About countries and science - in English

A joint project of JINR and local schools "English without borders" has launched in Dubna. From 6 November to 8 December, the staff members and interns of the JINR Member States, Associate Members and Partner States will meet with schoolchildren. The guests will tell the children about their homeland, its culture and their scientific interests. This is the first time that the programme is implemented. The initiative was the JINR Department of International Cooperation.

The goal of the project is to inform Dubna schoolchildren about the international nature of JINR's activities, the characteristics of its international staff, as well as the history and culture of its Member States, Associate Members and Partner States. Communicating with lecturers promotes the development of communication skills, cultural awareness and increases students' interest in English as an important tool for intercultural communication.

The speakers are young scientists and interns from India, Egypt, the Netherlands, Afghanistan, Serbia, Romania and Argentina. The project encompasses all educational institutions in the city, both public and private. Schools independently determine the participants. These are primarily students with knowledge of English or an interest in learning it. Participants range in age from 14 to 17. During the meetings, students have the opportunity to ask questions and participate in lively discussions. Organizers note that children are drawn to the opportunity to converse in English with interesting people. Such engagement will inspire students to further research and discovery, as well as will contribute to the revival of the spirit of international friendship historically typical for our unique city.

In photo: FLNR researcher Aniruddha Dey and students from grades 8 and 9 at the V.G.Kadyshevsky Lyceum.

Maria KARPOVA,
photo by Igor LAPENKO