Russia – the USA in the Dialogue of Cultures

PetrSU held a teleconference in the English language featuring guests from the USA.

What is a strategy for stress management? What one should know about efficient study planning and making personal study space in a pandemic? These are some of the issues related to distance education and self-isolation that were discussed at the Skype conference. The meeting featured the 1st year students of the Institute of Mathematics and Information Technologies of the programs Information Systems and Applied Mathematics and guests and experts from the USA. The conference was organized and moderated by the senior teacher of the Department of Foreign Languages for Technical and Natural Sciences of PetrSU Vladislav Dorofeev.

The translation opened with American expert, psychologist Inna Gilman. She held a mini-workshop during which she gave clues on how to cultivate positive thinking and tune your mind to success. Among advice shared by the psychologist were the visualization methods, relaxation and breathing techniques, physical exercise, and connecting with nature.

A teacher from Warrensburg, Missouri, Rebecca Smale told Russian students about efficient methods to plan their study process and organize personal space in self-isolation. The guest shared what challenges American students and teachers face in distant education and solutions to these problems.

The 1st year students of PetrSU made presentations and reports in the English language that covered distance education at schools and universities of Russia, the pros and cons of remote studies, etc. Russian students asked American experts many questions and expressed their opinions in English.

“Alongside developing and mastering foreign language and communication skills, these projects are an amazing opportunity for intercultural exchange with representatives of other countries, as well as an efficient way to intensify learning a foreign language by engaging in language practice with native speakers online”, summed up the participants of the meeting.