On July 20, Penza State University hosted a ceremony of awarding diplomas of higher education to international students from China, Iraq, Vietnam, Turkmenistan, who took the study field “Linguistics. Theory and Practice of Intercultural Communication” (bachelor’s degree) and “Philology. Russian as a foreign language (master's degree). 35% of graduates received diplomas with honours.

The event was attended by guests of honor: Prof. Dr. Gleb Sintsov, Vice-Rector for International Affairs, Dr. Sergey Ivanchin, Head of the International Education Office, Dr. Aleksandr Pervushkin, Head of the Department of Academic Affairs.

The ceremony opened with the international student anthem "Gaudeamus". Prof. Dr. Gleb Sintsov, Vice-Rector for International Affairs, Director of the Institute of International Cooperation, addressed the graduates with a welcoming speech and wished the students success in their future lives and professional activities.

Dr. Olga Barabash, Acting Head of the Department "Russian as a Foreign Language",  in her speech to the graduates noted: “A diploma is a document that not only confirms your bachelor’s or master’s qualifications and a high level of Russian language proficiency, but also a document that indicates that you know how to set a goal and boldly go towards it, getting the result. And we hope that all the knowledge and experience that you have acquired while studying at the university will help you reach new heights!”.

The teachers of the Department of Russian as a foreign language also made wishes to the graduates and said their parting words.