Brazilian Ambassador meets with St Petersburg University students

Welcoming the participants in the meeting, Sergey Andryushin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs of the University, extended greetings on behalf of Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.  Sergey Andryushin emphasised that the cooperation between St Petersburg University and Brazil is fruitful and contributes to the development of science and education of both countries. ‘St Petersburg University collaborates with many Brazilian universities, and there have been about 500 joint publications in the last five years. This is a good indicator, but there is a huge potential for development. I am confident that today's event and subsequent meetings will enable us to identify further steps to develop bilateral cooperation,’ said Sergey Andryushin, Vice-Rector for International Affairs.

Rodrigo de Lima Baena Soares told St Petersburg University students that learning Portuguese opens up ample opportunities, including studying at Brazilian universities, participating in internships and exchange programmes, and immersing themselves in Brazilian culture through literature, music and cinema. ‘There are two main tools for getting to know our language – cinema and literature. Through language, we can get to know the culture of another country, its history and belief system,’ the Ambassador told the audience, expressing his strong belief in the importance of sharing cultural values and linguistic traditions between nations.

As part of the Film Club project, a screening of the film ‘Simonal’ was organised for students of St Petersburg University. The film tells the story of Wilson Simonal, one of the greatest voices in the history of Brazilian music. The film tells about the life of a singer whose flamboyant tastes and explosive temper attracted the attention of the special services of the Brazilian military dictatorship in the 1970s.

St Petersburg University students studying Portuguese showed great interest in Brazilian culture and asked the diplomat questions about the country's economic development, cultural heritage and cinema. They also asked what events the embassy organises to introduce Russian citizens to the national characteristics and flavour of the Latin American country and what opportunities there are for those who study the Brazilian version of Portuguese.

Answering the students' questions, the Ambassador said that Brazil's economy is firmly in the top ten in the world and is the largest in Latin America. He said that the Republic promotes national art, organises exhibitions of paintings in different countries, promotes cinema, traditional cuisine and Brazilian music. Rodrigo de Lima Baena Soares also highlighted the results achieved in 195 years of cooperation between Russia and Brazil and identified promising areas for further cooperation.

Mikhail Koryshev, Dean of the Faculty of Philology at St Petersburg University, who attended the meeting, stressed the importance of preserving the Brazilian accent when learning Portuguese.

We cannot underestimate Portugal, but we are also aware that Brazil is a huge country with a rich culture and a strong economy, ranked eighth in the world. That is why we hope to have joint projects that will strengthen a Brazilian component in our higher education.

Mikhail Koryshev, Dean of the Faculty of Philology at St Petersburg University

Mikhail Koryshev also added that cooperation between the two countries is impossible without the involvement of young people. The Embassy and the University therefore have the task of finding models of interaction that will enable young people from Brazil and Russia to get to know each other and share best practices. The Dean of the Faculty of Philology expressed the hope that the joint efforts of the two countries will open new perspectives for the development of education and science, and will lead to the strengthening of friendship and understanding between young people of different cultures.

There are already Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Turkish and other cabinets (study rooms) at St Petersburg University.

During the visit of the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federative Republic of Brazil to St Petersburg University, it was also agreed to hold a photo exhibition dedicated to Brazilian traditions and culture at the University and to sign a cooperation agreement between St Petersburg University and the Embassy. The possibility of opening a Brazilian cabinet (study room) was also discussed. This will contribute to strengthening mutual friendly relations and improving partnership within the framework of BRICS activities. The Brazilian Ambassador agreed to visit the University again to open the exhibition and sign the cooperation agreement during the next meeting with Nikolay Kropachev, Rector of St Petersburg University and Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Following the meeting, the parties agreed to draw up a plan of various events for the coming year, including the organisation of several large-scale meetings not only with students studying Portuguese, but also with future lawyers, political scientists, and museologists who want to learn more about Brazil-Russia relations, and Brazilian foreign policy, history and customs.