“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world”

— Ludwig Wittgenstein

“Modernity is a constant test of our ability to live with difference”

— Zygmunt Bauman

“Culture begins where the ability to understand another person appears”

— Yuri Lotman 

Tomsk State University is preparing to open Russian language testing centers in Tajikistan. This is not about "softening barriers," but rather a step toward a new model of migration policy, one that is more transparent, professional, and culturally grounded. The goal is to ensure that people coming to Russia are prepared: they speak the language, understand the laws, and share the general norms of public life. In this edition of his blog, TSU Rector Eduard Galazhinskiy discusses how the University is contributing to this work, the role of language in it, and how culture as a form of “soft power” becomes a tool of trust.

— Professor Galazhinskiy, you’ve mentioned in your blog before that language is an infrastructure of trust. Ludwig Wittgenstein once said that “the limits of language mean the limits of the world.” Why is language such an important issue today?

— Wittgenstein’s phrase captures a simple but profound idea: we can only see and understand what we are able to name. When a person comes to Russia, they enter not just a different country, but a completely different system of meanings. These may include unfamiliar rules of communication, legal norms, and social expectations. Without at least a reasonable level of language proficiency, the person simply doesn’t become part of the shared rules of life in the new country. And it’s not because they’re "not being heard," but because, without knowing the new language, they cannot express themselves using the appropriate concepts.

The testing centers we will be opening in Tajikistan will provide access to this “linguistic tool.” They will allow individuals to assess their level in advance, understand the requirements, and enter the Russian socio-cultural space in a way that is comfortable both for them and for the host country. In this sense, language is not a barrier, but a bridge. A bridge of trust, without which there can be no effective governance or cooperation. We’ve been working in this direction together with the Tomsk Oblast Administration for the second year in a row.

Fr om August 26 to 30, 2025, as part of a broader initiative to expand international educational cooperation, a Tomsk delegation led by Deputy Governor for Social Policy Svetlana Gruznykh visited the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Tajikistan. The delegation included representatives fr om TSU, TPU, and TSPU. The meeting was attended by First Deputy Minister Khomid Khoshimzoda. The two sides discussed prospects for cooperation in training highly qualified specialists, academic mobility, student and faculty exchange, joint scientific events, and the teaching of Russian as a foreign language using TSU’s online platform “Na Russkom.”

Source: https://tomsk.gov.ru/news/front/view?id=154751

The fact that we’re on the right path was also confirmed by the recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Tajikistan, during which he emphasized the importance of humanitarian cooperation between the two countries. particularly in the training of highly qualified professionals for Tajikistan and the implementation of a sound migration policy. 

Vladimir Putin (10.10.2025): “We will certainly continue to support the operation of Russian university branches here and will encourage young people fr om Tajikistan to pursue higher education in the Russian Federation. One of the largest quotas, if not the largest among CIS countries, has been allocated specifically for Tajikistan. It is well known by now that the study of the Russian language and Russian culture is given special importance in Tajikistan. And most importantly, the status of the Russian language is enshrined in law. That is crucial as it forms the basis for the further development of our intergovernmental relations.

As for migration: we understand what is happening with demographics in the Central Asian republics. Not long ago, just a few years back, the population here was barely over five million. Today, it’s more than ten. There is rapid demographic growth. Russia, of course, is interested in labor migration. But we are also interested in ensuring that this labor force is the kind we need. And, secondly, that people live in decent conditions, that they exist within the framework of the law. I always say this: they must be law-abiding citizens. And this, by the way, is closely linked to language.

Still, there are many problems, and Russian citizens point them out to us. Our priority must be to think first and foremost about the citizens of our country. In this context, it is crucial that representatives of the appropriate agencies — specifically, the ministries of internal affairs —work not only in Tajikistan but also that their Tajik counterparts work in Russia.”

Source: http://www.kremlin.ru/events/president/news/78186

All institutional matters related to the opening of Russian language testing centers are being addressed jointly with our colleagues in Tajikistan, with support fr om Rossotrudnichestvo and the Ministry of Labor of the Republic. For us, it is essential that all processes are manageable, clear, and transparent. What does this mean in practice? Unified rules and formats for testing, uniform requirements for examiners, and a clear pathway for candidates: how to register, how to prepare, wh ere to access results, and how to file an appeal. Plus accessibility — the ability to complete all necessary steps before traveling, fr om the comfort of one’s own home and in familiar surroundings. In this way, we eliminate unnecessary “uncertainty” from a person’s life before their first working day in Russia. And that is the shortest path to mutual respect and order.

— How will transparency be ensured in these testing centers so that candidates, the state, and employers all have equal confidence in the results?

— First, the exam process itself has been carefully designed. It will be conducted in the digital FLOW-ODIN environment, which records everything: from registration and document verification to the completion of the test. In the future, biometric data will also be incorporated. But even now, the technology rules out the possibility of one person taking the test on-site while someone else arrives in their place. Every action leaves a digital trail from start to finish: video recording, time-stamping, and automatic grading of assignments. If a dispute arises, the appeal process makes it possible to resolve the issue using factual data and not subjective impressions.

Second, the testing standards. The test includes three sections: Russian language, Russian history, and the fundamentals of Russian law. These are questions from the official list of requirements approved by the relevant federal agencies. TSU is one of several universities authorized to conduct the exam. This means we will all be operating within a single regulatory framework, while also adding our own academic quality control through corresponding assignments and procedures.

And finally, the culture of assessment. For the testing centers, we are training proctors and examiners according to university standards. This minimizes the "human factor" and ensures that the procedure is identical in Tomsk, Dushanbe, and Khujand. When execution rules are consistent, the candidate knows exactly what to expect and what they can count on.

In fact, when I first read Wittgenstein’s idea that “the meaning of a word is its use in the language,” I thought about how deeply applicable that is to life. Rules matter not in and of themselves, but because they create predictability. In essence, testing is also a kind of “language”, an institutional one. And when its “grammar” is transparent, trust becomes the norm rather than the exception.

— A common argument in public discourse is that foreign testing centers will lower the bar for exams, resulting in a less controlled flow of migrants. How would you respond to that concern?

— In reality, the opposite is true. Thanks to the new testing technologies, procedural standards, and assessment culture I just mentioned, we are actually raising the bar for both quality and oversight. The logic of “pre-arrival” language testing is standard in many countries that require government-approved language exams for visas and immigration. This isn’t about “easing” entry, it’s about guaranteed language verification at the point of origin.

We all understand that language is directly linked to how quickly a person integrates into work and education. According to European studies, migrants who already speak the host country’s language confidently show significantly higher rates of employment and labor market stability compared to recent arrivals with low proficiency. In other words, investing in verified language knowledge reduces risk for everyone: for the state, for employers, and for society as a whole.

This is proven international practice: pre-departure training reduces the number of failed pathways and accelerates adaptation. We are adopting this same management approach, but applying it to the Russian language, our standards, and our national context.

Russia already has a regulatory framework in place: for certain categories of foreign nationals, a comprehensive exam is mandatory, covering Russian language, Russian history, and fundamentals of law. It is a federal procedure, approved by the relevant agencies and regularly updated in terms of format. Our centers will simply make this process more accessible and verifiable in a digital environment. Candidates will know in advance exactly what to expect: which modules are included, how much time they will have, how scores are calculated, and what to do if they disagree with the outcome. This kind of predictability reduces anxiety, removes unnecessary barriers, and saves resources for both the candidate and the receiving institutions.

That said, given the public concern in Russia about the proper identification of foreign nationals arriving from other countries, this issue will also be addressed at the intergovernmental level between Russia and Tajikistan.

So, we can say that these centers are not a workaround or loophole, but rather a transparent filter and navigation system at the gateway to entry. Here, candidates undergo diagnostics, receive recommendations, prepare, and, if necessary, retake the test. As a result, the person who arrives at a Russian workplace or university classroom is not an unknown newcomer, but someone with a verified level and clearly defined competencies.

— How are pre-arrival language training and transparent testing procedures connected to the economic interests of the regions?

— The connection is direct. Today, Russia faces a labor shortage of approximately 4 to 4.5 million people. Estimates vary, but even the most conservative projections point to a shortage of millions of workers against the backdrop of historically low unemployment. In Tomsk Oblast alone, the official unemployment rate at the end of 2024 was just 0.53%. That’s an all-time low: throughout the previous year, the number of job vacancies was nearly three times higher than the number of registered unemployed. The most acute shortages are in construction, manufacturing, transport, housing and utilities, and agriculture, sectors most frequently flagged by federal sources.

But the regions don’t just need people. They need prepared people, those who speak Russian, understand safety protocols, legal norms, and the culture of labor. In an environment of ultra-low unemployment, the question is no longer “Where do we find someone?” but rather, “How do we reduce workplace integration risks?” downtime, accidents, communication breakdowns. In this context, language is not a formality, but a job-related competency. It shortens onboarding time, makes instructions and procedures truly functional and predictable for the employer.

When a person completes diagnostics and training before they arrive, at home, according to unified standards and in a verifiable digital environment, they don’t arrive as a “temporary fix” but as a partner in a shared process, with a defined level and a predictable trajectory on the job.

— How important is deeper immersion in the host country’s daily life for both sides?

— A person’s integration into the socio-cultural environment of the country wh ere they come to work or study usually begins not in the classroom or at the workplace, but in the “third spaces” of everyday life: on public transport, at a clinic, in a government service center, on a digital portal, at the checkout counter, or on a playground. That’s wh ere language reveals itself as a civic competency, the ability to read a sign and understand an announcement, to politely ask a stranger a question or make a request, to explain a situation to a staff member, or to follow an instruction. When these basic interactions happen without confusion, daily tension drops, and the grounds for mutual frustration disappear.

Language in everyday life is not a collection of “correct words” but a system of social agreements: polite phrases, accepted sequences of action, culturally appropriate ways to disagree or apologize. All of these are invisible rules that underpin shared living. The Russian context adds another layer: the culture of shared spaces, wh ere people fr om different backgrounds inevitably interact and must negotiate “on the fly.” Historically, Russia has emphasized inclusion over isolation: neighborhoods, mixed communities, shared classrooms, joint efforts. In such a configuration, language becomes a tool of mutual respect, it helps maintain appropriate boundaries wh ere needed and bring people together wh ere cooperation is required.

TSU recently launched a new platform called Na Russkom to help test foreign nationals planning to enter Russia for work or study. The platform doesn’t just “teach to the test”, it introduces users to the everyday life of the host community. Language diagnostics are integrated with practical scenarios: fr om a visit to the clinic or an inquiry at an information desk, to interacting with a professor or navigating urban services. Separate modules cover basic legal literacy and public etiquette.

The final assessment is built around real-life communicative tasks and is recorded in a secure digital environment, making the test not a barrier, but a readiness check for shared life under clear rules: the ability to understand, to be understood, and to act appropriately in typical social situations.

For the state, all of this is about governance and security: the clearer the everyday rules, the less uncertainty there is in critical situations, fr om workplace protocols to behavior in public spaces. For the university, it’s a matter of responsibility: we are teaching not just academic disciplines, but how to be present in society using the host community’s language. And for individuals, it’s a matter of dignity: to speak clearly, to be heard, and not to get lost in cultural nuance.

Integration, in this understanding, does not erase difference, it creates a framework in which difference does not become a source of mistrust or conflict.

— So it turns out that teaching Russian is no longer just education, it’s part of national policy?

— Absolutely. And this is exactly wh ere the university plays a professional role. Not to “step in for the state,” but to connect humanitarian meaning with administrative logic. Language is the environment in which the economy, urban services, industry, and science all operate. When we talk about migration or cooperation with neighboring countries, what matters is not only the number of programs, but the language — in the broadest sense — in which instructions, contracts, safety protocols, and scientific texts are presented.

The university sustains the quality of language, norms, and terminology, fr om school to laboratory to the production floor. At this point, language ceases to be just a “subject” and becomes the infrastructure of scientific and industrial cooperation, fr om workforce training to integrating people into teams and research projects.

— Looking at the level of public policy, in your view, wh ere are the boundaries between cultural diplomacy, educational programs, and actual language policy? And which institutions should define them?

— Any humanitarian practice, in a good sense, inevitably enters the realm of public policy. Language, culture, and education establish shared codes of behavior, thereby reducing the need for “manual” governance, institutions function steadily, and people understand roles and rules.

There is, by the way, a well-established global practice. In the 20th century, many countries developed long-term language and cultural networks — British Council, Goethe-Institut, Instituto Cervantes, Alliance Française, the Confucius Institute. This kind of day-to-day work over decades has formed a shared habit of speaking the same language, which helps explain the resilience of their results.

Russia’s own history offers a strong foundation for such cooperation. The periods when Russian became a “window” into science, technology, and culture were always tied to universities and libraries as carriers of high linguistic and intellectual standards. Domestic institutional models also exist and have a long history: for example, the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute grew out of Moscow State University departments into an independent center for Russian as a foreign language in the 1970s, based on academic exchange networks and long-term study programs.

It was there that the standards for teaching Russian as a foreign language were developed, along with methodical schools focused on academic registers, not just everyday conversation. This experience is not a museum artifact, it’s proof that stability is achieved at the intersection of culture, education, and scientific cooperation, wh ere language doesn’t replace content but provides access to it and establishes shared rules of dialogue.

The concept of “soft power”— the ability to achieve strategic goals through cultural appeal and norms rather than force — has long become the operational language of international relations. Fr om this perspective, language is not just a subject taught in school or university; it’s a carrier of values: mutual respect, reasoned dialogue, and academic integrity.

Cultural diplomacy, in turn, is seen as a distinct branch of state policy, carried out through long-term exchange programs and collaborative cultural-educational projects, not short-term campaigns.

Our centers in Tajikistan will operate precisely within this framework of long-term engagement. They will not be “checkpoints” wh ere people simply take a test, receive a document, and move on. They will be the beginning of a dialogue: preparation, assessment, and further educational pathways. This format allows us to translate sensitive topics into the language of clear procedures and gives people a straightforward way to act without guesswork or emotion.

— In your view, what helps a society remain stable while continuing to grow: similarity among people or their ability to coexist while remaining different?

— I’m most aligned here with the idea expressed by the well-known sociologist Zygmunt Bauman: “Modernity tests our ability to live with difference.” This means that contemporary society has ceased to be homogeneous, even within individual countries. All the more so in very large countries. Differences — cultural, linguistic, religious, lifestyle-related, ideological — can no longer be eliminated. We must learn to acknowledge them and to coexist with them.

And we’re not talking about tolerance as mere concession, but rather about understanding diversity as a source of economic, scientific, technological, cultural, educational, and creative innovation. Nothing new can emerge in a one-dimensional environment.

Every society periodically faces a key question: can it maintain its humanity when the world no longer fits within its familiar boundaries? At the same time, not all boundaries must be fluid, especially when it comes to a society’s core values. In this regard, Russia has historically been a space wh ere diverse cultures have met and continue to meet. But these different cultural identities are neither isolated nor dissolved. While preserving a stable core of foundational values, common rules of interaction are built through language, education, and culture.

It turns out that Bauman’s test of “living with difference” is, in essence, a test of a society’s maturity. And in that sense, the testing center project is a response to Bauman’s challenge: it creates an infrastructure in which “difference” is not a threat to stability but a resource for trust and development.

— Are there already examples of Russian employers becoming involved in this new model of training and testing?

— Yes, absolutely. One example is the agricultural holding Sibagro. The Tomsk regional authorities outlined a clear need: qualified operators for agricultural machinery. But simply “bringing people over” is not enough. It’s critical that they understand instructions, safety protocols, and work regulations.

In response to this request, we proposed a two-pronged model — language and professional. Recruitment will take place at our sites in Dushanbe and Khujand. Each candidate will first undergo a Russian language assessment and then study on the Na Russkom platform. Alongside language exercises, the platform includes practical scenarios: how to properly file a request, ask a clarifying question, report equipment malfunctions, and act in emergency situations. At the same time, candidates will receive professional training fr om our industry partners.

The final step is verification. After successfully passing both the language exam and the professional qualification test, the individual travels to Russia to take up a pre-approved job placement.

— You’ve mentioned the Na Russkom platform several times. Could you describe its purpose and structure, who it was designed for, how learning and testing paths are organized, what formats are available for interaction with in-person centers, and what principles of quality and data support its operation?

— It is a digital educational ecosystem that TSU has been developing for the past two years. Initially, it was designed as a remote preparation tool for the comprehensive exam in Russian language, Russian history, and the fundamentals of Russian law. But over time, it has evolved into a full-fledged system for socio-cultural adaptation. 

As of September 11, 2025, the platform has over 7,200 registered users fr om 12 countries, including Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan. Nearly 18% return consistently, completing multiple modules, and 283 people have already finished the full course. The most in-demand module is Russian for Life: Beginner, wh ere 80% of tasks are based on everyday scenarios. The system follows an adaptive learning model: it automatically diagnoses the user’s entry level and adjusts the difficulty of exercises based on pace and errors. There are dedicated modules on basic legal literacy, cultural norms, and speech etiquette. In other words, we’re not teaching people “how to pass a test,” we’re teaching them how to live in the language.

Source: https://main.narusskom.online/

To make this clearer in practice, we aligned the learning trajectories with the very “third spaces” of everyday life mentioned earlier. These include clinics, public transport, multifunctional centers, industrial instructions, and digital services. Users don’t encounter abstract exercises but instead work through real-life scenarios, fr om booking a medical appointment and filling out forms to reporting a malfunction or describing a non-standard situation during a shift. Each module ends with a short diagnostic and personalized recommendations: what to reinforce, which communicative formulas to use, wh ere to train vocabulary and procedural comprehension.

Another important component is the connection with in-person testing. The platform does not replace the exam, it prepares for it. Materials and formats are fully aligned with what users will experience in the testing centers. This makes the transition fr om online preparation to on-site verification smooth and predictable. For partners, both universities and employers, the platform provides clear signals: which skills the candidate has already acquired, what remains to be developed, and what kind of mentoring trajectory might be appropriate in the first weeks. We believe this is the right model for working with prospective students and labor migrants fr om any country.

— Still, why should a university act as the operator of national language programs rather than a specialized government agency? What academic, methodological, technological, and ethical competencies allow it to take responsibility for quality, reproducibility, and “translatability” of results, for the state, for society, and for employers?

— Because a university is, in essence, the only structure capable of integrating knowledge, culture, and procedure. Without a university setting, an exam can quickly devolve into mere bureaucracy. The university maintains independent committees, ethics boards, academic expertise, all the elements that turn a rule into a guarantee of fairness and make a certificate “carry weight” regardless of wh ere it was issued.

Moreover, a university maintains an equal distance between the state, society, and the individual. It serves as a trusted intermediary, accountable for the quality of the procedure and the clarity of the result. This is not just “testing,” but a long educational trajectory that includes preparation, assessment, appeal, and subsequent adaptation.

There’s also a research component. We analyze testing data, verify task validity, and update the evaluation scales and formats based on empirical insights: which questions predict academic or workplace success, wh ere the bottlenecks are, how applicant profiles differ by region. Only a university can turn such insights into actionable knowledge for policy decisions.

Finally, the university holds technological competence. We have already developed a roadmap for a national information system for Russian as a Foreign Language (RFL) testing. At TSU, we’ve created an integrated system using AI and speech recognition for administering exams in multiple languages — a unique capability we are ready to share with the country. This class of solution requires an interdisciplinary team, fr om philologists to computer vision specialists and proctoring experts. And only a university can assemble and sustain such a team.

Most importantly, a university knows how to speak about language not just as a skill, but as a form of thought and behavior. It knows how to uphold high standards of public discourse and respectful debate. That is our professional role.

And here I am reminded of the words of Yuri Lotman: “Culture begins wh ere the possibility of understanding another person arises.” The university is precisely the space wh ere society learns to understand itself through the language, norms, and practices that we carefully establish and sustain.

— What has been the institutional response fr om Tajikistan to the upcoming launch of Russian language testing centers?

— The response has been very constructive. We’ve received an official letter from the Ministry of Labor, Migration and Employment of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan supporting our initiative to establish testing centers. For the country’s leadership, it is fundamentally important that their citizens don’t leave “blindly” but are well-prepared, carrying a document that has real value. Together, we are now building a system with clearly defined areas of responsibility: TSU will ensure standards and quality; the Tajik side will organize and provide safe physical testing sites. This is a model of mutually beneficial humanitarian partnership: Russia receives well-prepared professionals, and Tajikistan raises the language and professional training level of its citizens.

— To conclude today’s conversation: what is the core meaning of this initiative, for the university, the region, and the country?

— For the university, above all, it’s about fulfilling our mission. We uphold a high standard of speech and reasoning and turn it into actionable procedures for teaching and assessment. For the region, it’s about quality and workplace safety. When a person arrives at a job site with a clear level of language proficiency, onboarding is faster, mistakes and emergencies are reduced, and vacancies are filled more reliably. For the country, it forms the humanitarian foundation of the migration policy our President has outlined, one in which language defines predictable rules and respectful ways of interaction. If a person speaks the language, they not only read the instructions, they also grasp the meaning of the social and legal norms they’re joining.

In the societal test of whether we can “live with difference,” the university is the institution that helps us pass that test. By expanding the reach of the Russian language, we expand the space for mutual understanding. That is the humanitarian essence of what the university is doing today.

Eduard Galazhinsky

Rector of Tomsk State University

Member of the Presidential Council for Science and Education

Vice President of the Russian Academy of Education

Vice President of the Russian Union of Rectors

Mikhail Shepel, Director of the Institute of Distance Education—Vice-Rector of TSU for Continuing Education Development:

"In general, the labor market in Russia today is experiencing a shortage,  it’s an employee’s market. Therefore, the issue of training labor migrants goes far beyond just linguistics. They must arrive not only with knowledge of the Russian language but also with an understanding of cultural and professional norms. Tomsk State University has strong competencies in this area. We are one of just fourteen universities authorized to issue degrees in 'Russian as a Foreign Language' and we participate in federal expert councils that shape standards and exam procedures. 

Two years ago, we were tasked with translating this work into a technological format. That’s how the 'Na Russkom' (In Russian) portal was created. It currently operates in four languages — Russian, English, Uzbek, and Tajik — with twelve more languages to be added soon. The portal targets prospective students and labor migrants who want to study and work in Russia. It uses adaptive learning technologies, meaning the system builds a personalized learning path, from the alphabet to everyday communication scenarios. The goal of the portal is not simply to 'teach grammar cases.' It promotes Russian culture and behavioral norms accepted in Russian society, the things one needs to follow in order to live comfortably in Russia.

Promoting Russian as a foreign language is part of state policy. The Russian Ministry of Science and Higher Education encourages universities to actively develop such programs, especially in BRICS countries. The 'Na Russkom' portal directly contributes to these objectives.

Another important area is organizing transparent testing for those already in Russia. Labor migrants must know Russian and prove it through an exam. We are part of a pilot project in which exam administration is fully automated, using our seamless digital environment (FLOW-ODIN). There are no paper versions of the test; the entire process is video-recorded, and both candidates and authorized evaluators have personal accounts. This eliminates human error and ensures the legality and fairness of procedures.

The next step in state policy is to unify all testing sites and bring them into a digital format. This system will make it possible to see, in a single dashboard, who is taking the exam, wh ere, which tasks are challenging, how the results are evaluated, and what professional skills the job seekers have. It will help decision-makers respond quickly and make necessary labor market adjustments. This system is already operational: 18 exam centers are currently connected, including TSU. Eventually, there will be 92 such centers across Russia. The dashboard is up and running.

Finally, the next stage is to extend this transparent model beyond Russia, to the countries of origin for potential students and labor migrants. The idea is that individuals would enter Russia fully prepared: with language skills, completed documentation, and a clear understanding of basic procedures. At the testing centers abroad, future migrants can train on the platform, take the exam, undergo additional professional training if needed, and upload all necessary documents to the system in advance. This way, all checks are completed before they cross the border, and they arrive in Russia with full documentation and legal status.

Why is this important not only for Russia but also, in this case, for Tajikistan? Because its citizens will be better prepared — in terms of both Russian language and professional competencies. This guarantees they will be in demand by Russian employers, with whom we are already working. Knowing what types of specialists our companies, for example, in the Siberian Federal District, need, we can guide potential labor migrants to apply for work at these specific companies. That’s exactly the vision behind the creation of Russian language testing centers abroad."

Interview by Irina Kuzheleva-Sagan..