Description of the Institute

The Institute of Foreign Languages is a dynamically developing, practice-oriented, science-driven educational structure of international scope. It provides its students and postgraduate students with fundamental academic knowledge in linguistics: translation and interpreting (including simultaneous one), translation studies and methods of teaching foreign languages, communication theory and international public relations, diplomacy, psychology, pedagogy, management.

The Institute has developed a system of double diploma programmes jointly with its partner universities including the universities of Great Britain, France, Spain. It also has ties with academic, research, diplomatic, business organizations of Australia, Austria, Argentina, Belgium, Bolivia, Great Britain, Venezuela, Germany, Spain, Italy, Canada, Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, USA, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uruguay, France, Czech Republic, Chile.

The classes at the Institute are as practice oriented as possible. Seminars are conducted in the form of case studies, business games, simulations. The Institute has modern material and technical infrastructure. Our teachers use audio library and video material pool in order to practice student listening and speaking skills. Students are taught to draft talking points of their speeches and deliver them in the form of presentation and hand-out. Professional skills are reinforced in practice in embassies, mass media, HR agencies, international companies.

The Institute hosts meetings with ambassadors, professional translators, deans of foreign universities, international journalists, etc. Our guests include ambassadors of Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Peru, Uruguay and Azerbaijan and diplomats of the embassies of Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Kazakhstan. Our students receive the delegations from the USA and Great Britain, Germany and Italy, France, Spain, Sweden, Netherlands at the Institute…

The Institute’s scientists do socially significant research including on the subject of African, Asian, Latin American, European countries, jointly with the students.

The area of expertise focuses on:

• pedagogy and psychology of linguistic personality formation;
• optimization of the process of teaching foreign languages;
• communication theory: cross-cultural communication, sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics;
• theory, methods and psychological bases of simultaneous interpreting;
• innovative information technologies, linguo-communicative methods and didactic technologies;
• diplomatic interaction in polycultural world;
• social pedagogy as social management (management of developing human resources of the society, innovative managerial activities).

The following postgraduate programmes are implemented at the Institute: 

• Linguistics and literature studies, specializations in Germanic languages (general and individual trends of Germanic languages’ development), Romance languages (historic features of development of Romance dialects), historical, typological and comparative linguistics (comparison and collation of languages in diachrony and synchrony);
• Education and pedagogical sciences, specializations in general pedagogy, history of pedagogy and education (pedagogic regulation of social relations of an individual and sociocultural environment), theory and methods of training and education (foreign languages) (cross-cultural communication; intralinguodidactics);
• “Psychological sciences”, specialization in general psychology (psychological communication problems).

Linguistics

The Institute’s linguists are specialists in linguistics, translation and translation studies, psychology, pedagogy and methods of teaching foreign languages. Our students learn at least 2 foreign languages. The interpersonal, cross-cultural competences in business communication, management, public and presentation speaking are formed during the training process.

The master’s programme in communication theory and international public relations of this field of study trains specialists in management, marketing, advertising and public relations. These specialists are qualified to master competences of a multi-discipline manager with the knowledge of at least two foreign languages and experience of a PR specialist in international sphere. Training in doing marketing research, analyzing both Russian and international advertising market lays the foundation for independent creative activities of an intended advertising specialist of the international level. Training under the master’s programme is within the framework of project work in a team.

The master’s programme in communication theory and simultaneous translation in the field of study “Linguistics” focuses on forming competences of a simultaneous interpreter of political and business meetings. The graduates provide skillful interlingual mediation, bridge conflict situations, lead workforce and conduct processes, creatively make different kinds of translations and translate scientific research. The Institute trains professionals who are ready to do managerial and organizational work in any sphere – from manufacturing to the diplomatic one.

Foreign Studies. European Studies — European region

Bachelors in regional studies are specialists in international relations, world and regional economy, bilateral and multilateral intercultural relations. The academic programme focuses on history, geography, culture, art, traditions, economy, politics, trade, European diplomacy and two foreign languages.

The science-driven master’s programme in the same field of study forms sustainable competences in international trade and economic, political and cultural areas. The programme in foreign languages focuses on the competences of professional political translation.

Psychologic and pedagogic education

Bachelor graduates are psychologists and managers with in-depth knowledge of a foreign language. The programme develops students’ skills in psychology, pedagogy, general and HR management.

The master’s programme in psychologic and pedagogic foundations of organizational and managerial activities allows to enhance managerial competences. The graduates lead workforce, work in HR departments, launch their own business, audit corporate values and offer expert solutions to increasing non-material employees’ motivation.

Academic staff

The Institute’s academic staff consists of leading specialists in linguistics, international relations, psychology, pedagogy, methods of teaching foreign languages and humanities and social sciences. It includes international experts: members of academies, corresponding members, professors. A lot of lecturers are members of professional associations, societies, expert groups and committees.

Representatives of the top world universities, large language schools, mass media and diplomatic missions deliver lectures, hold seminars, give master classes for the students, participate in conferences and round tables.