Education in Siberia expanded greatly after the Trans-Siberian Railway was completed in the 19th century. While Siberia became part of Russia in the 18th century it was not until the 20th century under the Soviet Union that education was transformed Siberia to economic importance. This was aimed at uniting people under the Soviet. For example, the Irkutsk State Linguistic University served as "as a conduit between Russia and these native people by teaching languages" during the communist era. Imperial Russia began uniting Siberia to Russia by founding Siberia's first university, Tomsk State University, in 1878.
As teaching language helped to connect Siberia with Russia, currently there is a high demand for English to connect Siberia to the outside world. The Siberian Intercultural Bridges helps place English teachers throughout Siberia to bridge the gap between the Western world and the remote areas of Siberia. Meanwhile, the Russian government has also been encouraging English teachers to educate the population.
Currently, higher education in Siberia has sought to revive the regional culture. Kemerovo State University has specialized in Shor language to increase usage and document the language's history in Siberia.
Read more about Education In Siberia: Universities and Colleges
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