On May 14–15, 2026, Samara University hosted the XVI All-Russian Scientific and Practical Conference for Young Scientists "May Readings: Language and Representation of Cultural Codes," held with international participation. The event was dedicated to a significant milestone—the 50th anniversary of the Faculty of Philology and Journalism.
The conference brought together 200 participants representing 9 countries—including Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Vietnam—and 58 universities (8 international and 50 Russian institutions). Among the Russian participants were 4 federal universities, 9 national research universities, an institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and leading Moscow and St. Petersburg institutions such as Lomonosov Moscow State University, MGIMO, Moscow State Linguistic University, RUDN University, RANEPA, Pushkin State Russian Language Institute, and Saint Petersburg State University.
Eight Sections, One Shared Vision
Section meetings were held in a hybrid format across eight thematic tracks:
- Russian Language
- Literary Studies
- English Language
- German Language
- Current Issues in Chinese Linguistics
- Journalism
- Advertising and Public Relations
- Media Design and Publishing Practices
Participants praised the event's intellectual atmosphere and global scope.
Arina Mastunenko, a student at South Ural State University (National Research University), Chelyabinsk, highlighted the wide range of topics, the audience's genuine engagement, and the thoughtful questions posed to speakers.
Ksenia Sundukova, Chair of the "Literary Studies" section, reflected:
"It's truly inspiring to see such broad geography! Hearing diverse research strategies and comparing methodologies is invaluable. What struck me most was that despite our different backgrounds, we were all speaking the same academic language. The presentations covered an impressively vast research field—it was both informative and genuinely exciting!"
Awards and Next Steps
The conference jury selected winners and prize recipients among undergraduate and master's students.
Congratulations to all award winners—and heartfelt thanks to every participant for their outstanding contributions and fruitful collaboration!
Reminder for authors: Submission materials formatted according to conference requirements must be sent by June 15. Information regarding diplomas will be emailed to winners and prize recipients.
A Legacy of Excellence
For reference:
Philological training at Kuybyshev State University began in 1969 within the Faculty of Humanities. In 1976, three independent faculties were established, one of which was the Faculty of Philology. Its first dean was Professor Vladimir Aleksandrovich Konev, Doctor of Philological Sciences, who led the faculty from 1976 to 1979—laying the foundation for five decades of scholarly tradition.
Today, that legacy continues—bridging languages, cultures, and generations through the power of words.
