Students Get Acquainted with Leading Educational Practices at Wuhan University

This is an international scientific, cultural and educational project held by Wuhan University for international students from Russia and Belarus studying Chinese. The theme of the school this year is "Dialogue of Chinese and Russian civilizations in the era of digital intelligence".

Based on the results of an open competition, just over 30 students from several universities in Russia and Belarus were selected - Lomonosov Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State University, National Research University "Higher School of Economics", Peoples' Friendship University of Russia, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Innopolis University, Baikal State University, Minsk State Linguistic University. PetrSU was represented by 2nd and 3rd year students of the Institute of Philology studying in the field of "Russian as a Foreign Language, Chinese Language" - Anna Borisenkova, Valeria Ivanova, Violetta Talonpoika and Yulia Ivanova.

The summer school program included several educational and cultural modules.

The educational module included various lectures ("Archaeology of Wuhan", "Wuhan and cultural exchange between China and Russia", "Chinese and Russian higher education in the era of global digitalization", "History of Chinese poetry", "Written translation using the Trados automated translation system", "Machine translation at the present stage" and others), open seminars, including visits to research laboratories - the laboratory of intelligent computing of cultural heritage, the laboratory of engineering technologies of geodesy, cartography and remote sensing. The school participants also visited one of the leading scientific and technical companies in China, Transn (传神), and learned about the language model it developed, which is used in machine translation. During practical classes with Zhang Laoshi, the students studied the use of artificial intelligence in translating from Chinese into Russian.

The cultural module included master classes on traditional tea ceremony, calligraphy and painting, traditional paper cutting, as well as numerous excursions and visits to museums of Wuhan University and the city of Wuhan - the Museum of History, the Hubei Provincial Museum, the Tanhualin Cultural and Historical Area, the Gudesi Temple, and much more.

The lectures were mainly held in Chinese, which were simultaneously translated into Russian by Chinese student volunteers.

The program included a day for students to present their universities to other participants and organizers. Students from PetrSU spoke about Petrozavodsk University in general and about the Institute of Philology, the educational programs it implements. The speech and presentation interested the participants so much that the head of the summer school, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Russian Language Tian Yuan, expressed a desire to separately visit Petrozavodsk University as part of the trip of the Wuhan University delegation to St. Petersburg.

Tian Yuan, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Russian Language, Institute of Foreign Languages and Literature, Wuhan University:

“Dear colleagues! Thank you very much for the wonderful presentation! Your students spoke so meaningfully and interestingly about their cities, universities and themselves that they made a deep and unforgettable impression on me. Your and their activity, frankness, optimism, humor and perseverance help to achieve greater success in their studies and work. I am very glad that you are firmly following the chosen path, sparing no effort and time, at the same time enjoying youth and life with a variety of hobbies, noticing everything new and unusual in traveling around the world! I wish you health, happiness and great discoveries.

Wuhan University is one of the most prestigious universities in China, recognized by the Ministry of Education of China as an elite first-class university (Class A Double First Class University), consistently ranks among the top ten Chinese universities and the top 250 best universities in the world according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities (Shanghai Ranking), QS World University Rankings, Times Higher Education World University Rankings. For students, participation in the summer school program, including accommodation, was free.

PetrSU students' reviews:

Valeria Ivanova:         

“For all of us, this was our first visit to China. There were many fears and doubts before the trip, but I am glad that I decided to go. Wuhan is a wonderful city that combines a rich historical and cultural heritage, picturesque nature and the latest technology. Wuhan University, as well as its students and teachers, left a pleasant impression and greeted us warmly. It was very nice to meet new people and immerse ourselves in Chinese culture.

Anna Borisenkova:

“Only when I arrived at the campus of Wuhan University, I did not believe that it could be so huge. Shops, cafes, institute buildings and canteens - all this was on our campus, where you could move around by bus or electric bikes. On the campus itself, you can see a lake, beautiful parks and many green trees and plants! The lectures themselves were very useful for our specialty, because we studied the theory of translation into different languages, and the excursions gave us more opportunities to get to know both the country whose language we were studying and the city of Wuhan itself.

I am very grateful to the Institute of Philology, the organizers of this trip, for giving us the opportunity to visit China, learn about traditions, local dishes, and also fall in love with this wonderful city of Wuhan! I hope that there will be more opportunities to visit this beautiful city and university as part of my studies.

Violetta Talonpoika:

“The two weeks spent in China were an important and interesting experience for me. Wuhan is a beautiful modern city, which was pleasant to walk around, getting to know its culture and history. As part of the university program, we visited many places and listened to lectures dedicated to both Chinese traditions and issues of translation and education.

I am very glad that I was able to take part in this summer school: it helped me meet wonderful people and make sure that I made the right choice of a specialty related to the Chinese language. Thanks to the Department of Russian as a Foreign Language and Applied Linguistics and the Institute of Philology for this opportunity.

Yulia Ivanova:

“The trip to Wuhan University exceeded all expectations! This university amazed us with its harmonious combination of traditional Chinese architecture and modern technologies. During lectures on Russian-Chinese translation, we mastered practical skills, and machine translation classes opened up new horizons in the profession.

The cultural program was no less intense. In the Hubei Provincial Museum, we immersed ourselves in ancient history, and the first bridge across the Yangtze River impressed us with its scale. I especially remember the Guidesi Temple with its peaceful atmosphere.

This trip gave me not only valuable knowledge, but also inspiration for further study of the Chinese language. Wuhan University left a feeling of a place where the past and the future meet in the present! My studies at the Institute of Philology are a start to the future!