Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia
An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.
The RUDN University Institute of Foreign Languages' student research community took second place in the university research community competition this year. And for good reason: the IFL research clubs regularly win various competitions, and the community's activists organize meetings with representatives of their future professions, language conversation clubs, excursions, and many other useful activities for students.
The NSO's chair, master's student Daria Kulikova (first-year major in International Regional Studies: Eurasian and Mediterranean Studies), told us about the community's development and achievements. She also discussed who, for what reason, and at what event they present boxing gloves.
Tell us about your NSO for those who don't know about it yet. How would you describe your community in three words?
A Bridge Between Hearts. The NSO IFL brings together hard-working students who want to study languages, politics, psychology, digital trends, and the customs of the world beyond the formal curriculum.
How and when did the community emerge? Who were its founders, and how has it evolved since its inception?
Since 2017, the Institute of Foreign Languages' Student Committee has had a research committee. In 2019, Kristina Lim, chair of the IFL's research committee, established the student research society as an independent governing body. The first student research schools (SRWs) were held under the slogan "SRW is coming!"
Since 2021, we've carried out—and I dare say, colossal—promotional work. Our VKontakte public page has regularly published posts about events at the IFL, RUDN University, and other universities, as well as popular science articles on linguistics, foreign language teaching, pedagogy, psychology, and international regional studies. We've launched "conversations" for student research groups (SRCs), and we've begun publishing photos and videos of events. We launched SRC communities on social media, which has increased our reach and increased student interest in our activities, as everyone has the opportunity to follow updates on the clubs and areas of research that interest them. This applies not only to students at the IFL but also to other RUDN University faculties, whose representatives have joined our institute's clubs. Furthermore, we've received messages from people across the country. We've received messages about participation in competitions at other universities, for example, from the Far East.
As for the Council of People's Commissars, initially there were only a few clubs. Now there are 11, all of them operating successfully, winning prizes and victories! There are currently about 90 NSO activists.
What are the main areas of activity of the community?
They are primarily related to the work of the Student Research Center. We have seven research clubs covering foreign languages and cultures (English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Chinese, and Japanese). We also have a number of clubs for specific specialties: the "Internationalist" club for students majoring in "Foreign Regional Studies," the "Psychology and Problems of Inclusive Education" club for students majoring in "Psychological and Pedagogical Education," the "Translation and Cultural Transfer" club, and the "Digital Processor" club for students majoring in master's programs in simultaneous interpreting and international public relations.
The clubs not only support students in participating in research activities but also organize lectures, master classes, conversation clubs, and excursions. Members of the NSO can participate in research activities at all SSCs without formal membership. This approach engages both first-year and graduate students.
We strive to popularize science not only by involving the IFL in organizing conferences and seminars. Twice a year, at the IFL Schools, we promote the benefits of working with us. Our annual participation in the NAUKA 0 Science Festival allows us to share our knowledge with a larger audience. This year, for example, the IFL NSO prepared quests for first-year and high school students at the institute, worked at the IFL stand in the RUDN University Main Building, and supported its lecturers at Zaryadye and the Palace of Pioneers on Vorobyovy Gory.
What are the most significant and impactful projects that NSO has implemented over the past year?
The IFL has been a significant venue for conferences of various levels for many years. Last year, in addition to the "Gender Equality" section within the youth track of the "SDG 17" conference, we actively supported five international scientific and technical events organized by the IFL. These included the conferences "Teacher Education: Optimization, Modernization, and Development Forecasts," "Greater Europe in Interaction with Asian and Mediterranean Countries," and "Functional Aspects of Intercultural Communication and Translation Issues."
The conference "Current Issues in Modern Linguistics and the Humanities" deserves special mention. It features a Francophone section titled "Patrie. Francophonie. Jeunesse." ("Fatherland. Francophonie. Youth"), led by Olga Kozarenko, Associate Professor of the Department of Theory and Practice of Foreign Languages (TiPFL). This section serves as a training ground for students studying French, allowing them to practice their public speaking skills through a competitive process. We host guests and juries from other universities, as well as schoolchildren. For example, in 2024, a student from V.D. Polenov State Budgetary Educational Institution School No. 1231 spoke here. Students from Mikhail Velichko State Budgetary Educational Institution School No. 84 in Gorlovka, located in the new regions of Russia, are also regular guests.
At all conferences, IFL students have the opportunity not only to present papers but also to publish articles in collections indexed by the Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI). And, of course, NSO members can try their hand at section moderators and volunteers!
We also host an annual scientific battle for undergraduate and graduate students, "Lingua Slam," organized by Marina Petrova, Associate Professor of the Department of Languages and Foreign Languages and the head of the Digital Professor club at the Scientific Society of the Russian Federation. At this platform, participants present complex scientific topics in an accessible and original format. The battle positions science as a field that welcomes innovative approaches and out-of-the-box thinking. The winner, by the way, receives boxing gloves!
Regarding other initiatives, we are continuing to implement the "Not Yet a PhD" podcast, which we launched in 2023. It features RUDN University IFL students and alumni giving informal interviews about their research work. This encourages student engagement in science and promotes it as an interesting and rewarding field.
Our small victory is the creation of the NSO booth at the Institute of Foreign Languages. The booth visually informs students about upcoming events, the NSO's goals and objectives, and the contacts needed to begin their academic careers!
How does participation in the NSO help IFL students in their professional and personal growth?
NSO provides detailed information about all the opportunities for student self-fulfillment that our university offers: various competitions, funding for conference trips, scholarships for activists and winners, and much more. We select relevant and interesting academic events for linguists, regional studies specialists, and psychologists. This helps them develop public speaking skills and apply the knowledge they gained during their studies. The Institute of Foreign Languages also provides career advancement opportunities for NSO activists by offering them research opportunities on the institute's own research projects. And of course, we are a team of like-minded individuals, so our community fosters strong friendships. This has been proven by personal experience!
Does NSO organize meetings for students with translators, linguists, and other specialists?
Of course! For example, during the series of scientific and methodological seminars "Linguodidactic Issues in Linguistics," we featured speakers such as Keith J. Topping, professor from the University of Dundee in Scotland; Ruben Dario Flores Arcila, professor at the National University of Colombia; and Vladimir Serbin, Vietnamese simultaneous interpreter.
Ivan Samokhin, PhD in Philology and author of articles in the field of education indexed in the international databases Web of Science and Scopus, and Larisa Elnitskaya, PhD in Pedagogical Sciences and senior lecturer in the Department of Social Pedagogy, spoke at the seminars "Current Issues of Social Pedagogy and Psychology."
What do you think enabled NSO to win the competition? What sets you apart from other NSOs at the university?
I suspect our slogans, "We're from the Institute of Languages, you can tell right away!" and "Science Will Save Society!", or perhaps the boxing gloves we'll give to the next Lingua Slam winner, helped us out! Seriously speaking, a team's success depends on the efforts of its members. I believe the key to success lies in the hard work and dedication of each team member. Some are more passionate about their work than others, others less so, but the end result compensates for this. It's important to have people whose qualities and abilities complement each other. This ensures the fruitful work of our NSO.
We love what we do. That's the foundation of success in any industry! Add a little linguistic wizardry and the ability to instantly pull ourselves together and rouse the entire Novosibirsk branch of the language—and you have the Institute of Foreign Languages!
What are the goals and objectives of the NSO for the future?
We always have a lot of plans, but we have to find the time! Our top priorities include elevating the quality of our existing scientific and technical events and expanding the scope of our conferences. Together with the IFL leadership, we want to take our events to the next level, enhance their status, and find new partners.
This year, we've already held two internal student conferences on psychology and PR, as well as a linguistics conference, "Current Issues in Modern Linguistics and the Humanities," in April. Coming up next are the international conference "Functional Aspects of Intercultural Communication and Translation Issues," the thematic section "Gender Equality and Reducing Inequality" at the International Scientific Conference of Students and Young Scientists "SDG 17," and the All-Russian Youth Analytical Club "Greater Europe in Interaction with Asian and Mediterranean Countries."
How can a student become part of your community?
Those wishing to become part of the NSO go toour public page on VKontakteThey register in the NSO bot by following the link. The chairperson provides feedback on each application. The student describes their goals and aspirations, and based on this, we assist in determining their status (joining the SNC or simply becoming a member). Further, if necessary, the new NSO member's contact information is shared with the SNC chairperson. The only constant is their inclusion in the informational chat where all NSO members participate.
To help all newcomers, there's the NSO stand, newsletters, teacher advice, and hallway conversations. In fact, what's truly important is the so-called informal work: the power of interpersonal communication and the family atmosphere created at the IFL by Natalia Leonidovna Sokolova, the IFL director, "our mother."
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