School of Romance Languages
Our History
While the School of Romance Languages is one of BSUFL's newest, its heritage is rich and spans more than 75 years. It was established on 1 January 2018, bringing together the former School of French and School of Spanish, and incorporating the existing Department of Italian.
Our story began in 1944 with the creation of a French language division at the Gorky Pedagogical Institute. This was followed in 1948 by the foundation of a French language department at what would become the Minsk State Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages – an institution that evolved into a standalone School of French in 1961.
A Spanish language division opened within that School in 1962, and just four years later, it too became an independent School of Spanish.
The unified School of Romance Languages was launched under its first Dean, Valentin Antonovich Pavlovsky, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor.
Today, the School is headed by Elena Anatolyevna Kuchugurnaya, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor.
The School Today
The School of Romance Languages currently comprises four departments:
- Department of Spanish Phonetics and Grammar (Head: Natalia V. Leshchenko, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor);
- Department of French Phonetics and Grammar (Head: Elena A. Gapanovich, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor);
- Department of Theory and Practice of Spanish and French (Head: Anna M. Dudina, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor);
- Department of Italian (Head: Elena V. Chesnokova, PhD in Philology, Associate Professor).
The School's around 70 highly qualified specialists – including professors, associate professors, senior lecturers, and lecturers in linguistics, foreign literature, rhetoric, and foreign language teaching methodology – provides education for over 400 undergraduate students. Our staff also teach Spanish, French, and Italian as second foreign languages across BSUFL's Schools of Translation, Intercultural Communication, and English.
The departments are actively engaged in research on topics such as: “Constancy and Variation of French Language Units in Modern Discursive Practices”, “Linguo-Pragmatic Characteristics of Language Units in Various Discourse Types”, and “Reflection of National Character in the Italian Linguistic Worldview”. The School's research is presented annually at international conferences and published in academic and methodology journals.
Student Life
Life beyond lectures at the School is vibrant and diverse. The University and the School offer a wealth of opportunities to get involved in creative societies, student organisations, projects, and events.
The School has established several long-standing traditions, including professionally-focused events such as the Phonetics Contest (an international competition since 2023), the International French Language Olympiad, and linguistic and literary quizzes. Students can engage in research through academic societies and participate in international and university-level conferences and competitions.
There are ample ways to showcase your talents. The School hosts successful vocal, theatre, and dance groups. We also run two language conversation clubs (French and Spanish) and a Venezuelan dance workshop. Annual Spanish, French, and Italian Language Weeks give students the chance to express themselves and deepen their understanding of the associated cultures. Our students are active participants in events organised in collaboration with Latin American embassies, such as Venezuelan Culture Days, the Latin American Festival, lectures, and cultural evenings. The University provides excellent sports facilities and opportunities, including sports days, hiking, and orienteering. Proactive students can join the School's Student Council to contribute to existing projects or propose and lead their own initiatives.
Career Prospects.
Our graduates are highly sought after and enjoy excellent career prospects. They work in:
- Educational institutions;
- Major logistics and IT companies;
- Embassies, including those of Cuba and Venezuela;
- The tourism industry, and many other sectors.
Why Choose the School of Romance Languages?
Because we offer:
- Expert tuition in some of the world's most widely spoken languages;
- Extensive opportunities to realise your research and creative potential;
- An outstanding launchpad for a successful career.
