The number of Indian students pursuing higher studies in Russia witnessed an increase of 30 per cent in 2019, said Oleg N Avdeev, Consul General of the Russian Federation in Chennai.

Interacting with the students at an interactive meet titled ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ under the aegis of the International Relations of Kristu Jayanti College, without revealing exact numbers, Avdeev said there are 766 universities in Russia in 82 regions where over 2,000 students from 108 countries come to study.

“The universities in Russia provide a comfortable and progressive environment for the students. We also help the foreign students adapt to the Russian language and culture,” he added.

Student exchange programs

Avdeev explained that the students who are interested in Student Exchange Programs can register with the Russian Cultural Centre located in Chennai to avail of the scholarships that are on offer.

When asked about the need to learn the Russian language to study in Russia, he clarified that “learning Russian language is not a prerequisite to study in Russia as there are many courses that are offered in English”. However, he said in a lighter vein that learning to speak Russian would become “inevitable once you move to Russia”.

Dream big

The Consul General encouraged the students saying the youth were the future of a country and they need to be nurtured well.

“I am happy to see the young generation having their priorities right,” he said, and added that “it is better to find out what you want to do with your life as early as possible so that you can work toward it.”

They (today’s youth) actively seek to find their place in life, are bold to dream big things and to do things others have not done before, said Avdeev.

When queried about his opinion of the education system in India, he replied that the Indian education system is good, especially in major cities that offer excellent educational opportunities to students.

He said students in rural areas might not have geographical access to such facilities, but this problem was similar to that in many other countries.

Reminiscing about his visit to ISRO, he said, “Bengaluru, being an IT hub and a leading centre for space research and technology, is uniquely positioned.”

Fr Josekutty PD, Principal; Rev Dr Augustine George, Vice Principal and Director, International Relations, Kristu Jayanti College; Dr Lyola Thomas, Member, International Relations; Prof Ratheesh PT, Co-ordinator, International Relations; Dr MK Baby, Head, Department of Management; and Dr R Kumar, Senior Faculty, Department of Computer Science were also present at the meeting, which is part of the Global Enhancement Programme of Kristu Jayanti College.

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