Russian as a Language of Intercultural Communication and a Language of the United Nations

At the beginning of the seminar, MSLU’s Acting Rector I.A. Krayeva addressed the participants with welcoming remarks and reminded them that Moscow State Linguistic University is not only renowned for its glorious traditions of teaching foreign languages, but also offers a number of programmes of Russian as a Foreign Language. 

The following honored guests spoke at the seminar: Ignacio Garcia Valdecasas, Charge d'Affaires ad Interim of the Kingdom of Spain in the Russian Federation; V.V. Kuznetsov, Director of the United Nations Information Centre in Moscow; S.L. Stepanov, Head of the Department for Policy Issues in International Cultural-Humanitarian Cooperation in the Department for Humanitarian Cooperation and Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; D.A. Devyatkin, Attache of the Department of International Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. 

In their speeches the guests highlighted the status of the Russian language on the international arena, the growing shortage of teachers of Russian as a foreign language, and the role of our specialists in the language services of the United Nations. 

The presenters on the part of MSLU included: Y.A. Burlyay, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Head of the Center for Ibero-American programs; A.A. Seleznev, Director  of the MSLU Confucius Institute; and Gianluigi Maiorino, of the Centre of Italian Language and Culture.