Following an official invitation from the College of Languages to attend the Cultural Festival of the Department of the Russian Language, Asst. Prof. Dr. Ali Adnan Mashwash, Dean of the College of Languages, welcomed His Excellency the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Russia in Baghdad, Mr. Elbrus Kutrashev, and the embassy delegation in his office on the morning of Wednesday, April 24, 2024, after an absence of over twelve years. As part of his visit, his Excellency the Ambassador also had a classroom meeting with the Department of the Russian Language students, where he emphasized the importance of honing their language skills and urged them to pursue this goal.
Asst. Prof. Dr. Ali Adnan Mashwash gave a speech in which he detailed the department’s history, the current enrollment, the bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes, and the agreements concluded between the Russian and Iraqi sides, among other things, at the festival’s opening ceremony.
On the other hand, his Excellency, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Russia expressed the embassy’s willingness to expand collaboration opportunities with the College of Languages – Department of the Russian Language. The ambassador praised the Russian language instructors in the department for the vital work they undertake in the lives of their students. The department head, Asst. Prof. Dr. Hadeel Ismail, also gave a brief history of the department, including scholars such Hayat Sharara, Muhammad Yunus, Jalil Kamal al-Din, Dhia Nafi, and others who helped create it. She emphasized that the embassy provides summer courses to academics and students in compliance with the formal agreements and spoke about activating the agreements with the Russian side.
The ceremony also included various folkloric and popular activities presented by students and professors under the supervision of the department headship and the cultural committee. All attendees expressed their happiness at this international communication witnessed by the College of Languages. The festival concluded by taking souvenir photos.
Students and the college staff worked under the guidance of the department chairs and the cultural committee to perform various folkloric and popular acts as part of the celebration. The joy everybody felt at this cross-cultural exchange was palpable, as the College of Languages recorded. Taking pictures as souvenirs was the last activity of the event.
The College of Languages is proud to host His Excellency Mr. Elbrus Kutrashev, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Russia in Baghdad, and members of his delegation. The College of Languages highlights the importance of learning languages and supporting cultural activities by contributing to sustainable development goals. This aligns with the Principles of Goal 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals, which calls for collaborative efforts between academia, governments, and other sectors to achieve the goals. Upon closing the visit, the Russian Embassy was given a college memorial shield by the College of Languages Deanship.
