Second Higher Oriental Studies. Institute of Oriental Countries. Student reviews. Cost of education. Moscow State Linguistic University

In connection with the strengthening of the economic position of the countries of the Far East and the revision by Russia of its political guidelines, the labor market is steadily increasing the demand for specialists with knowledge of oriental languages. Let's try to answer the question of where and how oriental languages ​​are studied in Moscow universities.

If the applicant has firmly decided not only to learn an oriental language at one of the universities in Moscow, but also to acquire a deep knowledge of the culture of the country of the language being studied, then it is best to give preference to the specialty "Oriental and African Studies". You can get this specialty only in five metropolitan universities:

the name of the institution Faculty Passing score in 2014 Number of budget places Tuition fee (rubles per year)
National Research University Higher School of Economics World economy and world politics 274 50 330 000
Institute of Asian and African countries 341* 71 325 000
University of the Foreign languages 227-235 20 150 000
Institute of Oriental Cultures and Antiquity 219 15 170 000 - 190 000
- // - History, political science and law 219 10 170 000 - 190 000
State Academic University for the Humanities under the Russian Academy of Sciences Philosophies - No 160 000

*in four subjects

Prestigious: National Research University Higher School of Economics

The HSE Department of Oriental Studies, which since the current academic year has been separated from the Faculty of Philosophy and became part of the Faculty of Economics and World Politics, was opened in 2009. What makes this department particularly interesting is that it not only teaches fundamentally Oriental languages ​​and cultures, but also introduces students to the methods and ways of working in the countries of the East. Largely due to the business orientation of the department, he managed to overtake the Mecca of Orientalists of past years - the Institute of Asian and African Countries of Moscow State University in terms of passing score and cost of education.

Meanwhile, such a young department cannot boast of a rich selection of languages ​​offered for study. The four most popular areas are actively developed here: Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Arabic. The compulsory program includes the study of one oriental language, however, from the second year (subject to good academic performance) as an elective, you can also begin to learn a second oriental language. Whether it is possible to master two oriental languages ​​in just 4 years of study is up to the student to decide.

Fundamental: Lomonosov Moscow State University M.V. Lomonosov

An applicant who boasts good language skills, excellent USE results, deep knowledge of history (an additional entrance exam is conducted at the faculty) and an unshakable desire to become an excellent orientalist should first of all try to enter the Institute of Asian and African countries of Moscow State University. Here, ordinary schoolchildren are made into specialists who not only have a perfect command of the oriental language, but also understand the literature, history, culture, politics and economy of the country of the language being studied.

And, of course, not a single university in Moscow can compete with ISAA in the number of Oriental languages ​​offered for study. So, at the philological department of the faculty, eight departments are currently conducting educational activities:

  • Arabic philology (Arabic and its dialects);
  • Japanese Philology (Japanese);
  • Chinese Philology (Chinese);
  • Iranian philology (Persian, Dari, Pashto and Tajik languages, as well as (optionally) Armenian and Georgian languages);
  • Indian Philology (Hindi, Urdu and Tamil);
  • Turkic philology (Turkish, Turkmen and Uzbek languages);
  • philology of Southeast Asian countries, Korea and Mongolia (Vietnamese, Korean, Indonesian, Malaysian, Filipino, Mongolian, Burmese, Khmer and Lao-Thai languages);
  • Western European Languages ​​(specializes in teaching a second foreign language).

Entering the Institute of Asian and African Countries is no easier than entering other faculties of Moscow State University, it is very difficult to study (especially if the applicant plans to study an oriental language from scratch). But after four years of sleepless nights and cramming khuruf with hieroglyphs, the graduate will receive an invaluable store of knowledge, a coveted diploma and a flurry of interesting offers from employers. By the way, you can also study Oriental languages ​​at this university in Moscow on a contract basis: in 2014, the faculty allocated 41 contract places. However, as usual at Moscow State University, this will not be cheap: the cost of education in the 2014/15 academic year was 325,000 rubles.

Available: Moscow City Pedagogical University

Moscow State Pedagogical University is one of the most democratic universities in Moscow where you can study oriental languages. So, in order to enroll in the budget in 2014 in the specialty "Oriental and African Studies" (profile "Languages ​​and Literature of Asian and African Countries - Chinese"), the applicant needed to score only 227 points in the Unified State Examination. And in the profile "Japanese" - 235 points. For each direction, 10 budget and 10 extra-budgetary places are allocated.

Note that the profile "Translation and Translation Studies" (with the qualification of a linguist) is slightly more popular at this university in Moscow. The passing score for the Chinese language department in 2014 was 247 points, and for the Japanese language department - 246 points. For each of the departments, 5 students are accepted for state-funded places and 10 for non-budgetary ones. However, the cost of studying on a paid basis at the Institute of Foreign Languages ​​at the Moscow State Pedagogical University is only 150,000 rubles a year, so even the above points are not so critical.

Despite the fact that the departments of Chinese and Japanese at the Moscow City Pedagogical University were opened only in 2006, they managed to establish international cooperation and organize free internships for students in the country of the language being studied. This is especially true of the Department of Chinese, with which more than 20 students annually go to China for a year or a semester. In addition, native speakers work at the university.

For students studying Oriental languages ​​at this university in Moscow, it is also obligatory to study English as a second foreign language. In addition, there is an opportunity to study another European language on a paid basis. Of the significant shortcomings for non-resident students, it can be noted that there is no hostel at the Moscow State Pedagogical University.

Unstable: Russian State University for the Humanities

At the RSUH, you can master the specialty "Oriental and African Studies" at two faculties at once: at the Institute of Oriental Cultures and Antiquity, as well as at the Faculty of History, Political Science and Law of the Historical and Archival Institute of the RSUH. At the same time, both departments of the university have significantly lost their positions this year. If in 2013 for admission to the specified specialty it was necessary to score 257 points for three results of the Unified State Examination, then in 2014 - only 219.

The Department of the Modern East of the Faculty of History, Political Science and Law implements a curriculum in five areas: Arabic Studies, Sinology, Iranian Studies, Turkology and Japanese Studies. However, the main languages ​​for teaching are only Arabic and Chinese. At the same time, teaching Chinese at the Russian State University for the Humanities will cost 190,000 rubles a year, which is 20,000 more expensive than with specialization in other Oriental languages.

There are three departments at the Institute of Oriental Cultures and Antiquity where Oriental languages ​​are taught:

  • Department of History and Philology of the Ancient East (Arabic and Persian languages);
  • Department of History and Philology of South and Central Asia (Sanskrit, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, Tamil, Mongolian, Tibetan, Turkish and Kazakh languages);
  • Department of History and Philology of the Far East (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Lao-Thai languages).

However, it should be borne in mind that in conditions when only 15 state-funded places are allocated at the faculty for the specialty "Oriental and African Studies", in reality it will be almost impossible to choose, for example, Tibetan as a first language. And the possibility of specialization in the "History and Philology of Thailand and Laos" is provided only on a contractual basis. In other words, if an applicant certainly wants to study a rare oriental language, then the only university in Moscow that is ready to guarantee such an opportunity is the Institute of Asian and African Countries of Moscow State University.

Miniature: State Academic University for the Humanities under the Russian Academy of Sciences

Despite the fact that GAUGN is the only university in Russia that was founded on the basis of the Russian Academy of Sciences, its popularity is not so high. There are very few state-funded places at the university (and there are none at all for the specialty "Oriental and African Studies"), there is no hostel, educational buildings are located in different parts of Moscow and, as a result, there are few students at the university, and most of them have very modest USE results. So, in 2014, only 5 students were enrolled in the GAUGN for the specialty "Oriental and African Studies", four of whom have USE results below 200.

The most significant drawback of teaching oriental languages ​​in this university in Moscow is that no one here specializes in languages. Orientalists are trained here at the Department of Philosophical and Political Thought of the East, which has a very, very indirect relationship to philology.

The second option to study oriental languages ​​in Moscow universities is to study as a philologist, linguist, translator or teacher. This opportunity is provided by a number of metropolitan educational institutions. Of those universities that were not described above, it is worth highlighting:

Moscow State Linguistic University

At the Department of Oriental Languages ​​of the Faculty of Translation of Moscow State Linguistic University, you can learn Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Turkish, Persian and Korean. Under the direction "Translation and translation studies" in this university in Moscow, 110 state-funded places have been allocated (for all languages, including European ones). The passing score in 2014 was 237 points, training is conducted only on a budget. Interestingly, this educational institution accepts the results of the USE not only in the usual English, German and French languages, but also in Spanish.

Naturally, in a language university with such a rich history and good reputation, one should count on deep and comprehensive language teaching. The department cooperates with many educational institutions in Turkey, Japan, China, Korea and some Arab countries, so excellent students are sometimes sent for free internships. The term of study at the faculty is 5 years (specialist qualification).

Moscow Pedagogical State University

At the Faculty of Philology of the Moscow State Pedagogical University, one can get a pedagogical education with two profiles at once - Russian and a foreign (Chinese) language. In other words, a graduate of this department will be able to teach Russian and Chinese. In 2014, 20 state-funded places were allocated for this specialty at the university, and the passing score was 228 points. The cost of training on a commercial basis is only 115,000 rubles per year. The duration of study, despite the fact that the graduate is awarded a bachelor's degree, is 5 years.

Peoples' Friendship University of Russia

At the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Oriental languages ​​can be studied only in the programs of additional professional education (Arabic, Chinese and Persian), as well as in the master's program as a second foreign language (Chinese only).

Some non-state universities in Moscow also specialize in teaching Oriental languages, for example:

This commercial linguistic university in Moscow allows students to learn the most popular oriental languages: Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Indonesian, Arabic, Turkish, Hindi and Farsi. In addition, English is required as a second foreign language. And although the cost of studying at the Institute of Oriental Studies is quite high for a non-state university - in 2014 at the full-time department it was 174,000 rubles for 2 semesters (duration of study is 4 years) - the quality of education deserves it. The fact is that the university operates on the basis of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. And graduates are awarded a diploma with the assignment of a very prestigious specialty "Linguist".

The rather high USE score of students who entered the Institute of Oriental Studies in 2014 speaks of the demand for the educational institution: for many, it is above 200, and the score of some students would allow them to study oriental languages ​​in pedagogical universities in Moscow or the Russian State Humanitarian University on a budgetary basis. In 2015, the Institute plans to enroll 23 students in the first year of the Faculty of Linguistics.

International Independent Environmental and Political University

This non-state university in Moscow is implementing a joint Russian-Chinese program with the Qingdao University of Technology and Science. After successfully completing the program, which takes 5 years, graduates are awarded a Chinese international bachelor's degree. At the same time, the first year of study takes place in Russia, and the next four - in China.

Students have the opportunity to choose one of three specialties:

  • international management (management and economics);
  • international law (jurisprudence);
  • environmental protection (ecology and nature management).

The cost of education is 150,000 rubles per year in Russia and 79,700 rubles per year in China. Enrollment is based on test results (USE results are not required).

Veronica Gebrial

candidate of sociological sciences

For Moscow, St. Petersburg, and in general for the European part of Russia, perhaps, Oriental languages ​​are not so relevant. But the farther beyond the Urals, the higher their significance, and the more people who study or wish to study oriental languages. Moreover, in order to learn Chinese, Japanese and other oriental languages, it is not at all necessary to go to Moscow. Oriental faculties and institutes of oriental studies are available in various parts of Russia. And the availability of modern means of telecommunications and the Internet allows you to immerse yourself in the language environment with equal success, regardless of where you live.

Kazan

Kazan (Privolzhsky) Federal University

KRASNOYARSK

Siberian Federal University

MOSCOW

Department of Oriental Languages, Russian State University for the Humanities

Department of Japanese, Korean, Indonesian and Mongolian languages, MGIMO (Moscow)

Faculty of Oriental Studies, Moscow State Pedagogical University (vostokoved.net)

NAKHODKA

Linguistic Center "Lisa" (Nakhodka) (www.lisaperevod.com) - Non-state educational institution
Translations and foreign language courses: English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, German language, French language, Japanese

PETERSBURG

Saint Petersburg State University
Oriental Faculty (www.orient.pu.ru)

(www.orientalinstitute.ru/) At the end of 1994, the Oriental Faculty separated from the Higher Humanitarian Courses (VGK) and was registered as an independent educational institution - the Oriental Institute. The main founders of the institute were the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) named after A.I. Peter the Great of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Adult Education of the Russian Academy of Education.

RGPU them. A.I. Herzen - Linguistic Center

Hello, dear readers - seekers of knowledge and truth!

Orientalist - there is something exotic, unusual in this word. In the conditions of constant time pressure, continuous rush, one wants to touch the world where everything is measured, unhurried and there is always an hour or two for a tea ceremony or afternoon rest.

But it's not enough to be an anime and sushi fan, accept the deep philosophy of Confucius, and dream of working somewhere on a Thai island studying the culture. The profession of an orientalist is fraught with much more, it requires great effort, many years of study, devotion to one's vocation and great love for the East.

Today's article will tell you about all the intricacies of the specialty: what orientalists do, where they are taught, what real professionals should know and what key qualities they should have, whether this profession is in demand at all, and most importantly, whether it is worth mastering.

Students of the Oriental Faculty of St. Petersburg State University

This article will be useful to young people who are facing a difficult life choice - the choice of a profession, adults, accomplished individuals, in a good sense, "sick" Eastern countries, as well as just curious researchers of the world. So...

What does an orientalist do?

An orientalist is a person who knows everything about the East or its individual countries. This is a professional generalist who understands the whole complex of scientific disciplines regarding Asian and African countries.

This includes:

  • story;
  • cultural studies;
  • economy;
  • jurisprudence;
  • geography;
  • policy;
  • literature;
  • linguistics;
  • art;
  • philosophy;
  • religion;
  • material and spiritual heritage;
  • cultural phenomena;
  • holidays, customs and traditions;
  • literary works;
  • folklore;
  • household items, etc.

With all the wide range of sciences, the orientalist is a narrow specialist. He usually studies a specific country or region, such as China, Japan, Vietnam, the countries of Indochina or Southeast Asia. African studies are sometimes distinguished separately from Oriental studies.


Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich (09/27/1874-12/13/1947). Russian artist, orientalist, traveler, writer, mystic philosopher, public figure, academician.

In this regard, orientalists who study specific countries, peoples or languages ​​can be called more highly specialized.

Here are just some of the sciences they do:

  • Vietnamese studies;
  • buddhology;
  • Sanskritology;
  • Korean studies;
  • Malay studies;
  • Kalmyk studies;
  • sinology, it is also sinology;
  • Turkology.

It would seem that for so many years of studying the cultures of other countries by science, everything has already been discovered, told and proven. But this is by no means the case - every year, oriental scholars explore the cultural heritage of Asia and find something new, becoming pioneers. This is confirmed by a huge number of recent scientific papers, studies, monographs, dissertations, concepts, and scientific views.

Specialists are not just studying the theoretical foundations, they are immersed in the history and traditions of countries, get to know their people, do a lot of practical work, not without visiting the country under study. To fully understand what kind of profession is an orientalist, it takes them more than one year of continuous practice.

You can study the East only by seeing it from the inside. It is very different from the Western world, which is so globalized, set up for income, power and other attributes of a successful life.

Despite the fact that Asian countries have advanced far in terms of modern technologies, technology, industry, and in some industries they are even ahead of the rest, there remains a strong connection with ancestors, traditions, and culture of the past. And orientalists, realizing this, study what is so important to the eastern peoples.


Nicholas Roerich and Yuri Roerich during the Manchurian expedition, 1934

At the same time, their work is not limited to research institutes, translations, and teaching. Good specialists are also needed in the field of trade, business, when it comes to international relations.

It would seem, how are business and knowledge of culture related? In the East they are very connected! Knowing their traditions helps build relationships. For example, if we give a business card to Chinese, Korean or Japanese partners with one hand, they will be offended - in their homeland it is customary to give important documents and gifts with both hands as a sign of respect. Knowing this, you can make friends in the person of an Asian.

What qualities does he have?

Despite the narrowness of the specialty, an orientalist must be a versatile person and have a broad outlook.

First of all, he must know at least two foreign languages: English and the language of the country he is studying. Moreover, knowledge should not be limited to the literary language, grammar rules, these rules should be applied in practice, be able to understand native speakers and speak colloquially. This is complicated by the fact that Eastern languages ​​have much less in common with Russian than European languages.

The specialist must know the history, law, culture, religion, literature, art, customs, features of the country under study, the current economic, social, political situation. It is important to be able to generalize this information, work with documents for the archive, write scientific papers and articles for periodicals.

The necessary personal qualities include a good memory, emotional stability, patience, willingness to study long and hard. When choosing the profession of an orientalist, you need to understand that you won’t have to wait for quick results - a lot depends on the person himself, his cognitive abilities, desire and love for the East.


Yuri Nikolaevich Roerich (16.08.1902-21.05.1960). Russian orientalist, linguist, art critic, ethnographer, traveler, language specialist and. Doctor of Philology, Professor, Director of the Urusvati Himalayan Research Institute, Head. Department of Philosophy and History of Religion of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.

At the same time, the abilities that a professional should have depend on the specifics of the job. If this is a researcher, translator, editor, then accuracy, perseverance, and attentiveness are required from him. If this is an employee of the trade or entrepreneurial sphere, then his communication skills will be important.

Where to get an education?

Before you firmly decide to become an Orientalist, you need to learn one of the Oriental languages ​​​​at a basic level and prepare for the fact that studying will take a lot of time. Since the specialty is quite complex, it is mainly assumed that full-time education is assumed: 4 years of undergraduate and 2 years of master's degree, during which a foreign internship is usually planned.

To date, more than 30 Russian universities give the opportunity to become an orientalist. The largest of them include:

  • Moscow State University, Institute of Asian and African countries;
  • MGIMO;
  • National Research University Higher School of Economics, Department of Oriental Studies;
  • RSUH;
  • RUDN;
  • MSLU;
  • St. Petersburg State University;
  • Far Eastern Federal University;
  • Siberian Federal University.

A more detailed description of faculties, specialties, information on the availability of budgetary and paid places, the selection committee can be found on the official websites of educational institutions.


Institute of Asian and African countries, Lomonosov Moscow State University M.V. Lomonosov

Even after receiving education, a specialist needs to constantly improve his skills, attend courses, lectures, seminars, read professional literature, and go to practice abroad.

Where to find a job?

Surrounding people often scare with “horror stories” that orientalists are not in demand anywhere, and this is more like an occupation for the soul. Maybe there is some truth in this - finding a job for newly minted graduates and future professionals can be difficult. But this is only because it is not easy for young professionals without work experience in any field to get a good position.

In the profession of an orientalist, as in many other specialties, much depends on the person himself, his aspirations, desires, experience, ambitions. But here there is a clear advantage over other university graduates against the backdrop of Russia's ever-increasing rapprochement with Asian states, globalization, the strengthening of mutually beneficial trade, social and economic relations, and the development of tourism.


Meeting and Russian scientists in Dharamsala, India

Orientalists can realize themselves in completely different areas:

  • research institutes, educational institutions;
  • publishing houses, libraries, magazines, newspapers and other media;
  • translations, editing;
  • domestic, foreign and international organizations - as consultants, translators, specialists in foreign economic activity;
  • public service.


Evgeny Yanovich Satanovsky (born June 15, 1959). Russian scientist, orientalist, economist, professor

Is it worth becoming an orientalist?

If you are still asking this question, then it is definitely worth it. And it does not matter how old you are, what level of education, gender, marital status, civil position. If you are head over heels in love with Eastern culture, then why not give it a try?

Of course, first you need to weigh everything - after all, even the wise men of the East have always avoided hasty decisions. And like any profession, it has its pros and cons.

The unequivocal pluses are interest, the possibility of traveling, internships in foreign companies, mastering several foreign languages, communicating with representatives of another culture, a fairly large number of budget places in universities upon admission, the originality of the profession.

The disadvantages include possible problems with initial employment and low salaries at the initial stage.


If such difficulties do not frighten you, you should become the very discoverer who studies the still unknown world of the East.

Conclusion

The history of Russian oriental studies includes dozens and even hundreds of famous scientists of world renown who have been engaged in the study of oriental culture throughout their lives and have written many works. In subsequent articles, we will introduce you to some of the most famous of them. Follow the news of our blog - subscribe to new fresh articles.

Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! May the life path you have chosen bring joy and novelty of discoveries. Share the article on social networks if you liked it, and we will search for the truth together.

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