St Petersburg University opens a representative office at the University of Tehran as part of the Russian Language Week
St Petersburg University delegation has visited the Islamic Republic of Iran. The key event of the visit was the opening of the St Petersburg University Representative Office at the University of Tehran.
The opening ceremony began with a welcoming speech by Alexander Alimov, Director of the Department for Multilateral Humanitarian Cooperation and Cultural Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. The diplomat noted the rich experience of St Petersburg University in studying Iran and highlighted the high qualifications of the University specialists in knowledge of the country and the region. Iranian studies have been a part of the University’s curriculum for over 100 years.
Vladimir Starostenko, Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation and Information Security at St Petersburg University, in his speech, discussed the main areas of development of international cooperation of St Petersburg University with Iran, which is much in demand. Currently, the University offers 56 academic programmes with an Iranian component. Since 2018, the Centre for the Study of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been in operation, focusing on interdisciplinary research in the field of Iranian studies.
Vladimir Starostenko highlighted the demand for training in this specific area among students of St Petersburg University online courses. 'Today, St Petersburg University is implementing courses on the study of the Persian language and Oriental culture. We are observing a positive trend in the interest towards Farsi among the Russian audience, with over 18,000 participants studying the Persian language online. Moreover, the profound history, culture, and literature of Iran, presented in the online courses "General History" and "The Literary Treasury of the Middle East", available in Russian and English, have captivated the attention of more than 70,000 participants,' Vladimir Starostenko added.
Furthermore, Vladimir Starostenko mentioned that the University is actively striving to attract Iranian students and teachers to St Petersburg University online courses offered on the national platform Open Education.
With a 300-year legacy in educational and scientific pursuits through traditional formats, our university is well-placed to embrace new digital formats to advance its initiatives. St Petersburg University, a vanguard in online education, is prepared to offer Iranian students the opportunity to enrol in the University’s online courses, and collaborate in localising courses in Farsi on topics appealing to the Iranian audience, while also exchanging knowledge and expertise in crafting and executing online courses.
Vladimir Starostenko, Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation and Information Security at St Petersburg University
St Petersburg University offers a wide range of online courses that introduce students to the Russian language, culture, history, and traditions of the country. Russian language courses include over 30 options for learning, ranging from beginner to B2 level, and preparing for testing in Russian as a foreign language. The course "History of Russia" is taught in Russian, Chinese, and English, and has an audience of over 200,000 students.
During a welcoming address on behalf of the host party, Professor Elham Aminzadeh, Vice-President of the University of Tehran, expressed gratitude to St Petersburg University for its long-term and fruitful cooperation. Elham Aminzadeh noted that St Petersburg University has emerged as a reliable partner of the University of Tehran in both science and education. The joint competition of scientific research initiatives ‘Mendeleev — Dehkhoda’ has been successfully running for several years, fostering academic mobility for lecturers from both universities and the joint implementation of projects. Distinguished guests at the opening ceremony included: Mehdi Sanaei, former Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Vladimir Kochin, Executive Director of the Russkiy Mir Foundation; and Stanislav Golubev, General Director of the Zlatoust Publishing House.
The University has established representative offices to promote academic exchanges and joint scientific and academic projects in international cooperation. To date, the representative offices have been opened in the People’s Republic of China, Thailand, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus. There are also representative offices in Italy, Spain, the Republic of Korea, Greece, and the Republic of Moldova.
A delegation from St Petersburg University also participated in the "Russian Language Week in Iran". It is a significant event spanning multiple cities in Iran, and featuring various academic and cultural programmes for those interested in Russia and the Russian language. During the Tehran Book Fair, the University showcased the opportunities for studying Russian language, history, and culture through full-time and online courses offered by St Petersburg University.