Days of Europe in Murmansk, Day three

On May, 30th in the ‘Park Inn Poliarnie Zori’ hotel the presentational conference ‘Journey around the EU Countries: Such Close and Faraway Countries of Europe’ took place. The event was held within the framework of the project ‘Establishing the EU Centre in the Barents Region of Russia’. Fifteen students from MSTU, MSHU, IIBE told members of the jury and organizers of the conference about Greece, the Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Poland, Bulgaria, France, Finland, the Netherlands, Ireland and other member states of the European Union. Participants tried to cover the most relevant and interesting issues of history, culture, political and economic life of the presented countries, and made their performances exciting, memorable and colorful.

Maya Nikolaevna Cechurina, dean of the Faculty of World Economics and International Relations of MSTU opened the conference. Maya Nikolaevna mentioned that such events help young people to learn more about the closest neighbours of Russia and our European partners, and wished good luck to the participants.
Students’ presentations included bright photographs, video, music, national costumes and dishes of European cuisine. The audience saw hot Spanish beaches, ancient castles and quiet streets of the Mediterranean, green hills of Ireland and much more. Everyone remembered the national Irish costume and the original Greek chiton. Members of the jury were the luckiest as they tried the Greek dessert and ate ‘Kinder Surprise’ chocolate eggs (which apparently are produced in Italy).
Furthermore, members of the jury took their job seriously and addressed many tricky questions to the participants. Members of the jury were familiar with the European culture: Evgeniy Berg, Head of the ‘Total Exploration and Development’ company in Murmansk, Larisa Vagina leader of the regional public organization ‘Twin Cities: Murmansk - Groningen’, Anna Pasik, deputy director of NEIFE ‘Logos’, Kristina Brevnova deputy director of the head of the Department of International Cooperation of MSTU. According to them, it was very difficult to determine three winners, as each presentation was unique and interesting. At the end of the meeting the results were distributed as follows: 1 prize – Uspenskaya Daria, 4th year student of the Faculty of IE and IR of MSTU (Ireland); 2nd prize – Sidorina Natalia, 3rd year student of the Faculty of IE and IR of MSTU (Denmark); 3rd prize – Khokhlov Alexander, 2nd year student of the Faculty of Law of
IIBE (Finland).
The winners received certificates for a free course of any European language from the NEIFE ‘Logos’. Moreover, the jury picked three more participants, who received additional prizes for their unusual and memorable performances: Zhuk Yulia (4th year student of the Faculty of IE and IR of MSTU, Greece). Kirichenko Yulia (4th year student of the Faculty of History and Social Sciences of MSTU, France), Zimina Marina (2nd year student of the Faculty of Law of IIBE, Sweden).
Employees of the International Department of MSTU in charge of the event introduce their gratitude too all the participants and members of the jury for successful conference and hope to repeat it next year within the framework of the ‘EU Days’.