Teaching the Italian Language in ASU is at the Highest Level.

The representatives of Astrakhan State University have participated in an international research and practice conference dedicated to the Italian language in Russia and experience of networking cooperation in this sphere.

The conference is being held on October 15-17 in Moscow State Linguistic University. More than 250 representatives from various Russian regions, as well as foreign experts have attended the conference. Pasquale Terracciano, Ambassador of the Italian Republic to the Russian Federation, and Giuseppe Lo Porto, the Head of the Education Department of the Consulate-General of the Italian Republic in Moscow, are among the foreign guests. The purpose of the event is to promote the Italian language and culture in Russia, broaden and deepen cooperation in education and research with the Italian Republic and enhance academic mobility.

The ASU representatives told the audience about the university practical experience in strengthening cooperation between the countries and about international experts training. Konstantin Markelov, the ASU Acting Rector, described specific features and prospects of cooperation with Italian partners in the Caspian region.

The Italian Republic has been one of the leading European partners of the Astrakhan region in recent years. In particular, the cooperation has been successfully developing in the field of joint educational projects. Astrakhan State University remains an important actor of international cooperation in the Astrakhan region. The university has become one of the key participants of promotion and integration of the Italian language.

«Astrakhan State University is one of few universities in the Caspian region that provide the Italian language as major and minor programmes at such a high level. A vast experience in the field of networking cooperation with foreign partners, that has been accumulated during 15 years of work, helps support and develop our initiatives in the framework of the Italian language and culture promotion and enhancement programmes in the South of Russia», says the ASU Acting Rector.

Today we have a large pool of educational and cultural projects, and innovative equipment of the Caspian Higher School of Interpreting and Translation makes it possible to hold regular virtual meetings and classes with the Italian interpreters of the European Parliament and the European Commission. The networking cooperation has allowed ASU to find many partners among the Italian leading educational institutions. The university regularly hosts meetings and round table discussions with the participation of professors from Italian universities, holds international research and practice conferences on philosophy, political and natural sciences attended by leading researchers of our countries. The developed database and constant development of joint projects help Astrakhan State University train not only highly-qualified linguists but also highly-skilled engineers, culture experts and biologists with the knowledge of Italian.

The speeches of the Astrakhan State University experts won approval of the audience and gave birth to new initiatives. During the conference, a number of business meetings were held; in particular, ASU representatives met with the leaders of the First European Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russia Federation and discussed different training programmes. The meeting with Irina Kraeva, Acting Rector of Moscow State Linguistic University, was also very productive. The parties reached an agreement to cooperate and determined a number of promising joint projects.