‘Get a Ticket’: HSE University–St Petersburg Master's Student Daria Orekhova on Her Exchange Studies in China
Students of HSE University–St Petersburg can take part in exchange studies abroad not only during their bachelor's degree. Daria Orekhova, a second-year student of the Master's programme 'Media Production and Media Analysis', spent the autumn semester at one of the top universities in China. Read on to find out how the academic mobility experience at Beijing Normal University went, what inspired Daria to develop her own online course, and how travelling changes one's way of seeing the world.
Choosing the University
Back in 10th grade, I became interested in China and its culture, started learning the language, and, after a year, passed an international exam in Chinese at the HSK 4 level. But when I enrolled in the Bachelor's programme 'Asian and African Studies,' I chose Korean rather than revising the basics of Chinese. During my bachelor's degree, I didn't even think about mobility—I thought it was nearly impossible to pass the competitive selection process.
In my first master's year, my friend suggested applying to study in China together. In the end, she gave up on the idea, but I started looking at programmes. According to the HSE curriculum, I had to get 15 credits of MagoLego. As these are not core courses but elective ones, it was easy to find a programme at a university abroad. I decided that I wanted to brush up on Chinese and immerse myself in marketing and international economics. My two top choices were Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University and Beijing Normal University.
Each extra point could play a key role in the selection process. To increase my chances, I worked as a volunteer at university events. The Europass English language certificate, which every HSE student can get, came in handy too.
It turned out that for master's students, it is much easier to win the competition for mobility. For bachelor's students, conditions are stricter: they look at your average score for several years of study. In my case, they took into account only one semester—it simplified the process.
The Educational Process
The mobility programme at Beijing Normal University is my first experience of studying fully in English. The biggest difficulty was the Chinese accent. It was so hard to understand the professor of economics that I had to give up the course. With time, I got used to the local pronunciation and learnt to distinguish sounds that the Chinese pronounced differently.
I had only four courses. Most of all, I liked the course on international marketing. They explained to us how to adapt Russian and European business strategies for a Chinese consumer, establish intercultural communication, and efficiently negotiate with people in China. For the final project, I developed a marketing strategy to introduce a Russian bank to the Chinese market. For this work, I got 98 points out of 100, and now, this experience truly helps me in writing my thesis.
The educational process in China is similar to school lessons in many ways. We had a 15-minute break between two 45-minute classes. After I came back to HSE University, double classes lasting an hour and a half seemed endless! The educational buildings also reminded me of the school from my childhood: low desks, chalkboards, and pale walls. Surprisingly, there were no cloakrooms in the building: students often wore jackets during classes and put their umbrellas along the walls of the hallway in rainy weather! At the same time, the university is equipped with advanced technologies: to enter a building, you have to scan your face, and to mark your attendance, you have to tap your student ID on an electronic board.
What I Liked at the Foreign University
The most valuable thing about the Beijing Normal University campus is its convenience. It only took five minutes to get to the educational building from my dormitory. The campus has everything you need: canteens, coffee shops, sports grounds, a post office, and even a kindergarten. For me, it was a real 'city inside a city,' where everything was at hand.
I was especially surprised by the huge twelve-storey library at the university. About six floors are fully allocated for book stocks. At this amazing scale, the interiors there are quite ascetic—they reminded me of Soviet educational institutions. Despite that, the library is well-equipped and offers all the necessary resources for studies and research.
When I told people in China that I studied at Beijing Normal University, they responded with great enthusiasm. It ranks among the top 20 universities in China—many locals said that they dreamt for their children and grandchildren to study there. This reminded me of how people in Russia reacted to the fact that I was an HSE student. How confident and proud I feel realising the level of my education!
Daily Life
I lived in the dormitory for international students. I booked a single room in advance which was a little more expensive. It was equipped with all the necessary things: a bed, a table, a mini fridge, and even a TV with a game console. Everything was quite comfortable—they closed the kitchen for the night, so it was easier to buy pre-made food. My daily routine was easier thanks to such applications as WeChat and Alipay: everyone in China uses them to pay for purchases at stores, order at cafes, and call taxis.
In China, I extended my summer: until the end of October, it was quite warm. In November, it became much colder, and by December, we had to change into winter clothes. Though the temperature rarely went below five degrees, the strong wind chilled me to the bone.
I bought household things and clothes online. A lot of things are two or three times cheaper than in Russia. I transferred my whole shopping basket from a Russian marketplace to a Chinese one, bought all the necessary things—and even more—and saved a good amount of money.
Three Surprising Things about China
Dialects
In the south of China, I discovered that my basic language knowledge was not enough: I couldn't answer simple questions when checking in at the hotel or even have a conversation with a taxi driver. Seeing my perplexity, the Chinese repeated their questions but in a different way, and then I understood them. It's all because of the dialects. When we study Chinese as a foreign language, we study Standard Chinese—the most common dialect which the majority of the population knows and understands. In reality, the dialects of citizens in provinces are different: Chinese people can pronounce the same word in various manners or use diverse words for the same thing. So southerners switched to Standard Chinese when they noticed that I didn't understand them. Alternatively, we communicated using a voice-assisted translator.
Food
Food in China is very spicy and pickled and combines incompatible flavours—for instance, mayonnaise and strawberry jam. As our professor of marketing explained, this peculiarity of the cuisine was formed during periods of hunger. Back then, people pickled spoiled food to hide its flavour and scent. Gradually, this obsession with spices and intense sensations became a part of the Chinese cultural code, but I didn't get used to their preferences. My top dishes are dumplings (jiaozi), pancakes (jianbing—ingredients for which you can choose based on your preferences), buns (baozi—made of unleavened dough and fillings rich in flavour), and fried flats (zhoubing). I also recommend that visitors to the country drink as much milk tea and bubble tea as possible—they are cheap and delicious there!
The Number of Bicycles and Motorbikes
Sidewalks and roads in Chinese cities are literally filled with bicycles and motorbikes. For two-wheeled transport, there are even special lanes and traffic lights. This is how young and middle-aged people prefer to commute—you can avoid sitting in traffic. You don't even have to buy your own bike; you can easily rent one via Alipay or WeChat. No driving license is required. Seniors often use buses and trolleybuses.
Something Else
Chinese people are amazing. They know how to enjoy life and not pay attention to anything around them: they can suddenly start working out or singing right in the middle of the street. On the other hand, in the metro, people may not offer a seat to seniors or pregnant women, and on the roads, they forget about the rules—only to get to their destination quicker. Despite such individualism, people there like spending time together: seniors dance and sing in parks, and young people often get together in cafes or at events. I will miss this atmosphere!
Three Must-Do Things during a Trip
Travel around Cities
Each city in China is similar to others but at the same time unique. Beijing is historical and strict, Shanghai is modern and European, Chongqing is a 'monster city' and a cyberpunk harbour, Suzhou is the 'Chinese Venice'... You travel around one country but find yourself in different worlds. I wholeheartedly love each of the seven cities I've visited, and could talk about them for a long time! If you go to China, you should discover it from different perspectives.
Travel by High-Speed Train
Chinese trains are an adventure of their own. High-speed trains (gaotie) fly along like Lastochka and Sapsan trains in Russia. The journey from Beijing to Qingdao—almost 700 kilometres—took me three hours. They are very convenient, and a train ticket costs no more than a flight. However, there are cheaper train categories with different speeds, amenities, conditions, and passenger contingents. I recommend trying different transport options to get to know various aspects of China and see how people and their habits differ. By the way, if you travel by a night middle-class train, you should buy disposable bedsheets in advance—on Chinese trains, they do not change them.
Go up into the Mountains
Chinese people really like hiking in the mountains. This hobby even has a special name—pachang. The majority of mountain tourist routes are fully equipped: stalls with food and drinks, handrails, photo stands, toilets, and route markers. There is public transport going to the foot of the mountains, in some cities—even the metro. You can reach the top and come back in different ways: for example, go on foot, and go down by cable railway—it will definitely make an impression on you.
I climbed two mountains: Laoshan in Qingdao and the Hallelujah Mountains in Zhangjiajie. The latter are recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and they served as inspiration for the creators of the film Avatar. The several hours of climbing steep stairs was absolutely worth it. This place is a must for those who want to see the natural beauty of China.
What I Got from the Exchange
This is a childhood dream come true. Not only did I immerse myself in the culture and language, but I also saw real China—and it is much deeper and more versatile than I imagined. I learnt how important it was to get out of your comfort zone to see the world in all its diversity. Studying at Beijing Normal University inspired me to develop an online course on marketing in China. This educational project will be my thesis.
I dream of going back to China, but to other cities: Guangzhou, Hangzhou, and Shenzhen. I want to continue studying the Chinese culture and probably align my career with this country. My future plans are to defend my thesis and develop myself in the sphere of media and marketing using the knowledge gained during the exchange. After the mobility programme, my dream is to travel around the world more, have surprising experiences, and discover new things!