From March 20 to 24, 2023, UNECON hosted I Spring School for Hispanists held in partnership with SUAI and the Center for Spanish Language and Culture “Adelante”.
The School was organized for UNECON and SUAI students studying Spanish as part of their majors, and was aimed at encouraging research activities, strengthening scientific and educational cooperation between universities, increasing interest in Spanish language and culture of Spain and countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. More than 30 students of two universities, majoring in “International Relations”, “Linguistics”, “Foreign Studies” with A2-B1 level of Spanish, took part in the School.
The School opened on March 20 at the Boiling Point Center of SUAI. The conference was opened by the representatives of partner organizations: Areli Robles Herrera, senior lecturer of the SUAI Department of International Business, Fernando Carrera, Director and founder of Adelante Center, and Elizaveta Kutsubina, senior lecturer of the UNECON Chair of Romano-Germanic Philology and Translation. Victor Heifetz, Editor-in-Chief of “Latin America” magazine, and Tatiana Kolesnikova, Deputy Head of the SUAI Department of International Business, also greeted the guests. Aleksey Khovanov, Chairman of the Commission of Latin America Studies at Russian Geographical Society, honorary Consul of the Republic of Guatemala in Saint Petersburg, took an active part in the work of the School, welcomed the students and invited them to the Russian Geographical Society sessions.
On the following days, students could attend lectures on the Spanish language, art, history and literature, that were prepared by the representatives of partner organizations and were held at three venues (UNECON, SUAI, Adelante Center). At the end of the program students were given certificates in the Center for Spanish Language and Culture “Adelante”. The students, in turn, shared their impressions, thanked for the opportunity to join the School, and expressed their anticipation of attending School of Hispanists in 2024.
