ASU orientalist taught Russian in China

Russian Language Ambassadors is an international voluntary program initiated by Pushkin State Russian Language Institute in the framework of Student Associations Development Program under Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. The aim of the program is popularization of the Russian language, culture and literature in Russia and abroad, development and strengthening of cooperation between universities and countries, promotion of cultural values, tolerance and organization of cultural dialogue.

Head of the Department of Oriental Studies under the Faculty of History at ASU, Candidate of History Dmitry A. Glazunov coordinated the educational expedition. Expedition participants included Idelia Ahmetshina from Kazan Federal University and Alexey Loskutov from Kemerovo State University.

The expedition was oriented at teaching Russian to pupils and students of Shanghai and Beijing in accordance with their level of proficiency and popularization of Russian culture. In particular, the classes were held in the secondary school under Shanghai International Studies University, which is one of the most prestigious educational establishments of China with enhanced education in Russian and other foreign languages. The expedition participants took a favorable view of Chinese pupils’ talent, knowledge and desire for studying the Russian language and school teachers’ mastery of Russian.

Another university to visit was East China Normal University in Shanghai. There ASU representatives told students and postgraduates about diversity of Russian culture and carried out a masterclass on making rag dolls. Dean of the Russian Language Faculty Wang Yaming expressed her willingness to continue cooperation with Altai State University.

In Beijing Russian delegation visited a kung fu school, where presented peculiarities of the Russian language and culture and taught the students how to greet each other in Russian in a form of a game.

It remains to be added that the educational expedition of Altai State University was organized by the Office for ASU Student Associations Development Program under the supervision of office co-chairman Anton A. Tselevitch under the terms of partnership with Pushkin State Russian Language Institute.