Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Novosibirsk State University –
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
On December 5, Novosibirsk State University hosted a gala evening dedicated to International Volunteer Day. The event was organized by Humanitarian Institute (GI) NSU. Student volunteers, representatives, and event organizers of the GI NSU gathered in Room 212 of the Rector's Office to informally celebrate the volunteers' contribution to the life of the Humanities Institute.
The event took the form of a team game with competitions aimed at developing creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving skills—skills that are especially important in volunteer work.
The competition program opened with a captains' competition. Five future team captains were selected from among the participants. They were asked to find original solutions to unconventional volunteer situations. For example, what to do if pies for guests at an event suddenly disappear, or if a guest scientist's laptop stops working. The captains' work was assessed by a jury consisting of representatives of the NSU Research Institute: Tatyana Morozova, Deputy Director of the Research Institute, and Tatyana Belitsa, Deputy Director of the Academic Affairs Institute.
After this, the participants continued the competition in teams. The first task was badge creation: the children had to come up with a team name and design their own logo. Next, the volunteers competed in improvisation and artistry contests, where they had to confidently read text and fill in the blanks, as well as a task testing attentiveness and accuracy—"sorting," in which participants sorted objects in a box and counted their number.
Another competition focused on explanation and communication skills: participants were asked to describe the meaning of a word without using related words. The program concluded with a "photo hunt"—teams had to take five photos on the university grounds according to set conditions.
Olga Shishkina, a third-year student majoring in Fundamental and Applied Linguistics at the NSU Humanities Institute and a volunteer at the Humanities Institute headquarters, shared her impressions of volunteer work:
Volunteering provides a unique experience. It's about overcoming challenges, discovering new skills, and communicating. The real-life interactions are incredibly rewarding. My advice to those just starting out is to not be afraid, try new things, participate in activities you enjoy, and make new connections.
The volunteer also noted that her fondest memories remain of working with children and schoolchildren at the NSU summer school:
"Interacting with schoolchildren, telling them about the school experience, how to apply, motivating and supporting them—it's incredibly valuable. You feel like you're truly helping people."
Ruslan Seitov, assistant professor at the Department of Oriental Studies at the Novosibirsk State University, expressed his gratitude to the volunteers:
Thank you very much for your work. It's wonderful to see young people interested in social and scientific activities that benefit the university. Volunteering teaches you to think outside the box and solve complex problems—we've proven this time and again. The conferences and events at the NSU Humanities Institute went very well this year, and the volunteers deserve a lot of credit for that.
As part of the celebration, certificates of appreciation were presented to the most active participants in volunteer events, and team and individual awards were announced. These included "Most Friendly Team," "Most Creative Team," "Most Resourceful Team," "Most Photogenic Team," and "Most Versatile Team." Volunteers also received special awards for their linguistic intuition, crisis management skills, and contribution to event organization.
Even though many of the participants were meeting each other for the first time, the teams quickly worked together, demonstrating courage, creativity, and excellent teamwork skills.
Celebrating International Volunteer Day at NSU was not only an opportunity to say "thank you" to volunteers, but also an opportunity to once again highlight the importance of the volunteer movement at the university.
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