18 Students from Universities in Uzbekistan and Mongolia Join INRTU International Summer School of Russian Language

A two-week International Summer School of Russian Language for international students opened at Irkutsk National Research Technical University (INRTU) on June 2. The educational program has brought together 18 students from universities in Uzbekistan and Mongolia.

The opening ceremony was hosted by Anna Minaeva, a specialist at the International Office of the International Affairs Department at INRTU. She welcomed participants from Kimyo International University in Tashkent (Uzbekistan), the National University of Mongolia, and the Mongolian National University of Education.

Anna Minaeva noted that the summer school is dedicated to the birthday of Alexander Pushkin, celebrated on June 6. The great Russian poet made an immense contribution to the development of the Russian language, world literature, and culture.

Vice-Rector for International Affairs Stepan Bykov emphasized that INRTU is hosting the International Summer School of Russian Language for students from foreign universities for the fifth time:

“I hope the coming days will be truly memorable for you. You will not only improve your Russian language skills, but also make new friends. I hope the Russian language will become a language of friendship for you and that you will return to INRTU again in the future”.

Addressing the participants of the educational program, Alla Antonova, Head of the Department of Russian Language Didactics at the Baikal School of BRICS of INRTU, emphasized that the summer school is built around an individual approach to every student. When designing the program, the organizers take into account the participants’ home countries, cultural backgrounds, age, and level of Russian language proficiency in order to create a learning environment that is both engaging and comfortable.

Over the next two weeks, classes for the students will be taught by Senior Teacher Irina Zolotareva and Assistant Nataliia Petrova.

Students from China enrolled in the Preparatory Department performed at the opening ceremony. They were coached by instructor Natalia Tolstikova. Members of the Folk club of the Russian song “Kalina” also took part in the opening ceremony.

Participants watched a video about the 2025 summer school and were introduced to the upcoming program, designed to strengthen their language skills and familiarize them with Russia’s cultural and historical heritage.

The program also includes excursions to Lake Baikal and the Architectural-ethnographic Museum “Taltsy”. Students will explore Irkutsk and visit the Gallery of Siberian Art and the Viktor Bronshtein Gallery of Contemporary Art. In addition, participants will tour the INRTU Mineralogical Museum and the Irkutsk Nerpinarium, while also discovering traditional Russian cuisine and local culinary traditions.

The summer school will conclude with student project presentations.