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PSU and University of Lousville Unite for Translators Contest

433 translations have been checked by PSU students and teachers, who performed as jury experts in the Perm City Translators’ Contest – a record amount for the whole venue history. The event was held within the framework of “Perm-Louisville: Twin Cities ’Cultural Heritage” projects, addressing schoolchildren and college students.

Two groups of experts worked on their jury tasks, comprising students of the Faculty of Modern Foreign Languages and Literature, teachers from four Perm universities, officials of Perm city administration, and the University of Louisville, a long-time partner of Perm State University.

The jury of the first selection round included 20 undergraduate students in Linguistics, as well as 20 graduate and postgraduate students. 23 faculty members and 7 students from the University of Louisville joined them for the second round, to specially name long-time partners Professor Michael Losavio and Thomas Dumstorf, teacher of Russian language and literature.

For the second round, two pieces from a thriller “A is for Aliby” by Sue Grafton were offered for an English-Russian translation, and an excerpt from “The Territory of God” by Yuri Aslanyan, Perm-based author, PSU graduate in Philology – for a Russian-English translation.

“This time, the project attracted 467 participants from our city, which undoubtedly testifies to the growing interest in such events among the youth of Perm, and beyond! Thanks to the city-rooted,  citizen-voiced competitions and projects, PSU students and teachers join the international movement of twinning and peoples’ diplomacy,”

admits Svetlana Polyakova, project coordinator.

“I would like to thank the organizers of the Contest for an excellent opportunity to practice our translation skills – which mean less without practice. I am happy to support such initiatives, growing as a professional translator, and stretching out for new literary horizons!”

comments Yulia Repyakh, MA student, Faculty of Modern Foreign Languages and Literature.

To remind, “Perm-Louisville Twin Cities ’Cultural Heritage” Translators ’Competition became a winner project within framework, within the 23rd Perm City Competition of Social Projects “The City is Us”. The Competition was run by the Faculty of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures, Perm State University; Perm English Language Teachers’ Association (PELTA); Perm Krai A.M. Gorky Library; and Perm-Louisville Twin Cities Association.

PSU Translators Win Twin Cites Contest

PSU students have successfully performed at a regional international Translators ’Competition, contributing to Perm (Russia) and Louisville (USA) twin cities’ link.

15 undergraduate and graduate students from Perm State University are listed among 29 winners in various categories, representing the Faculty of Modern Foreign Languages and Literature; the Faculty of Law; the Faculty of Economics; and the Faculty of History and Political Science, PSU. The Competition involved 135 students from 8 Perm-based higher institutions. In total, the Organizers’ Committee received 160 pieces, translated; a few participants challenged several translations at once.

Four pieces by contemporary American authors had been offered for the Competition: “A is for Aliby” by Sue Grafton, “Old Muscovy” by Massie Robert and “The Healing” by Gayl Johnes. All authors come from the sister city of Louisville (USA) and represent those writings previously untranslated into Russian. In return, two excerpts from the book “The Territory of God” by Yuri Aslanyan, Perm-based author had been offered for a Russian-English translation part.

The Translators ’Competition became a part of “Perm-Louisville Twin Cities ’Cultural Heritage” framework, within the 23rd Perm City Competition of Social Projects “The City is Us”. The Competition was run by the Faculty of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures, Perm State University; Perm English Language Teachers’ Association (PELTA); Perm Krai A.M. Gorky Library; and Perm-Louisville Twin Cities Association.

PSU Linguist Announced Professor of the Year, Nationally

Dr. Svetlana Mishlanova, teaching professor and head of the Department of Linguodidactics, Perm State University, has been given the national award Professor of the Year 2021 in Philology.

Dr. Svetlana Mishlanova has spent more than two decades of educational, research and teaching activity at PSU and beyond. Her research interests include cognitive linguistics, terminology and modeling of terminological systems, discourse analysis, intercultural communication and computational linguodidactics. Her number of publications exceeds 120, plus a dozen monographs and teaching and research manuals.

Dr. Svetlana Mishlanova has been contributing to collaborations with known national and international scholars, including those from Bulgaria, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Romania, UK and USA, and more. Her partnership ties involve Leuphana University of Lüneburg (Lüneburg, Germany), National Communication Association (Chicago, USA), European Symposium on Languages for Special Purposes (Vaasa, Finland, 2001; Hamburg, Germany, 2007; Aarhus, Denmark, 2009); the project “Cognitive Modeling in Linguistics” (Sofia, Bulgaria, 2007; Constanta, Romania, 2009; Dubrovnik, Croatia, 2010), plus constant contribution to twinning relations with Louisville (USA) and Oxford (UK).

The Professor of the Year award celebrates notable scholars showing results in education and science. The recent nomination has taken place at the national Professors Forum ‘2021, contributing to the Year of Science and Technology in Russia. The Forum titled “21st Century: Trends and Prospects” brought together participants from more than 80 Russian universities.

Delta State University Invites PSU Patrons for Conference on Blues

On 1-2 October, 2021, Delta State University (DSU, Cleveland, Mississippi, USA) invites Perm State University (PSU, Perm, Russia) to take part in the 8th Annual International Conference on the Blues (ICOB).

The event aims to celebrate the blues art form through scholarly activity, discourse and music, online. In 2021, the Conference is available through the award-winning event and conference platform, Whova. The program starts on Friday 1 October at 7pm local Perm time (5pm Moscow time and 12 noon UTC). Free registration on behalf of PSU is available polsvetlana@yandex.ru (see the link below).

The conference’s “Spirit of the Blues” theme explores connections among blues, gospel, and spirituals as interrelated African American music traditions in the Mississippi Delta and beyond. The Spirit of the Blues initiative is supported by a grant, awarded by the National Park Service’s Lower Mississippi Delta Initiative to Delta State’s Delta Center for Culture and Learning

Blues is known as a music genre growing in the Deep South of the US around the 1860s having its roots in African-American folk tradition and spirituals. The primary blues form is famous for its call-and-response pattern, ‘worried notes’ and confession mood. In the 20th century, blues gave birth to a vast variety of genres, including jazz and rock music, and even influenced rap and heavy metal.

The Conference will start with performances connecting the Black gospel tradition to the blues. The afternoon will feature academic presentations, exploring the music of the African diaspora; Black musical traditions and influences on American music and culture; the influence of blues, gospel, spirituals, and soul music; Black music as protest and social commentary; and Black artists and the music industry.

All academic presentations will be recorded and available for on-demand access.

“While live music is best, a positive of the virtual platform is that any registrant will be able to watch the performances, presentations, papers, and keynote addresses in real time and again as many times as they wish through Oct. 31, 2021,”

said conference co-chair Don Allan Mitchell, associate professor of English at Delta State.

Featured performances and presenters of the Conference include: Grammy-nominated Jontavious Willis; the Coahoma Community College Gospel Choir; Rev. Dr. Dwight Andrews, professor of music theory and African American music at Emory University and senior minister of First Congregational Church in Atlanta; Annette Hollowell, attorney, social activist and producer of traditional Black music for live music venues, and many more honorable guests and participants.

Perm State University thanks Delta State University for a kind and friendly offer to join! Online registration is now open to general public at www.deltastate.edu/blues To register on behalf Perm State University for free, please, write to Ms. Svetlana Polyakova, teaching professor at the Faculty of Modern Languages and Literature at polsvetlana@yandex.ru.

Delta State University has been a partner of Perm State University since 2013. In 2014, three professors at PSU – Dr. Nina Bochkareva, Prof. Elena Gritsenko, Prof. Svetlana Polyakova took place in the 2nd Annual International Conference on the Blues, for the first time, in person. PSU teaching staff actively involves music and arts into teaching process, hence the partnership.

Useful Links:

To learn more about the International Conference on the Blues, view past conferences or register for this year’s event, visit www.deltastate.edu/blues.

For questions, please address the Conference organizing Committee at blues@deltastate.edu

To register on behalf of Perm State University, please, write to: polsvetlana@yandex.ru

Please, read the full press-release here.

Pictures’ Source: Delta State University and Shutterstock.com

PSU Teacher Resists Tragedy, Shares Her Story

Olga Grafova, Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics and Translation, Faculty of Modern Foreign Languages and Literature, Perm State University, was one of many teaching fellows, who run classes on 20 September, 2021. Olga learned about the shooting from a student who showed up late – the girl heard shots, on her way. Students started getting calls from friends around the campus.

Immediately after that, Olga and her students blocked the door and started considering the situation.

“We did feel uneasy all the time, – confesses Olga. – After we got ourselves barricaded, we searched for extra means of protection. In our case, we had a heavy metal laptop, one of the students had a pepper ‘mace’ spray. We put it by the door, so it calmed us down a bit. We spread around and sat our backs to the walls, yet we felt united, talked, and shared the news. “

For two hours, before the evacuation, Olga cheered each student with a word and hugs, maintaining a comfortable positive atmosphere in the classroom.

“Due to the fact that we stayed all together and kept talking, we felt some kind of complicity, being as one, which was helpful,” recollects Olga Grafova. – The Dean’s Office was also in constant touch: we received supporting calls from them, and reliable information.”

Olga Grafova and her students still keep in touch: “In circumstances like this, you tend to appreciate good people around and their support you,” Olga admits.

“Joining our Faculty, freshmen find themselves in a ‘family-close’ atmosphere, as we share most in common and know each other well, and so ready to help. For a student, this also means responsibility, as he or she won’t be lost in a study process. For us, in turn, it is important to deal with everyone in person, not just like an ‘audience’,” – points out Natalya Khorosheva, Head of the Department of Linguistics and Translation.

“In that extraordinary case, we as teachers never felt the necessity to continue the lesson, taking into consideration the psychological stress we were all in. Everyone, who happened to be with their students at that moment, with no immediate evacuation, did behave in a decent way – initiating support and dialogue on various matters, while keeping a constant contact with the Dean’s Office and Colleagues.

PSU Students about to Start Academic Year in France

Five students of Perm State University will enjoy the included education program at the University of Grenoble-Alpes, France. Four undergraduates in Translation and related sciences, and a graduate in Linguistics will spend 6-10 months there, studying according to their individual academic plans.

“This is the 10th year of our collaboration with the University of Grenoble-Alpes. Surely, a lot has changed both on our side, and the French one. Most of the documentary support has become digital and is run online, which makes the entire preparation much easier,”

Natalia Khorosheva, Head of the Department of Linguistics and Translation, PSU, states.

“We even managed to maintain our exchange pace regardless of the pandemic, with no breaks. Over the years, a dozen students continued their graduate studies in Grenoble having finished their courses, choosing France and nearby countries as a place to build their career and personal life,”

Natalia Khorosheva confirms.

At the present moment, the students’ quarantine isolation is coming to an end, and they will soon start their studies. Notably, PSU students choose the disciplines upon their personal plans, corresponding to the topics studied at PSU. Their marks in France will be credited back home in Perm.

“Despite the quarantine, we have already managed to try the local flavours, a bit,” Maria Erypalova, 4th year undergraduate, shares. “It’s still summer here, warm, incredibly beautiful and so extremely expensive (cucumbers for €0.50 a piece, not to mention prices on milk!). Still, French people are sweethearts, at least those with whom we have already managed to communicate”.

“Besides our location, we have seen the city of Grenoble twice: narrow streets typical of an old small European city. The parks, the summer cafes and life around seem to belong to a movie, which I fell in love for instantly, and am waiting impatiently for a chance to see more! The campus – I found it crowded: it’s a wide space with buildings, a large area. I didn’t expect it to be so beautiful! ”

The teachers of the Department of Linguistics and Translation at PSU wish our exchange students a successful and safe academic year, full of unforgettable impressions, useful experience and upgrade of language skills!

PSU Alumnus Gets a PhD in Russian, Teaches at a Chinese University

What do you become after the University? Yin Jiejie (China), our alumnus from the Faculty of Philology, talks about the reason he had chosen education in Russia, his achievements and discoveries during the student years, and his prospects after the graduation.

A passion to literature might be one’s pass to a university – Russian and Chinese, in Jiejie’s case. To compare them, he decided to study in Russia. “I was eager to see your country, meet Russian people, experience your culture and raise the language level,” confirms Yin Jiejie. “I also heard much about the beauty of Russian women.”

Jiejie had chosen Linguistics and Literary Studies as primary subjects. “To be honest, I’ve never heard of Perm before. A friend of mine recommended Perm State University, as she used to study here,” Jiejie recollects. “I remember my first steps on campus as a touch of a centenary history. Each building has its own story, resembling wisemen. I also liked the university sculptures. Most importantly, I received a scholarship by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. “

Russian writers Viktor Astafiev and Valentin Rasputin, widely known in China, served a research source for Jiejie, who studied ‘ethical space’ of their novels. During his spare time, Jiejie worked as a Chinese language teacher and translator, and was also engaged in arts and sports. He danced during performances at the PSU Student Club, and played basketball with the University team. In the countryside, Jiejie learned to take a steam bath, cook Russian dishes, and skate.

Recently, Jiejie teaches at one of the universities in China. “Russian education helped me find a reliable and respected job back home. I teach the Russian language, which I love, at Shandong Women’s University,” he comments. “Staying with students makes you feel young, task-oriented and learn new things.”

Today, a greater amount of foreign students at Perm State University come from China, followed by those from Iraq and Turkmenistan – choosing the Faculty of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures, the Faculty of Philology, and Chemistry, as a primary choice.

PSU Students Translate Modern British Prose, Win a Competition

Nine students from Perm State University (PSU) have been announced as winners and distinguished participants of the Regional Translation Competition 2020-2021, launched by the Faculty of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures, PSU.

In total, 409 translations from 337 participants from 54 schools and lyceums, 4 secondary schools and 5 universities of Perm and Perm Territory have been registered for the competition. Other national participants included Primorsky Territory, Karelia, Udmurtia, Khabarovsk and Saratov Territories.

In 2021, the Competition marked the 25th anniversary of Perm-Oxford twin sister relations. The tasks for the contest had been handpicked by Ms. Karen Hewitt, Professor at St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford, a holder of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for establishing academic and cultural links with Russia.

Besides students in Languages and Literature, participants from non-linguistic faculties (to name Geology, Chemistry, Geography, Mechanics and Mathematics), as well as schoolchildren were challenged by modern English authors, previously not translated into Russian: “The Day You Lost Her” by Julia Darling, “Reach” by Rachel Seiffert, “Headlong” by Michael Frayn.

“Thanks to competitions alike, our students and schoolchildren are capable to reveal their creative and translation potential. In addition, the competition helps to better understand contemporary British reality and promote the image of the University as an active participant in the public life of the region,”

notes Svetlana Polyakova, Competition organizer, Associate Professor at the Department of Linguodidactics and the Department of English Language and Intercultural Communication, Perm English Language Teachers’ Association (PELTA).

To remind, Perm-Oxford twin cities relationship started with university exchange as early as 1989. For years, PSU has been hosting numerous delegations from Oxford. Today, Perm State University confidently competes with leading Russian and world universities, providing a variety of English language-related courses and exchange visits, with an assistance by Oxford colleagues. In 2019, the Oxford University has granted PSU the Gold Standard Internship Host sign.

PSU Contributes to International Dictation in German

Perm State University has performed as an open platform for the All-Russian action “Tolles Diktat ‘2021”. Traditionally, the dictation in German marks the International Mother Language Day, celebrated on 21 February. The dictation was conducted by the Department of Linguodidactics, Faculty of Foreign Languages and Literature, PSU.

In 2021, the participants on our site outnumbered 25 people – school children and college students of the 7th, 8th, 10th, 11th grades, coming from those Perm schools our Faculty cooperates with. The quality of students’ works has improved, too; they made fewer mistakes compared to 2020.

“The dictation results testify for modern trends of the language space – the desire of our children to live in a multicultural and multilingual world,”

notes Ekaterina Kupriyanicheva, teacher of the Department of Linguodidactics, Head of the Innovative Pedagogical Resources Office, PSU.

The original dictation texts were read by Katrin Köpke, Associate Professor at the Department of Linguodidactics, a native speaker from Germany. So, the participants had a unique opportunity to hear the live German speech.

“This year, I was especially pleased to see new participants studying German as the second foreign language – besides those, who had chosen it as a primary one. This speaks of the interest of modern youth in learning several foreign languages. That for sure opens new horizons and expands boundaries of their opportunities,”

comments Katrin Köpke.

The all-Russian “Tolles Diktat ’2021” is held by the Association of Public Associations “International Union of German Culture” (Internationaler Verband der deutschen Kultur) , the Regional State Autonomous Institution of Culture “Tomsk Regional Russian-German House” and the “Deutsch Online” German Language School, with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation and the Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs of the Russian Federation (Federal Agency for Ethnic Affairs). The event had been initiated by the Tomsk Regional Russian-German House, the “Tolles Diktat” held annually since 2013.

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