Open Education Centre «All-Lands Heart»: foreign students learn Russian language, Baikal nature, Siberian cuisine and traditions
The digital platform of the Open Education Center «All-Lands Heart» has been launched at INRTU. Educational courses for foreign applicants introduce students to the Baikal region, Siberian cuisine and the Russian academic environment.
Recall that INRTU won a grant of 3 million rubles from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation for the further project implementation. The author of the initiative is Svetlana Latysheva, head of the Department of Humanities of Baikal School of BRICS. The platform is aimed at the linguistic and cultural adaptation of foreign students.
The «All-Lands Heart» is represented by four educational info-blocks and includes 20 online courses. Each training unit is scheduled for 36 hours of self-study. The training is complemented by interactive content with video materials that help overcome language and cultural barriers.
Free courses in a remote format develop the communication skills of foreign students, as well as allow them to see the picturesque nature of the Angara region, evaluate the advantages of studying in Eastern Siberia.
An information block Road to Russia (Дорога в Россию) unites courses for students who continue to study Russian as a foreign language, plan to take state exams or build a scientific career.
Another info-block Welcome to Eastern Siberia (Добро пожаловать в Россию) tells about the conquest of Siberian territory, nature of the region, Lake Baikal. Fascinating topics for foreigners will be study materials on traditions of local people and Siberian cuisine.
An information block on topic Welcome to Irkutsk (Добро пожаловать в Иркутск) involves discovery of the spiritual and cultural life of the capital of the Angara region, its unique wooden architecture and other sightseeings.
The largest info-block — INRTU Start-Track will immerse users in the academic environment and educational infrastructure of the region. Future students will learn about the advantages of Irkutsk National Research Technical University and possible prospects of graduates. Special attention is paid to the scientific activity of the university, cultural and sports life, key facilities of the university campus.
Each student, who participates in this project and successfully completes the training, is given confirming certificates. According to Svetlana Latysheva, at the stage of choosing a future profession, support is very important for foreign applicants:
«It gives you confidence in your abilities, motivates you to overcome the language barrier within shortest time. The initiative to create the platform came from students of the Baikal School of BRICS. Many of them beware simultaneous mastering the engineering profession and studying very „difficult“ Russian language. Besides this, without good orientation in the region infrastructure, foreign students are afraid of not finding a job or a place for work practice.»
Up-to-date, almost 250 people from 24 countries have been already interested in the digital platform «All-Lands Heart». Foreign citizens have received over 600 certificates of completion the Russian language course.
Ahmad Garba Yakubu is a student of the preparatory course of Baikal School of BRICS from Nigeria. He started learning Russian back in his homeland and now he has joined this project.
«Now I am training my skills under the guidance of INRTU educators. „Live“ interaction helps to gain more knowledge. On the website, I completed tasks in seven information blocks by myself; it helped me get a vision of Siberia. I especially remember the materials related to the origin of Lake Baikal, history of the Mongolian people and Buryat shamanism.»
Ahmad Garba Yakubu is going to enter the INRTU School of Aircraft Construction, Mechanical Engineering and Transport to become an aircraft engineer.
Photo by Arseny Chekmarev
