Hello, Sakhalin – 2018
Date /Last year Lomonosov Moscow State University, the University of Sapporo and Sakhalin State University created a special educational program which was called “Hello, Sakhalin!” This year the annual events within the framework of this program took place from 2nd till 12th of September. In 2018 there was not only intensive Russian language course for Japanese students, but also Russian-Japanese Seminar ‘Face to Face: how to understand each other’. There was also a meeting dedicated to teaching Korean and other Oriental languages in Russian schools.
Russian language course was prepared and delivered by the professors from the MSU Institute of Russian Language and Culture A. Bogomolov, Y. Ryzhikh, E. Yaffee, and by professor E. Sleptsova from Sakhalin University. The course lasted 10 days. 42 students from 14 Japanese universities studied Russian, got acquainted with history and nature of Sakhalin, and met with Russian students. At the end of the course there was an official ceremony with participation of Consul General of Japan in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Ryuichi Hirano, Vice-Rector of the MSU Tatiana Kortava and Rector of Sakhalin University O. Fyodorov. The students received certificates and prepared a concert with Russian songs and theatrical performance of Russian fairy tale «Kolobok».
On the seminar ‘Face to Face: how to understand each other’, that was held on 11-12 of September, the members of the MSU delegation, professors from Japanese universities, from Belarus university and from Sakhalin university made presentations on the mutual influence of Japanese and Russian cultures.
Then Sakhalin scholar and translator A. Nikonova made a presentation in the framework of the round table "Translator creative workshop", and an employee of the Hokkaido Literary Museum Kubota Hisashi, together with the Sakhalin artist L. Asabina, presented a translation of the Russian fairy tale The Snow Maiden published in Japan.
The MSU delegation headed by Vice-Rector Tatiana Kortava also visited one of the best Sakhalin schools Eastern Lyceum where they held a meeting dedicated to the teaching of Korean and other Oriental languages.
The Moscow State University intends to develop this program further, expanding the existing events and adding new ones. As a part of this program the MSU plans to open summer language camps where students from Japan, Korea and China will study Russian and Russian students will learn Oriental languages. The seminar will attract the attention of young scientists and researchers and the Russian language course will expand to accept not only Japanese students but also students from other countries of the Asia-Pacific region.
