The delegation of the faculty of foreign languages (represented by the deputy dean for educational work Irina Filimonova, 5th year student Dovlet Geldimyradov and fourth-year student Alexandra Kashirina) took part in the 36th National Congress of French People's Aid held in Bordeaux from 24 to 26 November. Dovlet Geldimyradov and Alexander Kashirin told:
A couple of months ago we could not think about the fact that we would find ourselves in the country of our beloved language, France. There was no limit to our happiness when we learned that our dream could soon become a reality. We spent the first days in the wonderful Arras, where we were warmly met by the staff and volunteers of the Federation of French People's Aid of the Department of the Pas-de-Calais. During that time we managed to adapt to the foreign language environment. On November 24 an enthusiastic delegation of the Center of Information Resources of the French language and Culture was ready to participate in the National Congress in Bordeaux. We felt the excitement at the sight of thousands of participants ... After meeting with other delegates our anxiety disappeared. “Building solidarity throughout the whole Europe” is the theme of the Congress. It was a great honor to represent the actions and events that have taken place at our home faculty, at the university, exchange experiences and offer our ideas. On this trip we saw Paris for the first time. The night Paris! This picture is indescribable: there are lights and lights everywhere... The city just glows at night! The visit to the masterpiece of Gothic art Notre-Dame de Paris was unforgettable. The organ music, stained glass, ringing bells, statues ... It's not without reason that tourists from all over the world come here to touch the greatness of French history and culture. Upon our return to Arras, we continued our acquaintance with the city, which became the birthplace of Maximilian Robespierre, Vidocq; the city in which Jeanne d'Arc, captured by the English, spent two months. One of the days we took to visit the University of d'Artois with its huge media library, the funds of which we were able to use to prepare our research works. And the surprises did not end there. When boarding an airplane on the Paris-Minsk route, we saw that we would travel with the great French actor Gerard Depardieu. We are glad that we took advantage of the wonderful opportunity to participate in such a large-scale event, to become more familiar with the culture of France, to apply in practice the knowledge and competencies received in the classroom.