Mejlis Head Mustafa Jemilev and Chancellor of Taurida National V.I. Vernadsky University Mr Nikolai Bagrov Seek Ways to Solve Problem of Crimean Tatar and Oriental Philology Department

30 August 2013

On August 30, 2013 Mustafa Jemilev, Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, MP of Ukraine met with Mr Nikolai Bagrov, Chancellor of Taurida National V.I. Vernadsky University.

The meeting that was dedicated to the reduction of hours at the department of the Crimean Tatar philology and further reduction of the staff of the mentioned above chair was attended by the leading lecturers of the Department of the Crimean Tatar and Oriental Philology of the Taurida National V.I. Vernadsky University, Mr Remzi Ilyasov, MP of Crimea, Vice Chairman of Mejlis, Ms Safure Kadzhametova, Head of the Department of Education and Culture at Mejlis, MP of Crimea, Mr Riza Fazil, Head of the Association of the Crimean Tatar Writers, Ms Elena Chuyan, Vice Chancellor of Taurida National V.I. Vernadsky University and Mr Ayder Memetov, dean of the Department of the Crimean Tatar and Oriental Philology.

As is known, the Department of the Crimean Tatar and Oriental Philology exists in Taurida National V.I. Vernadsky University since 2002. The faculty of this department trains not only the experts in Arab, Persian and Turkish languages, but also the teachers of the Crimean Tatar language and literature. According to Ms Safure Kadzhametova, Head of the Department of Education and Culture at Mejlis, the staff of the department develop the educational and methodical literature in Crimean Tatar language both for the higher and secondary schools. Today 233 full-time and 49 part-time students are studying at the department. One master’s and one doctor’s thesis was defended at the chair of Crimean Tatar literature.

Mr Bagrov, Chancellor of TNU explained that due to the reduction of the number of students at the department the university can’t subsidize the activity of the department any more. That is why we had to reduce the number of teachers not only at the mentioned department, but to review the number of the jobs at the university in the whole. Mr Nikolai Bagrov repeatedly underscored that he considers the Department of the Crimean Tatar and Oriental Philology almost his brainchild and is ready to promote preserving its faculty and development of the department in any possible way.

Discussing the ways out of the existing situation Mejlis Head Mustafa Jemilev and Mr Nikolai Bagrov, Chancellor of TNU stated about the need to address the Minister of Education of Ukraine Mr Tabachnik asking him for target financing for the existing faculty of the Department of the Crimean Tatar and Oriental Philology.

Mejlis Head Mustafa Jemilev believes that the activity of the department that was opened mainly due to the support of Mr Nikolai Bagrov, Chancellor of TNU is very important for preserving and development of culture, language and education of the Crimean Tatar people in Ukraine and needs support on the national level.