News in Press-centre

The Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) opened the first Far Eastern school for the literary translation, “Peredelkino+”. For a week - until September 27 - the School of Literary Editors, workshops for translating works about nature, as well as workshops on Japanese and German literature will operate on the FEFU campus for students and staff.

The Far Eastern School of Literary Translation is a project implemented within the framework of the grant from the Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation “Visiting Translation Schools Peredelkino+”. Its main executor is the Peredelkino House of Creativity, on the basis of which the most important initiatives for the country in the field of writing and literary translation are being implemented.

Leading Russian masters of literary translation from Moscow and St. Petersburg will take part in the first Far Eastern Literary Translation School “Peredelkino+”. Until September 27, experts will conduct a series of master classes at the Far Eastern Federal University on literary translation and literary editing. Invited expert practitioners within the framework of the project will also hold a series of open discussions on the problems of training translators and publishing translated works of art in Russia.

“We are launching several literary translation workshops - Japanese, German and, very importantly, a unique workshop on nature literature. We hope that the nature of the Far East will be able to be reflected in different languages, and its beauty will resonate in the hearts of not only students and university staff, but also potential readers - this is exactly the effect we are counting on when launching our project. Another unique format that will be implemented at FEFU is the school of literary editor. We hope that the transfer of knowledge from our professionals to the students of the school will help us unite in the common cause of literary translation technologies,” said Irina Alekseeva, director of the St. Petersburg Higher School of Translation, author of 18 books on translation theory and methodology.

It was no coincidence that the Far Eastern Federal University became the site of the first regional translation school. The successor to the first educational institution of the Far East - the Oriental Institute - the university has been developing translation activities since 1899. Linguistic support of Russian state policy and training of specialists in the field of international relations have been the main focus of Oriental Studies education in Vladivostok for more than 120 years. Today, thanks to the country's “turn to the East”, this role is only strengthening.

“Proximity to the Asia-Pacific region has allowed FEFU to form one of the strongest schools in Russia in the field of Oriental Studies. Today, the university acts as an instrument for strengthening interaction with the Asia-Pacific region, and in this process, linguistic support for the activities of our state and translation play an important role. Therefore, I believe that the place and time for holding the first interregional translation school was chosen correctly, because it was FEFU that became the cradle of training specialists in the field of translation in the Far East and acts as an outpost of Russian education in the Asia-Pacific region,” emphasized FEFU Vice President for International Relations Evgeny Vlasov.

According to him, among FEFU graduates and teachers there are well-known translators of scientific and fiction literature, as well as translators who take part in intergovernmental events. For example, graduates of the university’s Department of Korean Studies make a significant contribution to solving Russia’s foreign policy problems in the field of negotiations with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Thus, FEFU graduate Dmitry Chirkov provided translation support for the meeting of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu during his visit to the DPRK, and university graduate Olga Glotova acted as a translator for the head of the intergovernmental commission of the Russian Federation and the DPRK, Minister of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation Alexander Kozlov during his meetings with the supreme leader of the DPRK Kim Jong-un. Another university graduate, Ivan Yusov, acted as a translator for the FEFU President during the visit of the North Korean leader to the university campus.

Let us remind you that the Far Eastern Federal University is the center of modern Oriental Studies in Russia. The Oriental Institute - School of Regional and International Studies produces highly qualified specialists who are in demand in diplomatic, commercial and scientific structures. A developed network of contacts allows the university to constantly strengthen educational and scientific ties with partners from the Asia-Pacific countries. Joint international projects in these areas are being implemented within the framework of the “Eastern Vector” policy, the task of which is to create at FEFU a key center of competence in Oriental studies in Russia, as well as to promote the Russian scientific and business communities in the market of the Asia-Pacific region.