The Russian Teacher Abroad project promotes the Russian language and is looking for new participants
The Center for International Cooperation of the Russian Ministry of Education has opened a new recruitment drive for participants in the humanitarian project «Russian Teachers Abroad». This year, the program, which has already proven itself in dozens of countries, will expand the participation of teachers: the plan is to send 791 teachers, but the actual number of participants is expected to be higher.
The launch of the recruitment drive was announced on Diplomatic Workers' Day. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko congratulated diplomats and teachers and emphasized the importance of the mission of teachers abroad:
«President Vladimir Putin noted today that the work to promote the Russian language, science, and culture remains a priority. The Russian Teacher Abroad project directly addresses these tasks — it promotes not only the Russian language, but also our spiritual and moral values. Over the past nine years, more than 1,500 teachers have participated in the project, and the number of countries has grown to 32. Among them are China, the UAE, India, Serbia, Turkey, Egypt, and others. I thank the teachers for their work, and I wish the candidates all the best».
Since 2017, the Center for International Cooperation (CIC) of the Russian Ministry of Education has been implementing the «Russian Teacher Abroad», project aimed at promoting the Russian language and innovative educational practices in dozens of countries around the world. Russian teachers have a unique opportunity to educate bilingual children and to become ambassadors of Russian education and culture, representing Russia abroad.
Every year, the CIC recruits teachers with the necessary skills and qualifications to work in countries near and far abroad. Becoming part of this large teaching family is a serious professional challenge and a chance to discover new sides of teaching talents.
«The Russian Teacher Abroad project is an international initiative that has attracted considerable interest from our foreign partners. Applications from schools requesting our teachers to visit their institutions are coming in from all corners of the globe. Currently, 240 educational institutions are participating in the project, and this number is growing. Teachers are actively joining the project and becoming promoters of our country's cultural values abroad», — Russian Minister of Education Sergey Kravtsov said.
Participation in the project involves full methodological and organizational support from the CIC – flight to the destination, accommodation compensation, and assistance during the adaptation period.
Tomsk State Pedagogical University's role in promoting the Russian language in countries near and far is based on the principles of intercultural dialogue, internal cultural diversity, and mutual respect. It's focused on strengthening the Russian language as an international language of communication, including in key areas like culture, education, and science.
«TSPU actively promotes preservation and development of the Russian language. The university helps foreign countries implement programs aimed at improving Russian language skills and introducing Russian literature and culture. This is done through educational programs, projects, the creation of training centers, international competitions, and participation in scientific and educational events. We give foreign students and teachers the opportunity to study subjects in Russian and participate in joint scientific and educational projects. This helps to exchange experiences and strengthen intercultural ties, — says Oksana Yurchenkova, Dean of the Faculty of Philology. — Another important area is cooperation with Russian embassies, cultural centers, and educational organizations abroad. This is necessary for the more effective promotion of the Russian language and culture.The university also advocates for the integration of Russian studies into international educational programs. We are developing distance and mobile learning formats, which allows us to expand our reach and make it easier to teach Russian abroad. And, of course, the most important part of what we do is supporting Russian teaching methods and training qualified Russian teachers who are ready to work abroad».
Students at TSPU are also active participants in the Russian Teacher Abroad project. Teachers and graduates of TSPU teach subjects in Russian at educational institutions in Tajikistan, Mongolia, and other countries. In addition, the university actively supports other initiatives of the Russian Ministry of Education to promote the Russian language and culture in various countries: China, Kenya, and Rwanda.
«TSPU is involved in an important global mission to promote the Russian language and culture around the world. We are actively expanding our presence on the African continent: our university has opened two centers for open education in Russian and Russian language training in Kenya and Rwanda, — says Anna Bogdanova, director of the Institute of Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication at TSPU. — In 2022, we launched a dual degree program in teacher education in collaboration with Jilin University of Foreign Languages (Changchun, PRC). The program aims to train future teachers of Russian as a foreign language. Currently, about 200 Chinese citizens are enrolled in the program, preparing to become professional instructors of Russian culture in Chinese schools. In addition, for more than five years, we have been successfully training specialists in Russian as a foreign language. Our Russian graduates now work as teachers of Russian as a foreign language in countries both near and far abroad. It is in the targeted training of such specialists that we see a reliable foundation for strengthening the position of the Russian language in the global world».
You can find out more about the Russian Teacher Abroad project (which areas are most in demand in which countries today, working conditions, and remuneration levels) on the official website of the Center for International Cooperation.
