Three Russian Days in Granada
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10.09.2010
The international congress of Russian specialists “Russian Language and Literature in International Education: The Current Status and Prospects” concluded on September 10 in Granada, Spain. The three-day conference, which received financial support from the Russkiy Mir Foundation, was dedicated to the 55th anniversary of the start of Russian language instruction at Spanish institutions of higher education. One hundred specialists from three dozen countries participated in the event, including members of the presidium of the International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature (MAPRYAL).
Russian Ambassador to Spain Alexander Kuznetsov noted the importance of studying the Russian and Spanish languages, which facilitates the mutual enrichment of the countries cultures. He also noted the importance of protecting the Russian language from the negative effects of globalization, which is expressed in the cluttering of the language with an excessive amount of borrowed terms.
Lyudmila Verbitskaya, president of the International Association of Russian Language and Literature Teachers (MAPRYAL) and chair of the board of trustees of the Russkiy Mir Foundation, expressed her confidence that the gathering of Russian specialists from various countries in Granada “will serve to strengthen the position of the Russian language in international education.”
Initiator of the congress Professor Rafael Gusman (Granada University) not that “Russian language has a great future. Great Russian literature will forever serve as an example of high spirituality.” He also noted that Russia’s increasing economic clout will also give more and more people a reason to study the language.
Granada University, founded in 1531, has a good tradition of Russian language instruction. Russian language has been taught at the university since the early 1960s. It is the first university in Andalusia and second in Spain to offer a degree in Slavic Studies.