The University of Queensland recently welcomed a group of students from Moscow State University (MSU) who were in Australia to complete a two-week study program.
The students were led by Senior Lecturer Dr Olga Kirillova and participated in a number of lectures by Faculty of Arts staff including Indigenous elder Sam Watson Snr, Deputy Director of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Unit and lecturer in Australian Indigenous literature.
The tour also gave students the chance to explore Australia first-hand through trips to Lamington National Park, Australia Zoo, Sydney Opera House, the Blue Mountains, and museums and art galleries in Brisbane and Sydney.
“I would absolutely recommend people back home to come to UQ,” Dr Kirillova said.
“It is so beautiful and green. There are a lot of activities and facilities available and I really enjoyed walking around the campus and the lakes.”
The students also had the opportunity to participate in Australia Day celebrations and said they found the Australian people to be very friendly and hospitable.
“There are so many differences between Russia and Australia. Here in Brisbane it is nice and relaxed, whereas back home in Moscow there are so many people rushing around and we live in traffic jams, so coming here and being able to get around on public transport like the ferry has been amazing – even romantic!,” said MSU student Anna Markovskaya.
The relationship with Lomonosov Moscow State University’s Faculty of Foreign Languages and Area Studies stemmed from a UQ visit to Russia last year.
Students at MSU have formed a Society of Australian Studies and developed their own blog.
To encourage other groups to discover the University, the Faculty of Arts will host a J-Term Program for academic credit next January.
This intensive three week program provides international students with an introduction to key aspects of contemporary Australian society and culture through a combination of expert speakers and field trips.
For information about the Faculty of Arts special Summer Semester J-term program please contact arts@uq.edu.au.
Media: Maj Coop at UQ International (07 3346 7826, m.coop@uq.edu.au)
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