This year the international Summer School ‘Trip to Finno-Ugria: Language and Verbal Culture of Udmurt People’ celebrates its 20th anniversary. Both old and new participants were planning to join this year’s school. However, the COVID outbreak called for some adjustment, and the school switched to online mode of delivery. The school was working for 2 weeks from July 20 to 31 and was attended by 13 students from 8 countries: Finland, Hungary, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, the USA and Russia. All participants were really enthusiastic about the course. Even the big time difference could not discourage them, as was the case of an American student who had to join classes either early in the morning or late at night.
The program featured lectures on the Udmurt culture, intensive language classes with the use of various technologies. During 5 classes a day the students were involved in online games, producing presentations in Udmurt language on famous people, places of interest, national cuisines etc.. They also had a chance to discuss the current issues of the Udmurt language with T. Ishmatova - the President of the “Udmurt Kenesh” All-Udmurt Association.
At the end, the 2020 School participants suggested organizing the online Winter School – the idea which is strongly supported by UdSU. Everybody expressed the intention to meet in Izhevsk offline next summer.
