Russian Studies at Macquarie
Macquarie University offers a very flexible program in Russian Studies. Courses including language, culture and cinema, taught by highly qualified native Russian speakers, can be taken for degree or non-degree purposes, on campus or through Distant Education at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Students from other Schools at Macquarie University, and most other universities in Australia, may have Russian units credited towards their degrees.
The aim of Russian study is to develop proficiency in the Russian language and to provide an understanding of Russian society and culture. Up-to-date language teaching methodology and technology are used and there is a strong emphasis on communication skills.
Why should you learn Russian?
Here are just a few of the many reasons:
- Russian has been identified as one of the most important languages of broader national interest to Australia.
- Russian is one of the most commonly spoken languages in the world and has long served as a means of international communication between nations of the Russian Federation, as well as the countries of the former Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It is also the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages.
- Russian is one of the official languages of the United Nations.
- Russia is one of the world’s boom economies and has opened up the huge Russian market to foreign investment.
- Russia has been a great political power in previous centuries and will continue to loom large in world politics.
- More than a quarter of the world's scientific literature is published in Russian since Russia is one of the largest contributors to research and development in the world.
- With knowledge of Russian, you are not dependent on translations and can, therefore, have direct access to many well-known literature masterpieces giving you greater insight into the spirit of the original work.
- Knowledge of Russian broadens your intellectual and professional horizons and enhances opportunities in the job market.
Image panel (from left): Peter the Great. The Kremlin Senate (Source: http://president.kremlin.ru/eng/articles/atributesEng09.shtml, Author: The Presidential Press and Information Office), Virgin Komi Forests, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Russia. Church of the Life-giving Trinity, Moscow.