Scholars from 55 countries take part in the XV MAPRYAL Congress

Philologists, teachers and researchers of the Russian language, methodologists and literary scholars will take part in the anniversary XV Congress of the International Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature «Russian language and literature in a changing world», which will be held by MAPRYAL in partnership with St. Petersburg State University from September 13 to 15, 2023.

Held once every five years since 1969, the MAPRYAL congress remains the largest international event in the field of scientific description, teaching and popularization of the Russian language in the world: over 500 delegates from 55 states join the congress this year. The geographical coverage of the congress embraces the countries of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Western and Eastern Europe, Latin America, as well as the regions of the post-Soviet space. Some countries will be represented by the leaders of national associations of teachers of Russian language and literature, traditionally participating in MAPRYAL congresses (Vietnam, India, China, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, etc.). At the same time, new delegates who show interest in Russian studies are expected from Brazil, Qatar, Colombia, Nicaragua, Peru, Sri Lanka and Ecuador.

The content agenda of the upcoming event covers all the main areas of modern Russian studies, from the system-structural description of the modern Russian language and issues of sociolinguistics to the methodological aspects of teaching the Russian language, translation studies, literary criticism, juridical linguistics, media linguistics.

At the plenary session on the first day of the congress reports will be delivered by prominent scientists and public figures: Rector of St. Petersburg State University, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor Nikolai Kropachev, Director of the Institute for Cognitive Studies of St. Petersburg State University, Professor Tatiana Chernigovskaya, President of the Chinese Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature, Vice-Rector of Peking University, Professor Ning Qi, member of the International Committee for the founding of the European Institute for Immersion Education in Barcelona, head of projects for teaching Russian in Europe and the USA, Professor Anatoly Berdichevsky, Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages and Applied Linguistics of the University of National and World Economy (Sofia, Bulgaria) Antonia Pencheva, President of the Leo Tolstoy Institute (Bogota, Colombia) Rubén Dario Flórez Arcila.

Prominent Russian writer, leading research fellow of the Department of Old Russian Literature of the Institute of Russian Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences Evgeny Vodolazkin participates in the congress as the guest of honor.

Within the framework of the Congress panel sessions on 13 scientific areas will be held, as well as exhibitions of educational literature. Key considerations of the functioning of the Russian language will be under debate at 4 round table discussions: «Digital lockdown outcomes: how has it changed the practice of teaching Russian?»; «Problems of linguistic analysis of legally significant texts»; «Civil position of a literary hero. Peculiarities of perception and interpretation in the modern audience»; «Teaching content: how do we respond to the social demand».

At the closing ceremony of the congress scientific reports of two more representatives of national schools of Russian studies will be heard: the president of the Indian Association of Teachers of Russian Language and Literature, Professor Debal Dasgupta and the head of the Russian language department of the Faculty of Science and Technology of Education of Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar, Professor Manétou Ndiaye.

The events of the XV Congress of MAPRYAL will be held at the landmark venues for St. Petersburg, including the atrium of the General Staff building of the State Hermitage Museum, the Duma Hall of the Tauride Palace, the Pushkin House, and the historical buildings of the first higher educational institution in Russia, St. Petersburg State University, which celebrates its 300th anniversary next year.

The Congress is held by MAPRYAL and St. Petersburg State University with the support of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, the Russkiy Mir Foundation, the State Hermitage and the Interparliamentary Assembly of Member Nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States (IPA CIS).