News in Press-centre

International Student Unity Decade in the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) has come to its end. Throughout the week representatives of 53 countries and different regions of Russia were introducing students and guests to the history, ethnic songs, dances, everyday life, and games of their peoples. The final touch of the festival was the traditional holiday fair.

The participants of the Decade were more than 1,500 people, including not only students and staff of the university, but also more than 100 students from other universities of the city, as well as representatives of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea and the Consulate General of Uzbekistan, team members of the People's Republic of China of the first international student hockey tournament Student hockey Asia Challenge.

Flags parade of participating delegations was a striking attribute of the Decade. This year, students carried 53 flags of their home countries and national republics. They also demonstrated folk costumes at the fashion show and introduced guests to history, traditions, and household items at the poster exhibition.

So, attendees of the festival were able to learn how to write Arabic, dance to Shakira, drink Chinese tea, try on Pakistani jewelry, make origami and carve carnival masks, and perform Cheraw — a traditional cultural dance of India.

The participants have got acquainted with the Haft-sin table tradition on the Iran stand. The tradition is dedicated to the Iranian New Year and the beginning of spring. Apple, garlic, wheat sprouts, oleaster, sumac, vinegar, wheat germ sweet pudding are the 7 elements of the table that represent symbols of fullness of life such as health, wisdom, wealth, medicine, love, the revival of nature, dawn.

Guests of the event were also acquainted with the national traditions of Russian regions. For example, participants learned about Ossetian ancestral towers, managed to try on a papakha hat, played shagai naadan, tried Altai sweets, decorated a matryoshka nesting doll, and made a paper carpet.

“FEFU does truly embody both multinational and cultural harmony. The International Student Unity Decade provides a unique opportunity for students of various origins to get to know each other, exchange experiences, and discover a whole new world of unfamiliar cultures. We aim to create an environment for international students not only to receive top-quality education but also enjoy cultural diversity. Not only will it let people learn about the country where foreign students study but also will strengthen ties between diverse nations, contributing to further mutual understanding and peace," said Maksim Pryazhennikov, FEFU Deputy Vice President for Youth Policy.

The students will continue building a multipolar world at the World Festival of Youth that will take place in Sochi from March 1 to March 7, 2024. Back in September, foreign students of FEFU and the volunteer group of the university suggested some conceptual ways to fill the regional program of the "Deystvui" festival. It is possible to join the main youth event until December 1, 2023. You can submit an application by clicking the link.

It should be noted that the International Student Unity Decade is an initiative of Anastasia Atlasova, 4th year student at the School of Economics and Management, FEFU. In 2024 the project won the “Unite” category within the “Rosmolodezh” All-Russia competition of youth projects. The event is also supported by the Department of Youth Affairs of the Primorsky Territory. The organizer of the event is the Association of Russian and Foreign Students of FEFU.

More than 3,500 foreign students from 89 countries study at FEFU through various forms of education. The university pays a lot of attention to the adaptation of representatives from different countries to living in Russia, and the festival, dedicated to the Decade of International Student Unity, promotes strengthening friendship between nations and forming positive relationships among young people.