An Intercultural Reunion

After two years away from ITMO, I had a very special reunion with my intercultural communication teacher.

Intercultural communication class with exchange students. Photo courtesy of the author.

My name is Kota Ishihara and I'm in my fourth year of university and currently studying abroad as an exchange student at ITMO University. I first got to know ITMO University in 2019, when I participated in a short program at ITMO University for a week, based on the partnership between Kindai University, where I studied, and ITMO. We had our first class in English. The content of the class was about the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), discussing how we can solve the goals to be achieved by 2030. The teacher who taught us was Dr. Irina Shmeleva. I had never had the experience of working in a group and giving a presentation in English before, so it was a really great experience for me. I liked the class so much that I gave the teacher some sweets and 5 yen coins that I brought from Japan and took a picture with her at the end of the course.

Then, two years and six months passed, I was lucky enough to come back to ITMO University after overcoming the ordeal of the coronavirus pandemic. When I showed up to my first class on intercultural communication, I was surprised to see that the teacher was Dr. Shmeleva, who taught the SDGs class in 2019. I am a shy person, so I couldn't say to Irina in front of everyone, "Do you remember me?". However, in the last session of the course, there was a big break before the presentation. My classmates were outside taking a break, so it was just the teacher and me. So I gathered up my courage and asked the teacher, "Do you remember this picture?" I asked the teacher. The teacher replied, "Yes, I remember it! Is that you?! Wow! You're the one who gave me the five Japan money!" Fortunately, she remembered that I gave her 5 yen as a gift. It made me feel really happy. The teacher then asked me to share this in my presentation after the break, so I hurriedly made a presentation about this and presented it after the break. After finishing the final class, we also took a class photo together, and the photo with the professor again after two years. For me, this class and this moment was truly an unforgettable experience and memory. I learned that sometimes a small act of courage can bring great joy. Thank you, Irina and all my classmates. I am so happy.