The Department of Russian Language and Intercultural Communication held a city Olympiad for international students "Country Studies of Russia". Students from several Irkutsk universities came to the International Faculty to demonstrate their knowledge of Russian culture, history and geography. The students had to show their knowledge of the state symbols of the Russian Federation, the most famous sights, traditions and holidays. The main part of the Olympiad concerned regional country studies.

The year 2024 is the Year of China in Russia, so Chinese students were invited to the Olympiad and were offered additional questions about Russian-Chinese cultural and historical ties.

When studying any foreign language it is important not only to have knowledge, but also to be able to tell about the country of the studied language, to ask for information, to use the language in real situations of communication, that is why students were offered communicative-situational tasks on the subject of the Olympiad.

These were the tasks that students liked the most, although such tasks are the most difficult. Here is what Luan Xinmin (a student of the BSU Preparatory Department) wrote about it: "In the Olympiad, the most difficult part for me is the storytelling. Although I live and study in Russia, but I think I still don't understand Russian well enough, I need to study a lot. The Olympiad is an interesting and important competition, especially for foreign students. It can help you learn more about Russia and speak Russian better. During the Olympiad the participants watched bright videos about the sights of Russia, the uniqueness of Lake Baikal, the beauty of Siberia and the originality of Irkutsk.

And here is what Natalia Petrova, a jury member, a teacher from IRNITU, wrote about the Olympiad: "Today our students took part in the Olympiad on country studies for the first time. We are delighted with the organization of the event. Fascinating interactive tasks, simple and clear evaluation criteria, and the most friendly reception. We will definitely come back to you next year!"

And one more feedback from the jury: "The Olympiad was held at a high level. The material was qualitatively and professionally selected. Each stage was carefully developed. Interesting and diverse tasks were presented. Not only country knowledge was taken into account, but also such criteria as expressiveness, literacy, oratorical skills. The practical orientation of the tasks was thought over. Excellent organization allowed the contest to be held at a good pace. The friendly manner of the presenters, contact with the audience - all this created a favorable atmosphere".

• 1st place Luan Xinming, BSU
• 2nd place Yu Panlong, BSU
• 3rd place Li Hao, BSU
• 3rd place Wang Jiake, ISMU

• 1st place Yang Jingfan, BSU
• 1st place Wang Rongbo, BSU
• 2nd place Ma Xuxin, IRNITU
• 3rd place Tan Yali, BSU