes heroic pages in the history of the educational institution. The cadets of the institute (former school) in different periods provided order and protection of the most important objects after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, protected civilians from gangsterism and racketeering in “hot” spots in the 80’s and 90’s, provided assistance in liquidation the consequences of natural disasters, etc.
In the city of Donetsk, more than 4,000 cadets, students from all regions of Ukraine studied at the institute. Every year 1000 specialists graduated from it. At that time, the Institute was licensed to provide educational services at the educational and qualification levels of “bachelor”, “specialist”, “master”.
The post-graduate education has been operating since 1997. Until 2014, the institute trained scientific and scientific-pedagogical staff to obtain the degrees of Candidates of Sciences in the scientific specialties of management theory; administrative law and process; finance law; information law; criminal procedure and criminology; forensic examination; operational and investigative activities; theory and history of state and law; history of political and legal doctrines. During this time, 150 people received a post-graduate degree of Candidate of Sciences.
In June 2014, in connection with Russia’s armed aggression and the occupation of Donetsk by Russian troops, the institute was relocated to Mariupol, where the operation of headquarters was provided, measures were taken to restore the document management of structural units, further development of the Institute activity as an internally displaced organization was provided. It was also possible to relocate part of the Institute to the city of Kryvyi Rih, where the institute resumed educational and scientific activities, and later it resumed educational and scientific activities in the city of Mariupol as well. The Donetsk Law Institute has been headed by the rector Doctor of Juridical Sciences, Professor, Police Colonel Serhii Vitvitsky since April 15, 2020
In 2021,the Donetsk Law Institute acquired the status of a University and changed its name to Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs. Since then, the University has gained the status of a leading higher education institution in the Donetsk region and one of the best Universities in Ukraine.
On February 24, 2022, the University was evacuated from the city of Mariupol due to hostilities on the part of Russia, and the University premises were completely destroyed by the occupying troops of the Russian Federation. The Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs is currently stationed in Kropyvnytskyi, rebuilding its facilities, material and technical base and continuing to develop educational innovations.
In 2023 the Luhansk State University named after Didorenko was integrated into the structure of the Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs as the Luhansk Educational Scientific Institute named after Didorenko with location in Ivano-Frankivsk.
At present, the structure of the Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs includes:
Until 2022, the University had 2 specialized scientific councils for the defense of dissertations in 6 scientific specialties, in which 168 dissertations had been successfully defended. In the new conditions of reforming higher legal education, in accordance with the requirements of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine “On awarding the degree of Doctor of Philosophy”, orders of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine 18 more specialized scientific councils in the field of Law have been created at the University.
The Donetsk State University of Internal Affairs is a leading research-oriented higher education institution that actively promotes scientific and innovative activities in the fields of law, law enforcement, public administration, and public security. In accordance with the legislation of Ukraine and the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the University operates specialized academic councils for the one-time defense of dissertations for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in specialty 081 “Law”, ensuring high-quality doctoral training and contributing to the advancement of legal science and law enforcement practice.
The University publishes four scientific periodicals:
• Law Journal of Donbass (Category B of the List of Scientific Professional Publications of Ukraine; specialty 081 Law);
• Ukrainian Polyceistics: Theory, Legislation, Practice (Category B; specialties 081 Law and 262 Law Enforcement);
• Central Ukrainian Journal of Law and Public Management, which publishes research on current issues of law, governance, and public administration;
• Bulletin on the Exchange of Professional Experience, a professional publication aimed at disseminating practical experience, methodological developments, and best practices in law enforcement and legal education.
The University’s scientific journals provide an international platform for publishing the results of research conducted by scholars, practitioners, doctoral candidates, and young researchers. They facilitate the exchange of scientific knowledge, promote interdisciplinary research, support the implementation of innovative approaches in legal education and policing, and strengthen cooperation between the academic community, public authorities, and law enforcement agencies.
Through its publishing activities, scientific research, and internation al cooperation, the University contributes to the development of the national research ecosystem and the integration of Ukrainian legal scholarship into the European and global academic community.
It is possible to prepare a dissertation research in the specialty 081 “Law” in such scientific areas as:
• theory and history of state and law;
• constitutional and administrative law;
• civil, commercial, labour, and social security law;
• financial and information law;
• criminal law and criminology;
• criminal procedure;
• forensic science;
• operational and investigative activities;
• international and European law;
• human rights protection and law enforcement.
The University has established strong scientific schools led by highly qualified scholars and experienced researchers whose academic and professional achievements ensure high-quality doctoral training. Through interdisciplinary research, international cooperation, and close interaction with law enforcement agencies, the University provides an innovative research environment that meets contemporary national and international standards for higher legal education.
Research laboratories operate within the University to support fundamental and applied research in the fields of law, public security, and law enforcement. These include:
• Research Laboratory on Communities’ Public Security;
• Research Laboratory on Crime Prevention;
• Research Laboratory on Problematic Issues of Law Enforcement.
The laboratories conduct interdisciplinary research, participate in national and international scientific projects, prepare analytical and methodological recommendations for public authorities and law enforcement agencies, and involve academic staff, doctoral candidates, postgraduate students, and students in research activities. Their work contributes to the development of evidence-based approaches to policing, crime prevention, public safety, and the improvement of legal regulation in Ukraine.
