Л.Ю. Галкина Higher education in Russia (Высшее образование в России)

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I. Read these international words. Guess their meanings. Remember: they often have several possible translations.

Form, contact, official, firm, international, guarantee, federal, fund, industry, role, organization, activity, rouble, region.

II. State what parts of speech they are. Translate.

Add – addition – additional, maintain – maintenance, collaboration – collaborator – collaborate, guarantee – guarantor, relation – relationship – relate – relative – relatively

–relativity, govern – governor – government – governmental – governable – governing

–governance, federal – federate – federation – federative, organization – organize – organizer – organized – disorganize – disorganization, act – active – activity.

III. Read the passage below.

The University maintains close relations with industry and research institutes, and develops different forms of international collaboration. It has contacts and official agreements with a number of firms and universities abroad: in the USA, Germany, England, China, Canada, Sweden, Mongolia, and other countries. The Department of International Relations is responsible for foreign post-graduates who study at the University.

The KuzSTU is a public institution and has a guaranteed backing by the federal government. The University is also free to obtain additional funding from other sources, for example from industry. The Board of Trustees that plays a remarkable role in the life of the University was established in 1994. Many leading enterprises and organizations of Kuzbass take part in its activity. Tuition is mostly free of charge but for those studying on a contractual basis the average cost of a year is around 21,000 roubles.

Over the decades the graduates of the University have successfully worked in different regions of this country and abroad.

IV. Ask your classmates these questions.

1.Whom does the University maintain close relations with?

2.Does it develop any forms of international collaboration?

3.Is the KuzSTU a public or private institution?

4.What sources does it obtain funding from?

5.When was the Board of Trustees established? What’s its role?

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6. What’s the average cost of a year for those studying on a contractual basis?

REVISION EXERCISES

I. Say these in English.

Поступать в вуз, абитуриент, сдать вступительные экзамены успешно, первокурсник, старший преподаватель, доцент, ректор, декан, преподаватель, лекция, лектор, учиться в университете, посещать занятия, семинар, аудитория, лаборатория, оборудование, брать книги в библиотеке, научная работа, учёная степень /звание, аспирант, вести занятия, учебный корпус, диплом с отличием, бакалавр /магистр, присуждать степень /диплом, расписание, учебный план, научный руководитель, учиться на контрактной основе, бесплатное обучение, плата за обучение, получать стипендию, художественная самодеятельность, «Клуб весёлых и находчивых», фестиваль «Студенческая весна».

II. Pick out Americanisms from the list below.

Teaching staff, term, advisor, program, centre, faculty, instructor, timetable, the student body, programme, teacher, higher schools, semester, thesis, enrolment, dissertation, supervisor, honor, schedule, higher educational establishments, centre.

III. Can you say the same things using different words?

Enrolment, faculty, the humanities, diploma, discipline, higher school, famous, highlyskilled, branch, modern, semester, a monthly allowance, establish, financial support, baccalaureate, offer, get, to do research, acquire experience, attainment, major, to be composed of, to leave the university, comprise, vary, entire, today, purpose, involve, teacher, allow, at present, help, in length, backing, construct, common.

IV. What are the opposites of these?

To enter university, to fail in an exam, to be busy, pay no attention to, unknown, оut-of- date, full-time, a system of highly specialized higher education, to lose, applicant, private, federal, low interest loans, entrance exams, to start, similar, slow, theory, amateur, reject.

V. Crossword

Answer the clues.

Across: 1.University teacher of the highest grade. 2. Building in which lodging is provided for students. 3. Head of the faculty. 4. Course of study in an educational establishment. 5. Plan of what is to be done. 6. A testing of knowledge. 7. Room or building for a collection of books kept there for reading. 8. Investigation undertaken in order to discover new facts. 9. Essay submitted for an academic degree.

Down: 1. To be unsuccessful. 2. A sum of money lent. 3. Person who applies for admission to any higher educational establishment. 4. One of several divisions of a university. 5. Class session for discussion problems with a teacher. 6. Total number of

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students in an educational establishment. 7. Each of the two divisions of an academic year.

																			3
1				1								2					2
							4					5		3	6
		4												5
									7
									6
	7											8
															9

VI. Fill in the missing prepositions wherever possible.

Entry … an institution of higher learning; to enter … the University; according … the analysis; to be proud … one’s institute; to depend … the type of the course; to study … institute; to care … students; to fail … an examination; … the past few years; an exam … physics; to carry … scientific research; to defend a graduation paper … a public debate; to be responsible … academic affairs; to consist … two periods; to award … a diploma; to call … short; to be composed … faculties; to train specialists … different subject areas; to apply … the University; to pick … information; to last … 5 years; to continue … the Candidate’s degree; an applicant … admission … any higher school; to be engaged … a research project; to be busy … scientific work; to take tests … the end of a term; … the campus; … reasonable cost; free … charge; to take … account; to have guaranteed backing … the federal government; to study … a contractual basis; programmes … economics, mining, etc; to write a dissertation … one’s findings, to vary … duration; to divide an academic year … terms; … order to get a diploma; … request … industrial enterprises, to have … one’s disposal

VII. Ask other students these questions.

1.Where do you study?

2.What faculty do you study at?

3.Are you a full-timer?

4.What year student are you?

5.Do you study on a contractual basis?

6.Studying on a contractual basis is too expensive for the majority of young people in Russia, isn’t it?

7.Do you live in a hostel or at home?

8.How much time does it take you to get to the University?

9.Why have you decided to apply to this University?

10. Have you applied to any other higher school?

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11.What branch of science are you most interested in and what do you want to specialize in?

12.Do you consider your subject important for the economy of Kuzbass/this country?

13.Do you read much around your subject?

14.How many subjects do you take?

15.What subjects are you taught?

16.What subject is a great favourite of yours?

17.How are you getting on at the University?

18.Do you expect to get a degree or a diploma?

19.What will you be after graduating?

20.Would you like to take a post-graduate course?

21.What work do you want to do after graduating?

VIII. Work with a partner. Find out

-his/her name

-when and where s/he was born

-where s/he lives

-the number of her/his telephone

-if s/he is married or single

-when s/he gets up

-how much time it takes him/her to get to the University

-how many classes s/he has got every day

-how long the classes last

-how many and what disciplines s/he is taught

-if all subjects are compulsory

-how many and what exams s/he is to take at the end of the term

-if his/her parents were at this University

-what entrance exams s/he passed to enter the University

-which specialities were the most popular with the applicants

-in how many years s/he will graduate from the University

IX. Ask whether your group-mate

-likes to study at the University or not

-thinks that knowing foreign languages is useful, why

-knows any English or American journals on his/her field of study

-takes part in social activity and what s/he does

-gets monthly allowances

-often skips (сбегает с) lectures and classes

-goes in for sports

-has a PC (personal computer)

-often works in the Computer Centre

-specializes in arts or science subjects

-wants to get a well-paid job after leaving the University

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X. Which of these would you prefer? Why?

-studying at a state or at a private higher school

-to be awarded a Master’s degree or a diploma

-to teach or to work at a plant after graduating from the university

-to live in a hostel or at home

-to study far from your home or in your native place

-enjoying disco-dancing or reading

-to take a postgraduate course or to start earning money straight away after completing the general course

XI. Ask your partner to give true answers to your questions. Find out if s/he

-went out last night

-is staying at home this evening

-has already had lunch

-has got a dictionary

-is wearing glasses

-is on duty today

-is ready for the lesson

-always tells the truth

-gives up his/her seat to the old

-does well at the University

-dreams of being an outstanding figure

XII. Now interview your partner using When did you last …? and How often do you …?

-go away for the weekend

-go out for a drink or meal

-go to the theatre, cinema or a concert

-go out for a walk, a run or a swim

-go to a party, a club or a disco

-visit friends or relatives

-take your exams, tests

-have your hair cut

-watch TV

-skip a lecture

XIII. Use the information from the passages as the basis for a role-play. Take it in turns to play the parts.

•You are introduced to some school leavers applying to the KuzSTU. Tell them about the University’s facilities for study/research/rest. Be ready to answer their questions.

•A foreign student is interested in how students are trained in Russian higher educational establishments. Think of some questions s/he could ask and answers to be given. Make up a dialogue.

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• Imagine foreign students coming to your university. Make a list of questions to ask.

Run through the summary quickly to refresh the main points of the previous passages.

The Kuzbass State Technical University, KuzSTU for short, is one of the major institutions of higher learning and research centres in West Siberia. It was founded in 1950 as the Mining Institute. In 1993 it assumed a title of a technical university.

The University is composed of 9 faculties with numerous courses within them. Fifty three departments train specialists in 34 subject areas of technical and engineering science. The University has its branches in 6 other towns of Kuzbass.

Currently, the University employs over 700 teaching staff members. More than half of them have academic degrees and honorary titles. Today, the KuzSTU has a total enrolment of 11,120 students. The number of full-time students is 6 890. The head of the University is the rector. Pro-rectors are responsible for academic affairs, research, external relations, commercial-contact and managerial affairs. The heads of the faculties are deans.

Nowadays, the University is made up of eight buildings that offer students modern laboratory and library facilities, the latest in computer technology and equipment. It comprises the mineralogical and geological museum, and the museum of its history.

The University housing includes 3 nine-storeyed hostels with 2-4 student bedrooms. There is also a hostel for married students, a students’ hospital and a refectory. The University has a skiing lodge, a shooting gallery, a chess club, an amateur theatre, 5 gymnasiums, numerous sports grounds and athletic fields.

Students are trained intensively to be fully-fledged specialists. Professional programmes in mining, economics, chemistry, business, etc. are balanced with a solid core curriculum of the humanities and social sciences. Today, the University offers 12 four-year baccalaureate programmes, 2 five-year Master’s degree programmes and diploma programmes in 34 technical and engineering fields. It awards Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. Teachers, post-graduates and talented students do research.

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The University maintains close relations with industrial enterprises and research institutes. It also develops different forms of international collaboration. The KuzSTU is a public institution and is funded directly by the state. Over the decades the graduates of the University have successfully worked in different regions of this country and abroad.

XIV. Summarize the main points of the previous passages about the University orally using the following diagram.

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Составитель

Людмила Юрьевна Галкина

HIGHER EDUCATION IN RUSSIA

(ВЫСШЕЕ ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ В РОССИИ)

Методические указания для студентов первого курса всех специальностей

Редактор Е.Л. Наркевич

Подписано в печать 21.11.02 Формат 60×84/16. Бумага офсетная. Отпечатано на ризографе.

Уч.-изд. л. 2,3. Тираж 100 экз. Заказ . ГУ КузГТУ.

650026, Кемерово, ул. Весенняя, 28. Типография ГУ КузГТУ.

650099, Кемерово, ул. Д. Бедного, 4а.