The pursuit of quality education brings international students to YSU

Alexia Di Criscio, who is studying courses such as "History of 20th-Century Russian Literature," "Syntax of Contemporary Russian Language," and "Literary Text Analysis" at the Faculty of Russian Philology, also focuses on Russian literature within the context of intercultural communication. In the interview with us, she shared: "I chose YSU because the educational programs at the Faculty of Russian Philology align with modern approaches to language teaching. Continuing my studies here is a great opportunity for me to improve my knowledge of the Russian language."

When comparing Yerevan State University with the University of Bologna (Italy), Alexia highlighted the teaching of her preferred subjects in Russian at YSU Faculty of Russian Philology: "One key difference is the direct communication between the lecturer and the students. At YSU, seminars on 'Russian Literature' are organized, where we explore authors and their works. This provides a great opportunity to master the language while gaining a deeper understanding of the culture."

Alexia Di Criscio is hopeful that the knowledge she has gained at YSU will not only benefit her graduation paper, but also be valuable in her future endeavors.

"The weather in Armenia is very pleasant, the people are friendly, the food is delicious, and eating out is quite affordable for students compared to Italy. I also really enjoyed the Armenian folk dances," summed up the Italian student.

Uliana Amueva, a student at the University of Greifswald (Germany), is studying courses such as "Modern Russian Language in Use," "History of 20th-Century Russian Literature-1," "History of 20th-Century Russian Literature-2," and "Russian as a Foreign Language" at the Faculty of Russian Philology.

"I wanted to continue my studies in a country with centuries of history and culture, so I chose Armenia. YSU Faculty of Russian Philology offers a new environment where I am enriching my knowledge. I am mastering the language through the study of Russian literature, with a focus on grammar and vocabulary. This complements my studies at the University of Greifswald," Uliana Amueva said frankly.

When comparing the Russian language proficiency levels of students at YSU and the University of Greifswald, she emphasized that the majority of students at the Faculty of Russian Philology have a strong command of the language. This creates an environment full of challenges, pushing them to improve their Russian language skills more rapidly.

"I will apply the knowledge I have gained here when I work as a teacher of Russian and German in high school. My goal is to share my deep love for languages and culture with my students, helping them discover the world through new languages," said Uliana Amueva.

Before coming to Yerevan, the student from the University of Greifswald had heard about Armenia’s rich history and its picturesque places, surrounded by mountains and valleys. "I didn’t know much about the people’s lifestyle and culture. What attracts me to Armenia is the warm hospitality of the people and the beautiful traditions. The only thing I would like to see improved is public transportation, to make it easier for both foreigners and locals to travel around the city, and, why not, the country as well." 

Dean of the Faculty of Russian Philology, PhD, Associate Professor Diana Gazarova emphasized that the students hosted at YSU under the Erasmus+ program study alongside the faculty’s students, which helps them master the language more easily in a linguistic and cultural environment: "Both Uliana and Alexia not only attend courses, but also actively participate in student events organized in Russian at the faculty, providing them with an additional opportunity to further improve their language proficiency during their studies." 

Diana Gazarova, speaking about the number and geographical diversity of students visiting YSU from foreign universities, emphasized that this semester, students from renowned institutions in Germany, Italy, Great Britain, France, and the USA are continuing their studies at the faculty: "The number of students coming from foreign universities is increasing every year. For example, during the 2022-2023 academic year, we had 37 students at the faculty, and in 2023-2024, the number grew to 75. They come both under the Erasmus+ program and the Russian Language and Area Studies program. As part of the latter, they also have the opportunity to explore the history and culture of Armenia."

In this context, the dean particularly emphasized that students from Italian and German universities often choose to study at the Faculty of Russian Philology, which indicates that they find the teaching methods of Russian at the faculty to be effective. In addition to the aforementioned programs, students from various foreign universities also visit the faculty to participate in summer courses focused on Russian language teaching. The number of these students is also quite significant. The summer course program includes not only Russian language classes but also lessons on the history and culture of Armenia, along with visits to sightseeing attractions.