“The University makes students citizens of the world”, - Anita Dhar, graduate of RUDN University

Tell us about the beginning of your journey to university life. Why did you choose RUDN?

My dad is a graduate of RUDN from Bangladesh. Therefore, since childhood my life has been associated with the university, I attended various events related to the Bengali culture, which were held at RUDN. It can be said that I learnt the spirit of friendship of peoples from an early age. And when there was a question about choosing a university, there was no doubt that I would go to RUDN.

The scientific base of your work is very impressive - 17 scientific publications in three languages ​​- Russian, English and Chinese. Why did you start doing science?

I really enjoyed studying, learning more about my specialty. My supervisor, Tatiana Ivanovna Ponka, pushed me to write articles. As a result, I liked this, and I decided to delve into science.

I have a rather rare topic to study in Russian science - the South Asian region and the Chinese factor in South Asia. This also gives a certain incentive - it is necessary to develop this area in Russia.

What an unusual topic ... How did you get interested?

I have always been interested in the culture of my father's homeland. Bangladesh is part of South Asia, and its culture is somewhat united. Of course, these are different countries, but they have a common history and a similar culture. And therefore, as a bearer of Bengali culture, I am close to the culture of Nepal, India, Pakistan and other countries of South Asia. These studies have personal value directly, which increases interest in science.

Why Chinese factor?

Today, China’s role in the international arena is rapidly increasing, South Asia is no exception. In addition, I studied Chinese at RUDN, which, along with the suggestion of my supervisor, predetermined my scientific interest.

Is it easy for you to learn languages? Chinese is not the easiest language to learn ...

Basically, language learning is easy for me. The complexity of Chinese is that there is no alphabet - everything is built on the system of hieroglyphs, and the language is based on tonalities. Therefore, it is important to have a musical ear here, since, if you make a mistake in tone, you simply may not be understood. Also, when there is not enough practice of the Chinese language, you begin to automatically think in Russian. And this is the biggest problem - thinking in Russian prevents you from conveying the meaning correctly. Despite the fact that I went to China three times, I also sometimes encounter this problem. But our teachers and Chinese fellow students are always ready to help.

All 12 semesters you have been an “A” student. Can you dispel the myth that an excellent student is necessarily some kind of a scribbler who crams non-stop and has no other interests?

My university life is really complex, a kaleidoscope of events in scientific, social and cultural activities. Indeed, studying took quite a lot of time. But when you mix it with other things, life becomes exciting. There was no such thing as boredom - university life around me was always boiling, I wanted to keep up with everything. As the saying goes: the best rest is a change of activity.

What are your plans for the next 5 years?

I plan to continue to explore the world, to help the university develop and grow with it. Now, many opportunities are open at the RUDN University, including in graduate school, so it is very promising for a scientist to work at the university.

I would very much like to work in an international company. A couple of years ago, I won a scholarship to participate in the BRICS summer school and went to China. There I attended the official opening ceremony of the new BRICS development bank. This event sparked my ambition to make an international career. There I talked to UN representatives, and I wanted to work with them.

What ideas would you like to implement with the help of the UN?

With like-minded people and colleagues, we launched the Voices of Bangla project for the development of the rights of rural residents of Bangladesh. It unites children from different countries with Bengali roots who are not indifferent to the fate of their people.

What kind of project is it?

Work includes different directions. My main task is to carry out the functions of a kind of ambassador of culture of Bangladesh, to disseminate and popularize it in various ways. Another area is education in rural areas. My colleague organized a school for children who, due to material or status reasons, do not have the opportunity to go to school.

How did RUDN help you in practice?

RUDN makes the citizens of the world - a rather popular term in the UN, as well as promotes tolerant attitude towards other people. We are free to choose who to communicate with. We are not affected by the fact that a person has a different skin color or nationality. At RUDN, we will always find a common language, even if there is a language barrier between us. Therefore, it is easy for me to find a common language with different people in a multinational environment. It helped me during internships and training, and it keeps helping me now.

3 words associated with RUDN?

Diversity, tolerance, friendship.

Interviewed by Sofia Krylova