Department of Japanese Studies Hosts Online Seminar on Student Research

On January 15, 2026, as part of a series of joint online seminars with Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, students from the Asian and African Studies program at the Institute of Asian and African Studies (Department of Japanese Studies) discussed their academic interests and current research topics with students from Japan.

Participants of the seminar

Photo courtesy of O. Klimova

During the conversation, seminar participants shared stories about why they began studying Japanese and Russian and why they chose their particular research topics. It turned out that Russian and Japanese students have much in common.

 

In addition to discussing literature and talking about how difficult it can sometimes be to understand texts in a foreign language—and how fascinating it is simultaneously to discover another culture through the lens of academic works and literary pieces—a very intriguing topic was also raised: the use of artificial intelligence, along with the positive and negative aspects of its application in research.

 

At the end of the seminar, students shared their impressions, noting that sessions of this format greatly help to improve language proficiency, overcome the language barrier, and conquer the fear of not being understood. "This practice significantly helps to develop everyday conversational skills, respond quickly to situations, and reflect on interesting topics in a simple yet engaging way," emphasized the seminar participants.