Dr. Angelica Browne's Intercultural Virtual Exchange with Students in Moscow

Virtual Exchange with Students in Moscow

• Students enrolled in WLC 310 and WLC 101-103 will have the oppurtunitiy to meet virtually with students from National University of Science and Technlogy (MISiS), Moscow. 
• Throughout the academic quarter, students will:
  • Identify similarities and differences in the lifestyles, cultural practices, beliefs and values of Cal Poly and MISiS students.
  • Compare the insights about the cultures of Russia that you have gained in our courses with the new perspectives presented by your Russian peers. 
  • Collaborate on an international project (examples below). 
• For more questions, please contact Dr. Angelica Browne: anbrowne@calpoly.edu

Cal Poly Student Testimony

"Keegan and I learned so many interesting facts, both about Victoria and Ekaterina, and about life in Russia. We learned that baseball and surfing are not popular in Russia (two sports that Keegan and I both did growing up), but figure skating is very popular (a sport that neither Keegan nor myself did). We learned that during the COVID-19 pandemic, schools only closed for one month in Russia, and people only had to wear masks for a couple months. I found out that students have the option to do 9 years of school and then go to college, or 11 years and then go to a university. Finally, my favorite fact that I learned is that most Russian families only have one child, and that women get three years of paid maternity leave. These are just a few of my takeaways from this amazing project!"

-- Isabella, Winter 2023

 

"The virtual exchange with Artem and Maria was an experience I found to be so unique from other class projects. Cal Poly’s motto is “Learn By Doing,” yet unfortunately many of my classes have not followed this statement and I have been stuck in a traditional classroom setting. However, the act of dissecting and learning about a culture that is foreign to me, coupled with a hands-on project of meeting international students my age, sparks my curiosity and progresses my newfound knowledge of Russian culture." 

--Shelby, Winter 2023 

 

"My major takeaway is that each individual you read about in history is a human being! We discuss war, politics, and history as if foreigners are another species. We speak of groups as “empires” who “conquered” one another, and we address other nations as “enemies” to ourselves. Speaking with Ksenya and Masha was so simple and ordinary, and I came to realize very quickly that we have more in common than we will ever have apart. My assumptions of Russian culture are largely derived from the Cold War. When I think of a Russian, I think of a no-nonsense, stoic figure. To my surprise, however, Ksenya and Masha were quite expressive and had great senses of humor. They joked about sleeping through class, told us the themes of their college parties, and opened up about their attitudes towards alcohol. Our conversations were structured as we did the podcast but felt natural and genuine nonetheless."

-- by Austin

 

"For some reason, I always thought of Russia as being slightly cut off from the world and kind of isolated. Because of this, I was very surprised when I learned about all the international travel they had both done. They both said they enjoy traveling a lot and their favorite places that they have visited are in Spain, Italy, and the UK."

-- Johnathon

Example Collaborative Work

 

Representation of Pre-Interaction (i.e. before Cal Poly students met with Russian students)

Representation of Post-Interaction (blending of identities, after they got to know each other and collaborated with each other)