Russian language abroad: Russian language Center opens in China

The Tomsk State University (TSU) will open the A. S. Pushkin Russian language Center in China. On March, 5 the delegation of the Tomsk State University will set off for the Chinese city Shenyang in order to launch a preparatory work for establishment of the center, which is going to become a response of Tomsk to creation of the Confucius Institute at the Tomsk State University.

An idea of creation of the A. S. Pushkin Russian language Center in China was suggested by the Board of the Tomsk State University and was supported by the Polytechnic University of Shenyang.  In May 2009 both Universities signed a preliminary agreement on creation of the Center. In May 2010 Georgy Mayer, rector of the Tomsk State University, will attend the center’s official opening ceremony.

At the beginning the center is going to launch lectures on Russian language, to be delivered by Valeriy Sorokin, lecturer at Tomsk State University language and literature department, who has experience of working with Chinese students. Later the list of subjects will be broadened. Moreover the Tomsk State University is going to set up a “corner of Tomsk” in the Center.

The Confucius Institute at the Tomsk State University was opened in 2008 within the framework of the agreement on cooperation between the Tomsk State University and Polytechnic University of Shenyang. The fact that the Chinese language has been being taught from 1994 at the department of international relations also favored its opening. Nowadays the Confucius Institute at the Tomsk State University is recognized as one of the best in Russia.