Kazan hosted a Forum on the foreign students’ socialization. It was attended by 18 SSAU students, Nina Igolkina, Director of SSAU Social and Psychological Centre as well as Natalia Sedenkova, teaching and learning specialist of SSAU Centre on General Education Programs.
The Forum was held by Kazan State Power Engineering University, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan, the Russian Union of Youth, the Association of Student Unions of Russia and the Students League of the Republic of Tatarstan. The Forum has worked in five areas.
The problems faced by foreign students in Russia were discussed in the discussion platform “Improving the attractiveness of the Russian Universities”. “Basically, it was about the problems with the practical training and employment, - told Wenceslas Ossiala, group 2605. - We also talked about the living conditions in the student hostel and the relevance of the information on the Institutes websites: it is important for students to know what actually awaits them on the study place. After several hours of discussions, we have developed a list of suggestions to improve the image of Russian universities”.
Knowledge of the Russian language is a success factor. Many foreign students agreed with this statement and spoke about it in the discussion platform “Russian as a foreign language”.
“Knowledge of the Russian language is necessary for students to study and perception of all teaching information in the university - said Damien Ralambu, group 3201 – It’s necessary to learn it up to the last year of study. However, there is a way out to communicate in Russian all the time and to take part in university activities”. “It turned out that you can study the Russian language by yourself on the website of Pushkin State Russian Language Institute (pushkininstitute.ru) - added Jean Niyomufasha, group 3101. – I shall try it certainly!”
The work of the discussion platform “Cultural Adaptation” was very interesting and full of various proposals of representatives from the different regions of Russia.
“We learned about the experience of different universities in conduction of the various projects, competitions, activities in support of self-realization and adaptation of foreign students - reported Nina Igolkina, Director of SSAU Social and Psychological Centre. - I liked the idea of establishing an institute of curators for newly arrived foreign students. Both domestic and foreign senior students may be among them”.
In discussions at the platform “Alumni Engagement”, the issue of undertaking an internship and employment for foreign students was again raised. To do this, the platform moderator Vladimir Chetiy, President of the World Association of Graduates of Russian Universities, suggested a number of solutions.
“For example, we should not always wait for the University resolutions; we can sometimes personally create opportunities for practical training. Future managers, economists, programmers may do it... - said Georges Safidimalaza, group 3201. - Unfortunately, it is difficult to implement in the framework of our engineering specialty. It’s necessary to consider the practical training for the students of engineering faculties separately”. A report on human rights which should be known to any non-resident coming into the country, was made on the same discussion platform.
At the end of the main discussion day, everyone took part in the bright and unforgettable event- concert “Evening of Friendship”. Guests from a dozen countries of Africa and Asia shared their energy with the audience! SSAU students Lisha Rokka and Natasha Moleele demonstrated national dances of their countries. Everybody danced: the states ambassadors, the forum organizers and students.
On the last day of the forum work Samara students visited Bauman Street and participated in the social campaign “No terrorism”, which was carried out by the students of Kazan Federal University.
The final day of the forum was attended by Larisa Sulima, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of the Republic of Tatarstan, Marat Bariev, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, Gabriel Anicet Kochofa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Benin in the Russian Federation, Edward Abdullazyanov, Rector of Kazan State Power Engineering University, Elkin Iskenderov, President of Regional Youth Social Organization “Students League”, Tatyana Selivyerstova, Director of the Centre for International Cooperation of the Russian Union of Youth and Adou Yao Nicaise, President of the Association of Foreign Students in Russia. They supported the forum resolution, which included results of the discussion platforms- 14 proposals and recommendations in total.
The Forum participants offered Rossotrudnichestvo, Ministry of Education and Science, Rosmolodezh and other educational and non-governmental organizations to develop a unified concept of interaction with foreign students in the Russian Federation, to create sufficient conditions for adaptation of foreign students within a short time. How is it proposed? By providing constant consultations, assigning the responsible curators, active involvement of foreign students in the campus, social and public life of the university.
It was also recommended to create Federal Centre for International Students with a single hotline for prompt settlement of questions, to develop a single advisory for the foreign students of the Russian Federation at the level of the Ministry of Education and Science. Federal Migration Service was offered to consider the possibility of optimizing the workflow of visa support and registration for the foreign students.
Other items of the resolution relate to the educational sphere. Thus, it was recommended to use the resources of the Internet portal “Education in Russian” for teaching the foreigners the Russian language, including at preparatory faculties, to carry out network training program “School of Public Diplomacy” for foreign students.
Much attention in the Forum resolution is paid to the university graduates. Russian educational institutions together with the Russian centres of science and culture and the associations of graduates will developed the programs for systematic work with foreign graduates of the Russian universities. It was proposed to carry out The World Forums of Foreign Graduates (the last one was held in July 2015) on a regular basis.
In particular it’s good that the last item of the resolution adopted at the proposal of the Ambassador of Benin Gabriel Kochofa, was proposed at the suggestion of SSAU students: “To recommend educational organizations to comply with common standards for doing practical training for all students, including foreign ones”. Moreover, officials have offered to organize a roundtable discussion on the practical training for the foreign students of engineering faculties, and to perform it in Samara namely.
The next All-Russian Forum on socialization of foreign students will be held at the St. Petersburg State University of Industrial Technology and Design.
Material is prepared by the members of the club Sputnik
