Expert in Asian and African Studies Undertakes an Internship in Cairo
Andrey Vovk, 4th-year student of the Bachelor's programme 'Asian and African Studies', undertook an internship on the Arabic language at the language centre 'Ahlan World' in Cairo. He studied the literary and spoken Arabic language as well as the peculiarities of the Egyptian dialect. Earlier, the student took part in the Summer School at the National University of Uzbekistan.
The internship at 'Ahlan World' lasted for 2,5 months. All international students attended three courses: classic Arabic in research, political and social contexts, spoken Arabic and Egyptian dialect of the Arabic language. According to Andrey Vovk, the third course was the most difficult: earlier, the student learnt literary Arabic and other dialects. But even there, the adaptation went easily, he was immediately assigned to a strong group. 'It was easy to overcome the language barrier. Firstly, all Egyptian professors more than once highlighted the high level of training which I gained at HSE University. Secondly, I felt a complete immersion in the city and university environment which allowed me to hone my knowledge', Andrey shares.
Apart from his studies, the student had an eventful cultural programme prepared for him: he visited mosques in Cairo, the Coptic Museum, the Great Library of Alexandria, the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, and many other significant places in Egypt. To understand the peculiarities of education in Arabic countries, Andrey also visited three large universities of the country: Cairo, Ain Shams and American Universities.
The internship in Egypt is Andrey’s second educational journey. After the second year, he attended the Summer School 'Uzbekistan—Land of Tolerance' held at the National University of Uzbekistan named after Mirzo Ulugbek, an HSE partner university. During the trip, the student immersed himself in the culture and history of Uzbekistan and got to know the Eastern traditions. 'Of course, Uzbekistan and Egypt are very different countries but the first trip helped me not to get into a hobble. I already understood the cultural code of both countries and knew how to behave with the locals', Andrey says.
Andrey Vovk, 4th-year student of the Bachelor's programme 'Asian and African Studies'
After the bachelor's degree, I want to apply for the master's programme in Asian and African Studies at HSE University-St Petersburg: I study the rivalry between China and the USA in the Middle East under the supervision of Evgeny Zelenev. I plan to continue my research—it is a very promising direction. Now, I am thinking about a career related to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. I want to visit the countries of the Middle East more often because they are of great interest to me. This is why such internships like in Egypt and Uzbekistan are especially useful for me: they encourage research and career development.
Nowadays, HSE University-St Petersburg has partnerships with two Arabic universities: Ajman University (the UAE) and the University of Nizwa (Oman). The agreement with the University of Nizwa was signed during the International Partners’ Days organised by HSE University-St Petersburg at the end of May 2024. Studying the Arabic language is available at both partner universities.