April 15-23, Director of Gabdulla Tukay Higher School of Tatar Studies and Turkology Professor Alfiya Sh.Yusupova and Associate Professor of Department of General Linguistics and Turkology Kadriya S. Fathullova (Leo Tolstoy Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication, Kazan Federal University) visited Indiana University (USA) having been invited by Professor Edward. J. Lazzerini, Director of Denis Sinor Research Institute for Inner Asian Studies.

Professor E. Lazzerini and the delegates of Leo Tolstoy Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication were able to discuss the issues of working out a collaborative Master’s programme on “Turkic Languages in Intercultural Communication”; student and teacher exchange; providing Indiana University students with the opportunity to learn Tatar in Leo Tolstoy Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication; the need of Kazan graduate students majoring in Turkic Studies for perfecting their English in Indiana University. Professor A.Yusupova also had an appointment with Dr David Zaret in order to discuss the issues of establishing Centre for Tatar Studies in Indiana University.

Assistant Director for the School of Global and International studies Dr Mark Trotter organized a meeting for his colleagues and the teachers of Leo Tolstoy Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication.  Professor A.Yusupova gave a talk about KFU and Kazan Linguistic School, dwelt on  the work of Leo Tolstoy Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication, main bachelor’s and master’s programmes. Associate Professor K. Fathullova brought the attention of the audience to the linguistic processes and peculiarities of language policy in Tatarstan. The presentations aroused the audience’s interest and lively discussions among the scholars of Indiana University.

Apart from that, the teachers of Leo Tolstoy Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication gave a workshop “Tatarcha Soileshik” (“Let’s speak Tatar”) for students and teachers interested in the Tatar language. As a result of only one class, they were able to greet each other in Tatar, make up conversations, say a few words about themselves, and even recite a small poem. The participants appeared to be very active and sociable. At the end of the class, they had an opportunity to take part in an online communicative lesson given by Associate Professor of Department of Linguistic and Intercultural Communication Alsu Ashrapova on the platform of Online Tatar Language School “Ana Tele”. The participants could ask their questions about the lesson in English. Many of them expressed a desire to register in the online school in order to continue learning Tatar. The workshop finished with a friendly tea party, during which the participants tried chack-chak (the Tatar national pastry) and expressed their gratitude to the teachers form Kazan.

The results of the events were summed up at the meeting with Lee A. Feinstein, Dean for the School of Global and International Studies, Indiana University.

We hope that the academic collaboration plans will come true in the near future.

Source: Kadriya S. Fathullova, Associate Professor of Department of General Linguistics and Turkology, Leo Tolstoy Institute of Philology and Intercultural Communication, Kazan Federal University