The Faculty of Foreign Languages of Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University has significant experience in non-formal education in various aspects of philological sciences. Shakespearean traditions of the faculty were supported by teachers and students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages on September 24, 2021, while joining the lecture of the authoritative researcher of Shakespeare’s works, Professor Michael Dobson at the VI International Scientific and Practical Conference «Великий Бард у контексті пандемії: Shakespeare and / as a Medicine».

     This two-day conference was supported by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the Institute of Literature of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian Interuniversity Shakespeare Center. The scientific event was aimed to intensify interdisciplinary research focused on studying various aspects of the correlation of William Shakespeare’s work with medical discourse, and included plenary sessions, panel discussions with leading Shakespeareans and an interdisciplinary round table.

     The highlight of the conference was a lecture by Michael Dobson, director of the Shakespeare Institute, a Professor at the University of Birmingham, located in William Shakespeare’s hometown of Stratford-on-Avon. Presenting his report on the therapeutic effect of the historical chronicle of W. Shakespeare’s “Pericles” on modern viewers, this authoritative expert in the field of Shakespeare chose a rather unusual perspective for his speech: he focused the listeners not only on certain features of the writing of “Pericles” by the Great Bard, but also on how healing can be a modern staging of this play for people with various mental disorders. Teachers and students of the Faculty of Foreign Languages gained an important experience by listening to a story about literary realities and medical facts, concerning the modern interpretation and reception of Shakespeare’s work, presented in living academic English.

     Candidate of Philological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Translation and Slavic Philology L.D. Fedoriaka, an active participant in the conference, emphasized (translated): “Such combination of language and literature performed by an authoritative researcher and at the same time a native speaker should contribute to the professional development of students: they had the opportunity to improve various language skills, as well as gained an important and useful information for successful passing the courses “History of Foreign Literature of Renaissance” and “Literature of England”. For the vast majority of students, the information represented by Professor Dobson turned out to be new, and therefore inspired them to view those plays, which were thoroughly discussed by Shakespearean. For students planning to do scientific research, Michael Dobson’s speech can be a stimulating factor that can crystallize their research priorities and engage in research in the field of foreign literature”. L.D. Fedoriaka also presented the report «Томас Неш – не сатирик: хроніка «чорної смерті» в його поезіях».

We thank the organizers and participants of the conference for a great opportunity to join to the world-class academic experience and deepen their knowledge of Shakespearean studies!