Three Weeks in Shanghai: HSE University–St Petersburg Students Study International Politics at Leading Chinese University
Students of the Bachelor's programme 'Political Science and World Politics' at HSE University–St Petersburg participated in the Summer School at Fudan University in Shanghai. For three weeks, they studied world geopolitics and Chinese diplomatic strategies.
The event gathered researchers and diplomats from Europe, South and South-East Asia, and Latin America. Among the delegates were two HSE University–St Petersburg students—Olga Sergeeva and Ilya Chesnokov-Posadsky.
The key topic of the Summer School was comparative public administration. For three weeks, together with experts, the participants studied the structure of political institutions and the nuances of digital administration in the PRC, analysed relations between China and ASEAN countries, and examined the positions of BRICS and the SCO in the international political arena.
Olga Sergeeva, first-year student of the Bachelor's programme 'Political Science and World Politics,' highlighted the content-richness of the classes. In lectures, Fudan University professors paid an equal amount of attention to the historical context, the current state of institutions of power, and the role of China in the modern system of global administration.
Olga Sergeeva
The curriculum of the Summer School had many intersections with the curriculum at HSE University–St Petersburg, so the lectures I attended here complemented and enriched my idea of how the political systems of South-East Asian countries had been developing.
A great advantage was the classes in Chinese language. At HSE University, in addition to English, we learn one more language of our choice, so practice during the Summer School was a logical continuation of our studies. In double classes, we learned the basic grammar and phonetics, mastered simple vocabulary and correct pronunciation. At the end, we even managed to sing a Chinese song!
Ilya Chesnokov-Posadsky
At HSE University–St Petersburg, we devote quite a lot of time to international relations and regional politics. But the Summer School radically changed my perspective on the global political structure. Thus, for the first time, I looked at Latin America through the lens of Chinese foreign policy.
Immersion in the academic environment of one of the leading universities in Asia, lively discussions with professors and students from all over the world, and the discovery of modern Shanghai—all these things made an unforgettable impression on me.
For the final presentation, all the Summer School participants prepared a group research project. Ilya's team studied what strategies the CIS countries followed in the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and Olga, with her colleagues, analysed relations between China and neighbouring countries.
'I'm happy that I got the chance to study at one of the best universities not just in Asia but in the world. Thanks to the trip, I realised first-hand how rich and diverse the Asian region was.
I was especially struck by Shanghai—it is dynamic and full of contrasts! In my free time, I managed to try the national cuisine and explore the loсal landmarks: Yuyuan Garden, the Bund (from which you can see the Oriental Pearl TV Tower), the Shanghai museum. That gave me energy and motivation to conquer new academic peaks,' shared Olga.
'Such events give our students valuable experience: they learn to work with original sources, negotiate, and analyse the political process not remotely but by immersing themselves directly in the context. As a result, they return not just with new knowledge but with practical skills which will come in handy in diplomacy, analytics, and research', summed up Aleksei Sorbale, academic supervisor of the bachelor's programme.
Students of the Bachelor's in Political Science and World Politics can choose one of the regional tracks and study in depth the political processes of Europe, China, Latin America, or the post-Soviet space. International students can apply for bachelor's programmes at HSE University–St Petersburg until August 3. See here for more details.
