Lectures, Sabantui and History Museum – first week of Summer University wrapped up
The opening ceremony of the project was held on Monday, 8 July.
400 students from 13 countries are taking part in the project: Abkhazia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, South Africa, Brazil, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and, of course, Russia.
“I am a teacher of Russian language and Russian literature from Iran, head of the Russian language department at Allameh Tabataba’i University. This is my first time in Kazan. I learned about this project on the Internet, and my students and I decided to come and participate. This is a new and great experience for us. What we have seen is beautiful and professional. We hope that in the future our other students will be able to take part in this project. Now our university is represented by students from different faculties: five students from Persian literature and foreign languages and two students from political sicence faculty. We have already established cooperation with your university. For example, last year Mastura Akhmedova, Associate Professor of the Department of Islamic and Afro-Asian Studies at the Institute of International Relations, came to us. There is contact and, of course, it will continue,” said one of the participants, Noruzi Mahnaz.
Samir Aliyev, a student from Uzbekistan, admitted that the Summer University was a good occasion to get out and visit another country, learn new things, discover a different culture.
“I am from an international family. My great-grandmother is Russian, so it was very interesting for me to be here. I chose the track Technologies of the Future: Physics and Engineering. I want to study further, to work, to learn new things. I am considering Kazan Federal University as one of the universities for my master’s studies,” he revealed. “In our free time we take walks, and I like your city very much. You have your own style. I have established good contact with students, because I know Tajik, Turkish, English and Russian languages.”
The participants, apart from their main educational tracks, also visit KFU’s History Museum and Planetarium, take sightseeing trips to the Island City of Sviyazhsk and around Kazan, and partake in Sabantui, Tatar traditional harvest festival.
“I found out about this project by chance in my home university – the Academy of Management of the President of the Republic of Belarus. I am very attracted to artificial intelligence. As part of the project, we discussed with VR-glasses and how they can be introduced into training. I would like to organize cyber tournaments between Uzbekistan and the Republic of Belarus,” shared participant Daria Popko from Minsk. “I liked the way everything was organized here, how we were met with signs, transported by a comfortable bus, and promptly accommodated in the dormitory. The main role is played by acquaintances and friends, that’s how impressions are formed. Expectations were justified. We were in the Kremlin, and you have a very beautiful mosque there. Kazan is a dream city: children run on the lawn, it’s very clean.”
Samir Tuffi Saliba, a project participant from Brazil, who managed to take part in many activities, also gave feedback, “Here I saw people from almost all over the world, and they are developing their skills. I chose the track Business Analytics 5.0: Design and Development of Information Panels with Yandex Data Lens (in English). I will develop in this direction”.
Speaking about the project, he noted an important aspect – immersion in the culture of Tatars and Russia as a whole, because people of different ethnicities live here.
For adaptation and integration of foreign guests a cultural program – presentation of the participating countries, Global Village, was provided. Volunteers from among the students of Kazan University are involved in the implementation of the Summer University project.