Renewed interest in studying Russian in China
The international symposium "300 Years of Teaching Russian in China" ended today in Shanghai. At the three-day meeting, over 200 Chinese and Russian specialists in Russian-language teaching reviewed its development in China over 300 years and assessed its prospects.
"In the 1980s and 1990s, Russian was taught at 20 of the country’s universities; that number has now risen to 110. Furthermore, Russian studies in China are no longer limited to language and literature, but extend to comprehensive study of Russia’s economy, politics and culture," said Xu Gaoyu, a professor at Zhejiang University’s School of International Studies.
Zheng Tiwu, deputy head of the Chinese academic association for Russian-language teaching methodology and dean of the Russian department at Shanghai International Studies University, said that around 30,000 students at Chinese universities currently major in "Russian Language and Literature". Moreover, universities are "continually expanding admissions of students studying Russian," said the association’s secretary-general, Du Guizhi.
Russian-language teaching began in China in 1708 and has always been an important part of foreign-language education there. In the 1950s and 1960s, most Chinese universities either opened Russian language and literature departments or taught Russian. In recent years, as China and Russia’s strategic partnership has developed, bilateral political, economic and cultural ties have rapidly expanded and strengthened, bringing renewed attention to Russian studies in China.
According to Zheng Tiwu, demand for Russian-language specialists in China is growing as the Chinese-Russian strategic partnership develops and Russia’s political and economic role in the international arena increases. Du Guizhi agreed, noting that close Chinese-Russian relations provide an external incentive to study Russian in China.
At present, "our main focus is on ways to train qualified Russian-language specialists to meet the needs of diplomacy, foreign trade contacts and people-to-people exchanges," Zheng Tiwu stressed.
Professor L. A. Verbitskaya, president of the International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature and rector of St. Petersburg State University, said China holds a leading position worldwide in Russian-language teaching. The "Year of the Russian Language" in China will take place in 2009, with a series of events involving teachers from both countries. She also announced that Shanghai would host the 12th World Congress of Russian Language in 2011, the first time such an event would be held in an Asian country. This choice recognizes the high standing of Russian-language promotion in China and will further strengthen language and cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, she stressed. L. Verbitskaya expressed confidence that China would remain an important Russian partner in promoting Russian culture and language study.