#International activity # Medicine #Education #Organization of events #Cooperation

Conference "Language Integration: New Methods of Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language and Foreign Languages in the Context of Intercultural Communication"

02 June 2025

PetrSU hosted an all-Russian (with international participation) scientific and practical conference organized by the Department of Foreign Languages and Russian as a Foreign Language for Medical Specialties of the Zilber Medical Institute.

The conference was attended by lecturers and postgraduate students from 7 countries: Kyrgyzstan (Osh), the Republic of Tajikistan, the Republic of Belarus (Grodno), the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Republic of Moldova (Tiraspol), the People's Republic of China (Beijing, Qingdao) and Italy (Verona), more than 80 lecturers and postgraduate students from 46 Russian universities.

The conference was held in a mixed format. Its participants prepared 65 reports. Thus, on May 30, three online sections worked at the morning session: "Traditions and Innovations in the Practice of Teaching Russian as a Foreign Language" (head: PhD in Philology, Assoc. Prof. N.G. Urvantseva), "Modern Approaches to Linguodidactics: Discussion of New Methods and Technologies in Teaching Foreign Languages" (head: PhD in Pedagogical Sciences, Assoc. Prof. O.M. Sherekhova), "Intercultural Communication and Its Role in Teaching: Study of the Influence of Cultural Differences on the Learning Process, Examples of Successful Practices of Intercultural Communication in the Educational Environment" (head: Senior Lecturer L.N. Yusupova).

The afternoon session was held in the conference hall of the Zilber Medical Institute. The participants were addressed with a welcoming speech by the Director of the Zilber Medical Institute, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Head of the Department of Radiation Diagnostics and Radiation Therapy with a Course in Critical and Respiratory Medicine Alexander Timofeevich Balashov, Head of the Directorate for International Affairs, Associate Professor of the English Language Department of the Institute of Foreign Languages, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences Marina Stanislavovna Gvozdeva, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Foreign Languages and Russian as a Foreign Language for Medical Specialties of the Zilber Medical Institute, Associate Professor, Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences Olga Mikhailovna Sherekhova.

“This is a landmark conference in several respects. In 2025, Petrozavodsk State University turns 85. The Medical Institute is celebrating its 65th anniversary. In addition, this is the first year of the existence of a new department - the Department of Foreign Languages and Russian as a Foreign Language for Medical Specialties. This conference is the result of its work. The program includes a large number of reports on current topics. Speaking about the geography of the conference participants, almost all regions are represented – near and far abroad,

- noted the Director of the Zilber Medical Institute Alexander Timofeevich Balashov.

Agenda and main areas of the conference:

1. Modern approaches to linguodidactics: discussion of new methods and technologies in teaching foreign languages.

2. Traditions and innovations in the practice of teaching Russian as a foreign language.

3. Hybrid learning in linguodidactics: the latest practices and challenges. Integration of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in the educational process.

4. Project activities as a method of teaching languages: the practice of applying the project method in language teaching, including examples of successful projects and their impact on student motivation.

5. Intercultural communication and its role in learning: a study of the impact of cultural differences on the learning process.

A cultural program was organized for the guests: an excursion to the Ars Pharmacia Pharmacy Museum of the PetrSU Science Museum, an excursion around the center of Petrozavodsk, an excursion to the Kivach Nature Reserve with the Kivach Waterfall.

The Department of Foreign Languages and Russian as a Foreign Language for Medical Specialties thanks all participants for their relevant and interesting reports, discussions, examples of successful practices of intercultural communication in the educational environment and invites them to further cooperation.

The department expresses its gratitude to the Ars pharmaciae Pharmacy Museum of the PetrSU Science Museum for conducting the excursion (curator: Associate Professor of the Department of Pharmacology, Organization and Economics of Pharmacy, PhD in Medicine Victoria Dmitrievna Yunash), Associate Professor of the Department of Pharmacology, Organization and Economics of Pharmacy, PhD in Biology Yulia Pavlovna Matveeva and Associate Professor of the Department of Pharmacology, Organization and Economics of Pharmacy, PhD in Biology Sciences, Head of the training program "Pharmacy" Oksana Valentinovna Zhukova.