A team of first-year students from Volga Region University won the Russian Language Olympiad among international students from universities in the Republic of Tatarstan in the "Near Abroad, 1st and 2nd Years" category. The competition, traditionally held by the Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication at KFU, attracted a record number of participants – 230 students from seven universities representing 32 countries in the near and far abroad. The jury assessed not only knowledge of Russian language and history but also creative thinking.

It's worth noting that students from the University of Sports and Tourism also participated in the Olympiad in 2024. Then, they won silver, coming within a whisker of victory.

This year, the university was represented by the "Travelers" team, which included Narkyz Tamenova, Alexandra Chernichenko, Kira Zaripova, and Ruslan Sultanov, as well as captain Asiya Shautenova, who shared her impressions of the Olympiad.

I decided to participate because I've always enjoyed the Russian language. I'm interested in discovering linguistic patterns and testing my knowledge. Gulnara Bekbulatova, Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages ​​and Linguistics, also suggested I try my hand at the competition, and I thought it was a good opportunity to gain new experience. Preparation took several weeks—we worked together on complex topics, focusing on spelling, punctuation, and text processing.

I really enjoyed the Olympiad—it was challenging, but exciting. What I remember most was how our team worked together to solve problems. Overall, we quickly found common ground, as if we'd known each other for a long time. After winning, I felt proud and happy—it's nice to know that the team's efforts and preparation paid off. I was filled with self-confidence and a desire to continue developing.

I plan to participate in similar Olympiads in the future, as competitions are a great way to broaden your horizons and develop your logical thinking. "Furthermore, the competitive atmosphere motivates students to continue learning," emphasized team captain Asiya Shautenova.

Text: Adelina Khramova