News in Press-centre

The Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) hosted the 5th annual festival of Indian culture, AVIRA. The traditional event, organized by the Indian Students Association (ISA) and the International Students Division of FEFU's International Activities Department, brought together more than 500 people who are passionate about Indian culture.

The guests of the AVIRA Festival 2024 were welcomed by more than 30 dance and vocal performances to charming Indian melodies. Significantly, not only students of FEFU from India were among the organizers and participants of the event - various countries and continents were well-represented at the festival, with delegates eager to express their love for Indian traditional and contemporary culture. Officials from the Consulate General of the Republic of India in Vladivostok were the guests of honor at the event.

“It is a great pleasure for me to be on the campus of Far Eastern Federal University at such an ambient event as the AVIRA Festival. It is heartening that FEFU, the Association of Indian Students and our Consulate continue to develop Russian-Indian relations. With the establishment of the Indian Consulate in Vladivostok in 1992, the Far Eastern Federal University has played a pivotal role in facilitating interaction and collaboration between our countries. I want to highlight that India opted for FEFU not solely for academic and professional excellence, but also as a venue for cross-cultural engagement with other countries,” said Siddarth Gowrav, Consul General of the Republic of India in Vladivostok.

“Far Eastern Federal University is proud to serve as a hub for communication among students from 76 different countries who come here for their higher education. This in turn creates opportunities for students to gain real competencies in international relations, regional studies, and translation - we not only accept students from all over the world, but also engage in dialogue with the countries from which they come, sign partnership agreements, amounting to 230 in total, over 160 of which are educational institutions in the Asia-Pacific region, additionally, we facilitate internships and academic exchange programs,” said Andrei Deryabin, FEFU Deputy Vice-President for International Relations.

Our Indian students impress with their energy and skills, showcased during the AVIRA Festival. There is no surprise that they attract representatives from various countries - this year FEFU students from Russia, Latin America and other parts of the world also participated in organizing and conducting the event. The unique multicultural environment at the university allows for the organization of fabulous international events, many of which have become traditional and the most prominent events in the region. This academic year, we have already celebrated Chinese New Year on a large scale, and held festivals showcasing the cultures of Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Korea, as well as events focusing on the French and Spanish languages. Right now, there is a Japanese cultural festival going on, and in a week, we will be celebrating Africa Day. These events represent friendship, unity, appreciation for both our own and different cultures, and the sense of being a meeting point of various cultures and nations across the globe," - added Ulyana Sosnova, Head of the International Students Division of FEFU's International Activities Department.

It is worth mentioning that studying India and its languages at the Far Eastern Federal University began in 1993. Currently, the university is the only place in Siberia and the Far East where Indology is taught and studied. FEFU has also become a hub of scientific, educational, and cultural ties between the two countries. The university's representative office successfully operates in the Indian city of Noida, and cooperation is evolving in educating individuals to excel in high-tech fields like IT, robotics, oil and gas, medical and other industries. Students of the FEFU Oriental Institute learn Hindi within the framework of the educational program “Linguistic Support of Interstate Relations”, on a regular basis they go to the leading universities of India for language internships or to proceed with their master’s level education.