IEM develops international student mobility with China

Two years ago, TSU signed a memorandum on cooperation with Chinese universities: Huazhong Normal University and School of Foreign Studies Jilin University. The memorandum included an agreement on join specialists’ training and exchange of students. And thus, recently five of master’s students of the ‘International Management’ program fr om TSU went to China, among them Maria Soboleva, Fedor Krinitskiy, Georgiy Gorenintsev, Nikita Yatchenko and Daria Podgainova. At the same time, two students from the School of Foreign Studies Jilin University - Zhang Jiaxu and Wang Yuefei came to Tomsk.

In general, within the memorandum a joint master’s program of international management was supposed to be created, wh ere the students spent a year in Russia and then a year in China and obtain two diplomas as a result. But the process of starting the master’s program is a very complicated and time-consuming, requiring full consistency of curriculums. Therefore, we decided to start with academic mobility, there is a demand for it fr om both sides. It will let Chinese students spend one semester in Siberia and Russian students spend one semester in China, Olga Nedospasova, the Director of Master’s Program ‘International Management’ says.

The students from Russia and China shared their impressions of the program, new countries and universities.

Daria Podgainova

The exchange program is an incredible experience widening the horizons and letting us to dive into the culture of another country. The study in China not only lets us widen our knowledge but also improves intercultural skills, meet interesting people and look at the world from a different perspective. This is a brilliant opportunity for personal and academic improvement!

Fedor Krinitskiy

In general, the program met my expectations. I wanted to get new impressions, dive into a new culture and prove my language skills. The Chinese campus impressed me with modern infrastructure, comfortable conditions for living and studying. The professors are professionals fluent in English and it immensely improved the studying process.

I think, that the strongest side of the program is organization. All matters were immediately resolved and the coordinators of the program were very helpful.

Some challenge was in communicating with the local students due to particularities of their English, but it became a kind of challenge as well.

Maria Soboleva:

The campus is very big and beautiful, has everything one needs: from cafeterias to gyms and barbershops. There are a lot of studying, more than in Russia but all the classes are interesting, professors explain everything thoroughly.  Besides, there’re lots of extracurricular activities, each holiday we walk around the town, see the sights with the guys from other Russian cities who we met here.

In general, the experience is positive and very helpful for our perspectives and will help us in the future to find a job. 

Zhang Jiaxu:

When the plane slowly landed at the airport in Novosibirsk, my heart was full of longing and anxiety for the future life of studying abroad. As I walked out of the airport, I was greeted by the cold and pure air, which was very different from the warm climate of my hometown, and this was the first impression I had in Tomsk. This Siberian city does not have the bustle of Moscow and St. Petersburg, but it has a rustic and tranquil atmosphere.

On the way to Tomsk State University, I looked through the car window to see the unique buildings along the street, many of them in the style of the Tsarist period, and the mottled walls seemed to tell the story of the years. Trams run slowly through the streets, adding a different touch to the city.

When I finally arrived at Tomsk State University, I was impressed by the strong academic atmosphere as soon as I entered the campus. The architecture on campus is complemented by both old European style and modern design elements. As one of the largest university libraries in Siberia with a collection of more than 400,000 volumes, the scientific library has a solemn and elegant appearance that I can't wait to check it out. Walking into the library, the interior decoration and facilities are both modern and technological, and in the quiet environment, students are concentrating on studying or consulting materials, which makes me immediately immersed in it and feel the vastness and charm of knowledge. In terms of learning, when I first arrived at the teaching building, I was immediately helped by Professor Olga, who led us to visit the teaching building and some classrooms. It was the first time I had visited the teaching area so closely.

Wang Yuefei:

When I came to the dormitory, I was attracted by the unique appearance of the «Parus» dormitory. It is like a giant sail raised, full of modernity and energy. I was also pleasantly surprised by the interior of the dormitory, the rooms are spacious and bright, and the private bathrooms provide convenience and privacy for our lives. There is a communal kitchen on each floor, wh ere students fr om different countries can cook together and share their food culture, just like a small platform for international exchange. There are also self-study rooms and lounges in the common area, which meet our different needs for study and leisure.

When I first arrived at TSU, I faced some challenges in terms of life. The difference in eating habits is the most obvious, the taste of Russian food is on the heavy side, and the variety is relatively limited, which is very different from the hometown food I am used to, I made my own dumplings in the dormitory kitchen and shared them with my friends abroad.

In addition, language communication is also an obstacle that needs to be overcome, even if you have learned Russian in the country, you will still encounter situations wh ere you cannot understand the locals quickly or do not speak fluently. However, the teachers and students here are very friendly and patient, they always slow down to communicate with me, giving me a lot of help and encouragement, and gradually overcoming the difficulties of language communication.

The first days at TSU were full of novelty, challenges and gains. The city, and the school, are gradually conquering me with their unique charm. I believe that in the next exchange life, I will leave more good memories here, gain more knowledge and growth, and look forward to better integrating myself here and exploring more unknown wonders. I also hope that I will have the opportunity to come to Tomsk again in the future to get a higher degree.