Russian World Assembly discusses promotion of Russian language

The Russian World is an important part of global intercivilisational cooperation. Its study and promotion make Russian civilisation more comprehensible and closer to people from different countries. This was stated by Rector of MGIMO University, Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Russia Anatoly Torkunov in an exclusive commentary to TV BRICS at the 17th Assembly of the Russian World.

“The Russian civilisation, which has been developing over the centuries, is, in my opinion, absolutely unique. It is extremely important for the whole world because it enriches the lives not only of us, Russians, but also of people from other nations,” emphasised the diplomat.

Torkunov chaired the plenary session of the Assembly on the theme “Russian world fundamental contribution to the international development: history, the present and the future.” During the forum, he noted that today the Russian language ranks fifth in the world both in terms of prevalence and in the number of scientific publications and citations. According to him, this indicates that interest in studying the language remains consistently high.

This was confirmed by a participant in the plenary session, Huynh Song Van, Rector of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education (Vietnam). In an interview with TV BRICS, he said that each year the university admits about 20–25 students to the Department of Russian Language, preparing them for future teaching careers.

“Within four years, all of our students have to prepare the skills and the technique on how to become a Russian teacher. So after they graduate, they get a good job. They have many, many chances to teach the Vietnamese students and Vietnamese people to study Russian. I think that it's very successful in nature,” said the university rector.

The importance of maintaining interest in the Russian language and culture was also highlighted by the Honorary Consul of Russia in Thiruvananthapuram (India), Ratheesh Nair. He stated that Indians see real opportunities in learning the language, as it opens up wide employment prospects both in Russia and in India.

The 17th Russian World Assembly is taking place in Moscow from 20 to 22 October. The international forum has brought together representatives from 105 countries. In a message of greetings to the participants, published on the Kremlin website, President of Russia Vladimir Putin noted that the Russian side is always open to scientific, student and educational exchanges and is ready to share its experience in this field with foreign partners.

On the opening day of the forum, alongside the plenary session, panel discussions were held. In the evening, a cultural programme took place at the P. I. Tchaikovsky Concert Hall.

“We are delighted to have a record number of participants this year. […] The Russian World has always been and remains attractive to a great many people around the planet, and the Russian language is one of the world’s leading languages, spoken by more than 255 million people,” said Chairman of the Board of the Chairman of the Board of the Russkiy Mir Foundation Aleksander Alimov in an exclusive commentary to TV BRICS.

The Russian World Assembly is organised by the Russkiy Mir Foundation, with TV BRICS as the international media partner. The media network is also a co-organiser of the session “A New Media Dimension: Expanding Dialogue – Strengthening Trust”, which will take place on 21 October. The discussion will be moderated by Janna Tolstikova, CEO of TV BRICS, and Mahasha Piet Rampedi, Editor-in-Chief of African Times (South Africa).

In addition, the media network has invited heads of partner media outlets from 16 countries to participate in the forum as part of its regular project, the BRICS Global Media Tour.

Photo: TV BRICS