International Students Celebrate Their Countries at TUSUR EthnoExpo
On December 16, TUSUR University has held the 2024 EthnoExpo where international students from 20 countries of Africa and Asia gathered to celebrate traditions of their homelands.
“Today’s event has become a nice annual tradition. TUSUR students come from 40 countries, we are a truly diverse, colorful and tight family”, said Vice Rector for Academic and International Affairs Pavel Senchenko in his welcome address. “Today we also welcome guests from other universities. As a coordinator of the Education Export project in Tomsk, TUSUR is happy to create this opportunity for the academic community to experience the colors and talents of different cultures from all over the world who choose Tomsk as their study destination.”
Head of the TUSUR Division of International Cooperation Maria Afanasyeva says that more than 20 booths at the Expo offered a window to different countries, including the CIS countries, Cameroon, Algeria, Zimbabwe, Cote-d’Ivoire, Togo and Madagascar (created by the only Malagasy in Tomsk).
Everyone visiting the Pakistan booth by Postgraduate student Saira could get a mehndi, a henna tattoo. Saira arrived to TUSUR in 2023.
After the opening ceremony, Mongolian students performed a song in their native language.
“I am from Mongolia, at TUSUR I am studying for a degree in engineering”, said Munkbat Nyamdavaa who arrived from the Mongolian city of Erdenet. “I enrolled in 2022, it was my first time visiting Russia. I liked it here, both the university and the city, I loved its old architecture. The weather is just like home: winters are very cold, and summers are very hot”.
Mamvota Takesure, a second year Master student from Zimbabwe, says that his first big impression upon arrival to Russia was snow, because until that time, he had only seen it in video.
“At this Expo, we want to represent our country because we understand that people have different preconceptions about it,” said Takesure. “We want to show just how beautiful it is, how cozy it is, what kind of people live there, and what attractions it has.”
At the Cote-d’Ivoire booth, visitors could try on traditional clothes, taste some of its spices, see African braid hairstyles, and get a gift of colorful woven bracelets that were created right there on the spot.
Each booth offered a variety of interactive experiences, each rewarded with “ethnocoins” that could be used to pay for alcohol-free cocktails at the bar.
The Expo closed with a gig by Sequala Band, a popular band created by African students from Tomsk universities, and a dance party.
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