This year, the TPU Division for Russian Language celebrates its 30th anniversary, meanwhile, the TPU Pre-University Department training international enrollees celebrates its 20th anniversary. During this time, the staff of the Division and Department have trained over 5,000 international enrollees from different countries and arranged about 1,000 events for Russians and internationals, as well as held classes in China, Mongolia, Vietnam, Great Britain, Italy and other countries.
Within the celebration of the anniversaries, Tomsk Polytechnic University held lectures, workshops, demo classes, a meme competition on the Russian language, the II International Conference Research Initiative for International Students and Postgraduates, the Regional Student Olympiad of Tomsk Oblast Universities on Russian as Foreign Language and other events.
A concert held in the TPU International Culture Center during which the results of the anniversary events were summed up became a high point of the festive program. The staff and international students showed their creative performances.
“The TPU Division for Russian Language is a key division of the TPU international cooperation. Everything starts with the TPU Division for Russian Language, it lays the foundation for future professional careers for our international students.
There is a unique multicultural environment at the University. In total, over 2,800 internationals from 65 countries study here. They not only obtain high-demand engineering education but also study the history and traditions of our country. The Division staff mainly contribute to this deal. The University is proud of its international projects, educational programs and online courses, which are created by the Division staff. There is a strong team, possessing deep professional experience and proactive attitude, which makes a huge contribution to the development of the University, international cooperation, recruitment of international students,” Mikhail Solovyov, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of TPU, addressed the audience.
He rewarded the staff with medals and certificates of appreciation. Marina Bokhonnaya, associate professor of the TPU Division for Russian Language, Natalia Kurikova, associate professor of the TPU Division for Russian Language, Elena Filippova, associate professor of the TPU Division for Russian Language and Natalia Polyakova, assistant of the TPU Division for Russian Language were rewarded with a second-class Medal of Contribution to Development of TPU.
The staff of the TPU Division for Russian Language, including the TPU Pre-University Department and the Russian Language Testing Center, consist of 64 members. International students from over 50 countries study here. Most students come from China, Vietnam, Egypt, and Mongolia. The TPU Division for Russian Language has strong relations with China and Mongolia. In China within implementation of joint programs, the TPU staff teach at five universities, meanwhile, a distance-learning program of the TPU Pre-University Department has been implemented for the fourth year.
The distinguishing feature of the TPU Division for Russian Language is close work with the internationals not only within the educational process but also within assistance in solving their problems, arranging holidays, walking tours and events together.
In honor of the anniversaries of the Department and Division, the international students were able to take part in the international conference, walking tours, sports events, the 50 Shadows of Russian project, as well as to create their own memes on the Russian language. According to the competition results, 37 participants presented their 56 creative works on the topics: Russian Language for Everyone, Where is Hedgehog? Culture Shock, Great and Mighty Russian Language, Such Russian Language.
Winners of the meme competition, participants of the Conference Research Initiative for International Students and Postgraduates, the All-Russian Round Table Best Practices of Pre-University Faculties of Russia and sports tournaments were rewarded with certificates and prizes at the arranged concert.
According to the results of the Regional Student Olympiad on Russian as Foreign Language, the participants in Individual and Team Championships were rewarded. On the Olympiad university stage, over 200 students from China, Mongolia, Poland, Ecuador, Vietnam, Indonesia, Venezuela, Cameroon, India, Namibia and other countries took part. They completed lexical and grammar, and creative tasks, as well as solved logical problems on the Russian language.
Then the teams had to pass an interuniversity stage of the Olympiad. It was the first time in the history of the Olympiad, when international students from all six Tomsk universities: Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk State University, Tomsk State University of Architecture and Construction, Tomsk State Pedagogical University, Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics (TUSUR University), Siberian State Medical University and coming from 11 countries (China, Vietnam, Mongolia, Poland, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Indonesia, India, Egypt, Zimbabwe and Mexico) met on one venue.
According to the Olympiad results, the TPU team became the first in the Team Championship. TPU student Vrona Katsper Tymoteush became the best in the Individual Championship.
