The study and promotion of the “Russian World” is an important part of global inter-civilisational cooperation, making Russian civilisation more comprehensible to people from different countries, a top Russian academic and diplomat has said.
Speaking at the 17th Assembly of the Russian World in Moscow, Anatoly Torkunov, Rector of MGIMO University and a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said Russian civilisation is “absolutely unique.”
“It is extremely important for the whole world because it enriches the lives not only of us, Russians, but also of people from other nations,” Torkunov told TV BRICS in an exclusive commentary.
Torkunov chaired the plenary session of the assembly, which focused on the “Russian world’s fundamental contribution to international development.” During the forum, he noted that the Russian language ranks fifth in the world in terms of prevalence and in the number of scientific publications, indicating that interest in studying the language remains consistently high.
This was confirmed by Huynh Song Van, Rector of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education in Vietnam, who told TV BRICS that his university admits about 20–25 students to its Russian Language Department each year to prepare them for teaching careers.
“Within four years, all of our students have to prepare the skills and the technique on how to become a Russian teacher. So after they graduate, they get a good job,” the rector said.
Ratheesh Nair, the Honorary Consul of Russia in Thiruvananthapuram, India, also highlighted the importance of maintaining interest in the Russian language and culture, stating that Indians see real opportunities in learning the language as it opens up wide employment prospects.
The 17th Russian World Assembly, which took place from Oct. 20-22, brought together representatives from 105 countries. In a message of greetings to the participants, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that the country is always open to scientific, student, and educational exchanges.
“We are delighted to have a record number of participants this year,” said Aleksander Alimov, Chairman of the Board of the Russkiy Mir Foundation, which organised the forum. “The Russian World has always been and remains attractive to a great many people around the planet, and the Russian language is one of the world’s leading languages, spoken by more than 255 million people.”
The international media network TV BRICS was an international media partner for the event and co-organised a session on the role of media in strengthening dialogue.
