A graduate of the Asian and African Studies program received a gold medal from the Russian Academy of Sciences

The Russian Academy of Sciences has announced the results of the 2024 competition for awards for the best scientific works by young scientists and students. Among the medalists is Ekaterina Melnikova, a graduate of the Asian and African Studies program at the National Research University Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg.

The RAS competition is held annually in 21 fields, ranging from mathematics and nuclear physics to economics and agriculture. Young researchers under the age of 36 from across the country participate in the competition. Entries can be either individual or collective. This year, Ekaterina Melnikova, a graduate of the Asian and African Studies program at HSE University – St. Petersburg, won the gold medal.

Ekaterina Melnikova, a graduate of the Oriental Studies master's program, was awarded a medal in the field of global issues and international relations for her work “The Image of Kazakhstan in the Chinese Internet Space (based on materials from the Zhihu portal).”

Ekaterina Melnikova

graduate of the Asian and African Studies master's program

I analyzed more than 300 posts in Chinese to find out how Kazakhstan is perceived in China. This research became my final qualification work. I found that in the eyes of the Chinese audience, Kazakhstan is seen as a “follower” of China. The countries have similar goals, but according to online users, Kazakhstan's level of state power and cultural status is lower than China's. This perception is probably due to Kazakhstan's insufficient efforts to create a positive image. People noted that they know little about the country and do not often encounter information about it. At the same time, some users consider Kazakhstan to be the most promising country in the region.

I graduated with a bachelor's and master's degree from the Higher School of Economics, and I can confidently say that our university provides great opportunities for academic development. I am very grateful to my mentors and the Institute of Asian and African Studies for the opportunity to see how serious research is conducted and scientific articles are published while still in my third year!" comments Ekaterina Melnikova.

According to Svetlana Krivokhizh, the winner's research supervisor, Ekaterina began researching this topic while still an undergraduate.

Svetlana Krivohizh

head of the Department of International Relations and Political Processes in Asia and Africa

Ekaterina was one of the participants in the research and study group “Media and Politics in Asian Countries.” Students practiced applying content analysis, discourse analysis, and so on to media materials. In her thesis, Ekaterina decided to apply these skills to the study of social networks: she chose the theoretical framework herself, collected data, and figured out how to structure it. I helped with the final design of the project, translations from Chinese, and provided comments on the final text and wording. Thanks to this case study, Ekaterina expanded the theory of international image and introduced a new category—the follower country—since Kazakhstan did not fit into any of the existing categories. I believe in the power of mentoring and am glad that my experience and knowledge proved useful. We reworked the material into an article and submitted it to a journal from the A list list (it has already passed the first round of review). This is a potentially important publication for the Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg, and a good start to Ekaterina's academic career," says Svetlana Krivokhizh, head of the Department of International Relations and Political Processes in Asia and Africa.

We congratulate Ekaterina and wish her further success in her postgraduate studies and at the Department of Chinese, Southeast Asian, and South Asian Studies!