In the framework of the Festival of National Cultures "ISTU - the territory of peace and harmony" International Student Club of Irkutsk Technical University held the first game this academic year, "Listen! Think! Answer!" Experts of ten dormitories competed in knowledge of national cuisine, heroes, traditions and customs, costumes, myths and legends, the characteristics of the economy and political structure of Vietnam, China, Congo, Korea and Mongolia. The event, held in the auditorium of one of the ISTU dorms, was attended by ten teams consisted of six experts each; more than 150 students came to the campus to support them.

What is the most popular sport in Korea? What is the national dress in Mongolia? Who was the wife of Genghis Khan? How long the Democratic Republic of Congo was a colony of Belgium? What are the principles of Eastern philosophy which symbolize the flag of Korea? These and other questions were answered by the players of the game "Look! Think! Answer!"

"Look! Think! Answer!" is the original mind games, invented by students of the International Student Club at ISTU. Games are aimed at creating an atmosphere of tolerance between international students studying at Irkutsk Technical University.

According to the deputy chief of the campus on educational work Svetlana Bani-Melkhem, the International Student Club was organized at ISTU in November 2011, then it consisted of 10 students from different countries, who were mostly from the neighboring countries.

"For three years, the club has grown considerably. Now it has 27 guys from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Palestine, Pakistan, Vietnam and Korea", says S. Bani-Melkhem. "Exchanging information about geography, history, economy and culture of their countries at the seminar "Beloved Motherland!", students learn interesting facts about the life of the peoples of their neighbors and begin to understand each other better. By tradition, seminars are completed with games "Look! Think! Answer!" During the year guys plan to hold three-games: one of them will touch the issues of culture of peoples of far abroad, the second will be on the knowledge of life of the inhabitants of neighboring countries, and the third game will include information on national traditions, kitchen and the clothes of other countries. Thus, the club plans to introduce ISTU students with all the countries whose reresenters are studying in our university. "

Future specialist in surface management, freshman Amal' Muradov from Uzbekistan said that the game has expanded his knowledge on the countries in which his new acquaintances live." I observe my roommates - students from Korea - buy very different products than my compatriots in the supermarket. I've tried Pakistani, Afghan and Korean dishes. Each time, when I face with a new kitchen, I'm surprised with absolutely unusual flavors. There is a difference in the mentality. Vietnamese students are striking in their diligence in study and courtesy, Syria - the hospitality, the Mongols are very positive and easy-going guys. We are really very different, so the communication is interesting between us."

Observers of the game - Svetlana Popova, Timur Adimdzhanov and Munkhzhargal Sodmandakh collected answers and handed over to the counting board, which was also presented by the members of the International Student Club: Evgeniy Borisov, Amal' Muradov and Diana Gayfulina.

"There was no winners for instance, the game is designed for the whole academic year, the teams will collect points," said one of the organizers of the game , a student from Mongolia Munkhzhargal Sodmandakh. "In April we will hold the final event; the team with the max points in the result of all the games "Listen! Think! Answer!" will win."

The most erudite in the game were the team of the dorm N 5, scored 20 points, foreign students of the preparatory faculty from the dorm N 11A (19 points) and students of the dorm N 1 (17 points).

"I really enjoyed this International quiz, it was well-organized and dynamic," says a student of Chemical and Metallurgical Faculty at ISTU Diana Gayfulina. "Musical shows prepared by students of the Institute of surface management at ISTU Anya Chulkova, Valeriya Svechnikova and Julia Schipakina had great success. The warm atmosphere and the music pauses reminded the game "What? Where? When?" and allowed the participants to have a rest before new brainstorming."

All participants received sweet prizes from ISTU campus administration and personal certificates. Natal'ya Rozova

Source: http://www.istu.edu/news/15346/