CARDIFF University academics will travel to Moscow next month to begin a historic partnership with the world famous Russian State University.
A group of history lecturers will make the trip on March 21 hoping to forge a lasting connection that could see students make a similar trip in years to come.
As part of the deal, Russian lecturers would return to Cardiff later this year to speak to students and learn about British culture.
Dr James Ryan, lecturer in Russian history at Cardiff University, and the organiser of the partnership, said: “We hope this will be the start of the growth of Russian studies at the university.”
The aim is to give students and academics in both countries a chance to experience a foreign culture and to learn each other’s history.
This marks the first time that Cardiff University has made a formal link with a Russian institution, with the funding being made available by the Erasmus project.
Erasmus is primarily a student exchange project between EU countries but has now expanded to include staff and countries from beyond the EU.
The Global Opportunities office at Cardiff University has also been “engaged every step of the way.”
“We’ve had a lot of help from some great people to get this off the ground. I hope to see this grow over the next few years so we can take students over to Russia. It’s a great chance to increase Russian studies at the university and to foster a good relationship with the State University,” Dr Ryan said.
The link could also expand into other areas, as Russia approaches an important landmark.
“Next year marks the 100th anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution and I have already been in talks about some kind of civic reception on behalf of the city,” Dr Ryan said.
As well as giving students and lecturers a chance to share academic knowledge, the staff will also have a chance to explore Moscow.
