“I’m Doing a Student Exchange in China.” Part 2
In this second part of his travel notes, third-year student Egor Malakhov, who is about to complete his exchange study at China’s Southwestern University of Finance and Economics (SWUFE), tells more about his time in China.
What follows is Egor’s impressions of studying and living in China that we believe will be of special interest to our future second-year students who have recently enrolled in this new HSE-SWUFE Double-Degree Programme and are due to start their next year in China’s Chengdu in September 2024. These students will spend their second and third years in RIEM SWUFE and their fourth one in ICEF. Even though this programme uses English as the language of instruction in both Moscow and China, it features a mandatory two-year course of Chinese. Upon successful completion of all courses, our students will graduate with two bachelor’s degrees, one in Economics (HSE University) and the other in Economics or Finance (SWUFE).
Read Part 1 of Egor’s travel notes here>>
Learning process and exams
In this follow up on my days at SWUFE, let me start with the learning process.
Instruction takes place entirely in the classroom, with lecture materials shared almost as freely as in ICEF.
The homework level varies course by course, but normally we get one assignment to be done within a week’s time or, rarely, a larger assignment that must be done every two weeks.
I have so far sat one test. It was on Computational Finance and it was an open-ended question test. Here, they mostly use group projects and presentations to test students’ knowledge and many courses use group project as a form of their final examination.
As for the core courses (Econometrics, Derivative Pricing, Health Economy, Urban Economy and Industrial Organization), these use closed book exams.
The standards for the design, contents and delivery of presentations seem to be less strict than in ICEF. As for the rest, I haven’t noticed any major differences.
The students here seem to be under study pressure. Everyone seems to be so concerned about getting into master’s that they spend most of their time studying.
The Campus
When it comes to campus conveniences, three things deserve special mention – the gym, the library, and the canteen. The gym offers a diversity of equipment including weight machines and elliptical trainers. Admission costs only 6 yuan, which is about 81 rubles.
The library is simply gorgeous. Occupying 7 floors, each featuring completely different domains, it simply exudes productivity. I really like it there. Words can’t describe how great this library is, you need to see it for yourselves.
The canteen is not like the one in HSE. You take compartment tray, fill it with foods and drinks, and pay using a special app and QR code. Technology is everywhere here: even street food carts accept QR codes for payment. The food they sell in the canteen is delicious and cheap.
What to visit in Chengdu
Chengdu abounds in exciting destinations. Visit those you are most interested in. As someone who takes interest in history, nature and architecture, I was delighted to explore the monasteries and mountains near Chengdu. And I’ve been to many different museums.
Shopping fans will surely adore the old and modern shopping streets, as well as the area’s largest covered mall with manmade beach.
Animal lovers should definitely visit Panda Base – Chengdu’s most famous place known as the world’s largest panda breeding area.
