Learn, learn, learn!

Hello all! Moscow Global Navigators are online again to share what our students are learning now when the program is underway!

It would be an understatement to say that our global navigators have been busy lately - juggling classes, tours in Moscow and fun activities is not easy! As part of their program, the students are attanding seminars on diplomacy with the focus on US-Russia relations, survival Russian classes and participate in debate workshops.

Last Tuesday, the group had a session on the history of Moscow State Institute of International Affairs led by the director of Gorchakov Lyceum. During the session, our students learnt that the university was established tight after World War 2, when the global political context pushed Russia into starting to train people to be competent in handling issues of international importance. Amongst university alumini are those who are now working in the Russian government, at the Russian embassies across the world and teach at the most prestigious colleges. The Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs is only one of them!

Our global navigators share classrooms with the Lyceum high school students who has still not left campus for summer break. It provides our students with a great opportunity to fully immerse in the culture - all of them have a chance to talk to their Russian peers during smal group discussions, and while working on group projects. It is, indeed, a great opportunity to learn about different perspectives, especially when it come to diplomacy.

Later, he students had their first two Russian classes! The Lyceum teacher is facilitating the process and makes sure they acquire basic conversational skills to be able to navigate their ways through every day life situations. And they already do - being able to read and count money brings any shopping experience to a new level!

Friday had another exciting trip in store for them. Together with a group of Russian students, global navigators went to Moscow State Institute of International Affairs (MGIMO), where they attended a seminar on the history of US-Russia relations. During the 90-minute talk, the students learnt about major events that identify the dynamics between two countries. Together with the professor, they discussed controversial topics, for example, the beginning of "New Cold War" and speculated about future changes.

Our visit to MGIMO finished with a Debate Workshop, where the students practiced debating on significant and timely topics following the British Parlamentary style.