For HSE Students the Confucius Institute Made an Exception

This September three students from the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs will go to Jilin University in China for a one-year internship.

In June the HSE were informed that three of their students would have the opportunity to go to Jilin University for a year to study Chinese language, literature and culture. The story started in March when Nina Borevskaya, Advisor to HSE Vice Rector, participated in a scientific conference at Jilin University. Of course, while there she took the opportunity to hold meetings and negotiations aimed at developing HSE international cooperation. Part of Jilin University is the College of North East Asia which is also active in Russian studies. Sergey Aleksashenko, HSE Director for Macroeconomic Research, and an honorary professor at Jilin University is in contact with colleagues from this College, in particular with its Director, Professor Zhu Sangpin. ‘Following his recommendation, Nina Borevskaya met Prof. Zhu Sangpin and Lu Debing, Director of the International Cooperation and Exchange Department of Jilin University as well as his Deputy Zhang Guanzui - Marina Batalina, Head of the HSE Office for Development of International Relations, told us - Our Chinese colleagues expressed their interest in both student and teacher exchange programmes. For example, they told us they were ready to give one or two scholarships for studying Chinese to students from our university, as part of the Confucius Institute scholarship programme.,This scholarship will give our students an opportunity to communicate with economists and become closer aquainted with the Chinese economy. It turned out that our first steps towards academic exchanges with Jilin University coincided with the contest for the Confucius Institute scholarship programme.'

Jilin University is a large institution where people aged from 18 to 55 can study language programmes organized by the Confucius Institute. ‘We are interested in collaboration not only with large, well-known universities, such as Beijing or Shanghai, but also with regional, rapidly developing ones - Natalia Vinokurova, Assistant Dean for international activities of the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, said - Our Chinese colleagues are keen to cooperate with us, they've sent us lots of letters with proposals, including ideas for summer schools and student and teacher exchange programes. 90 students at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs are now studying Chinese, so for us internships in China are not a luxury, but a necessity.'

A basic knowledge of Chinese was one of the key requirements for the candidates. A preliminary selection procedure for candidates was organized at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, and three applications were sent to Jilin University. Despite the initial decision to give only one or two places to HSE students,when they saw the results, all three of our students - Alyona Zudkova, Dmitriy Stiran and Makar Tsurkan - were offered scholarships from the Confucius Institute. There, they will study Chinese language and literature for one academic year (without getting a degree) and, as far as possible, will attend classes at the Economic School of the University.

‘To send students to China we gathered information from language teachers - Andrey Seleznyov, Associate Professor at the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs Department of Foreign Languages, told us - Of course, they are the best students. They have high achievements and they've expressed a special interest in China, its language and culture. From my experience - and I have been teaching Chinese in various universities for almost 35 years - for some students traveling to China turns out to be a cultural shock: they have another system of values there, which is very different from ours. Moreover, not everyone is ready to comprehend the ancient culture of China. Some of our students who had been studying Chinese here in Russia for 3 or 4 years went to China and were unable to understand what they saw there. After coming back they said they wouldn't be able to work there.'

Over recent years, the Chinese government has been doing its best to make Chinese people understand European culture and to develop an interest in Chinese culture around the world. ‘I believe that these students - Dima Stiran, Makar Tsurkan and Alyona Zudkova - will become excellent experts on China - Andrey Seleznyov continues - We can give them the foundations: language basics, culture of speech etc. But then it is essential to go for an internship to make the jump to real understanding. This trip will be very useful for these guys. Both Makar and Dima are only second-year students, but they are very serious and motivated. Alyona Zudkova has already finished her fourth year and passed her examination in Chinese. Previously she had no opportunity to apply for an internship, and now she has got one.'

The programme of the Confucius Institute is aimed at the promotion of knowledge about Chinese culture and philosophy and the study Chinese language abroad. The Confucius Institute has offices in 90 countries, including several cities in Russia.

Andrey Shcherbakov, HSE News Service