The Sinologists' Forum

Organized by the Association for the Development of Sinology for the fourth time, the Forum is a large-scale event that featured three days of online and offline lectures on various aspects of Sinological knowledge, educational exhibitions, a variety of discussion sections, and roundtable discussions on various topics: "Theory and Methodology of Teaching Chinese in Russia: New Challenges and Opportunities," "Studying in China: Features of Training Programs, Grants, Prospects, and Opportunities," "What Kind of Chinese-Language Specialist is Needed Now and How Much Does Their Labor Cost?" and "Characteristics of Chinese-Russian Translation in Business and Socio-Political Discourse," among others.

This year, the Forum was held at the VDNKh (All-Russia Exhibition Center) in the "Business" pavilion. Technograd" under the motto "Modern Global Challenges Posing New Tasks." Representatives from all stages of Chinese language education and development gathered in one venue to participate in open discussions, lectures, and master classes on current issues in training sinologists: teachers from public and private schools, professors and departments of the Chinese language and relevant programs at Russian universities, scientists, Chinese language specialists from various business sectors, translators, as well as representatives of Chinese companies and several leading universities ranked among China's top universities – Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing Polytechnic University, and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

PetrSU's Institute of Philology was represented by a group of third- and fourth-year students studying "Russian as a Foreign Language and Chinese Language": Anna Borisenkova, Yaroslavna Kuzmina, Anna Lazutkina, Eva Radetskaya, Alevtina Yakovleva, and Chinese language teacher Wang Shichu. Even before the forum's launch, a special video dedicated to the Institute of Philology and PetrSU as a whole was posted on the forum's website. Professional and friendly contacts were established with representatives of several universities, including Beijing Language and Culture University, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Beijing Polytechnic University, Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, Kazan (Volga Region) Federal University, Southern Federal University, and others.

The forum featured numerous master classes organized by representatives from Russian and Chinese universities, as well as delegations from various Chinese provinces. Participants tried their hand at making Chinese knots, crafted traditional red envelopes (symbols of wealth), made aromatic herbal sachets for health, tried candy figurines representing the Chinese folk art of tanghua, and painted scarves using the tie-dye technique.

As part of the cultural program, philology students and Wang Shichu tried on traditional costumes from various Chinese dynasties and posed for photos with representatives from Chinese provinces in their national costumes. They also attended lectures and presentations by leading sinologists on the development of the Chinese language and the specifics of working with it in modern times, as well as an exhibition of books by Russia's largest publishing houses on various aspects of the Chinese language, culture, and history.

One of the highlights of the event was PetrSU's creative platform, where students held a workshop on making bookmarks in the shape of traditional women's dresses from the Tang and Han dynasties. This interactive event attracted the attention of many forum guests, and a large number of participants joined the workshop.

Participation in the forum not only proved to be a valuable educational experience but also highlighted real prospects for future professional growth, including job offers and internships. For the fourth-year students, this was their second time participating in the Sinologists' Forum; the third-year students were participating for the first time.

Anna Lazutkina, student in group 12303:

“Numerous Chinese universities and language schools participated in the event. Their representatives presented their educational programs in detail and presented guests with souvenirs, including postcards, keychains, and traditional treats. After the forum, we were able to exchange contacts with representatives of Beijing Language and Culture University. The various workshops were particularly memorable, among which the most impressive was the lesson on making sachets—Chinese bags containing fragrant herbs used in aromatherapy and for health.

Our university also held a workshop on creating bookmarks in the style of the two great Chinese dynasties—the Han and Tang. Many people wanted to make such bookmarks, and many appreciated our idea.

The forum was very rich, useful, and inspiring. It was a wonderful opportunity to immerse oneself in the culture, gain first-hand information, and find like-minded people!

The Department of Russian as a Foreign Language and Applied Linguistics thanks the PetrSU Administration for its assistance in organizing the trip.