About the enrollment of Chinese language course students for the new academic year. Director of the Confucius Institute RSU T.V. Ivchenko spoke about the fashion for the Chinese language, the secrets of education in the Middle Kingdom and the intricacies of negotiations with the Chinese.
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Russian-Chinese scientific and educational center The Confucius Institute of the Russian State University for the Humanities (IC RSUH) was created in 2007 on the basis of the Institute of Linguistics of the RSUH. The initiators of the creation of the institute were the Chinese University of Economics and Foreign Trade and the Russian University for the Humanities.
The Institute for the Humanities of the Russian State University for the Humanities has created all the conditions for studying the Chinese language and Chinese culture. Every year the number of students at the institute is growing steadily.
The institute has two groups - for beginners and for those who already have basic knowledge. People of all ages come here to study.
The training program includes learning Chinese business language, preparation for the HSK test, practical classes in spoken Chinese, and written translations. You can also study in depth the basics of the Chinese economy, history and economic geography China.
The lecture at the Institute for the Humanities of the Russian State University for the Humanities is given by leading Russian experts on China.
IC RSUH actively cooperates with other universities and secondary schools, organizing joint projects for in-depth study of Chinese culture and language.
The institute has a library equipped with modern teaching aids in Chinese, which are published directly in China itself.
Science of hieroglyphs
And also the Chinese master's degree and the secret of how Russian student go to study in China for free
Starting from the new academic year, a new master’s program “China in modern global and regional politics and economics” is opening at the Russian State University for the Humanities, where it is expected in-depth study Chinese language and a number of disciplines related to the history, economics and culture of China. What requirements of the time does it meet?
Over the past 20 years, the number of people studying in Russia Chinese, increased 10 times. Starting from 2019, it will be officially included in the list of unified state exams (USE), which are taken by school graduates of their choice. Already, 8 thousand schoolchildren are studying it.
The director of the Confucius Institute of the Russian State University talks about the fashion for the Chinese language, the secrets of education in the Celestial Empire and the intricacies of negotiations with the Chinese. humanitarian university, associate professor of the department oriental languages, Doctor of Philology ( Ph. D.) Taras Ivchenko.
Chinese "web"
- Taras Viktorovich, what are the reasons for the “Chinese fever” - the passion for the Chinese language?
I think it's not so much a fashion as a necessity. The Russian leadership has indicated a turn to the East. IN lately More and more business contacts are emerging with China, there are serious and large joint projects, and there will be even more of them in the future. It is now quite obvious that no one in the West is going to lift sanctions, so the People’s Republic of China remains one of the most promising economic partners for Russia. In addition, China has become more accessible. Visiting this country is now much easier. And culturally, it has become closer to us, or rather, more famous and familiar, in particular, wushu, taijiquan, Chinese traditional painting and calligraphy, Chinese tea culture and much more are very popular. Here is a set of reasons why everything more people learn Chinese.
- But Chinese is popular not only in Russia. In Kazakhstan, it almost displaces Russian. Schools for studying Chinese are opening in Germany and Brazil.
It's simple. China today is the “factory of the world,” the second largest economy in the world after the United States. And there are all the prerequisites to become the first. The Chinese make everything and sell it all over the world. Therefore, the Chinese language in many countries is beginning to take 3-4 place in popularity. Large Chinese economic projects are developing in Kazakhstan. This means there is a need to master the language of business partners. Nowadays people don’t learn Russian to read Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, as they did before. Today's youth are much more pragmatic. They learn the language they need to work more efficiently and provide for their family.
And in addition, China is pursuing a targeted policy to spread the Chinese language and Chinese culture, in particular, through the opening of Confucius Institutes.
- This is probably the widest network of national language learning centers in the world?
I think so, because different countries today there are more than 500 Confucius Institutes. And they work on fundamentally different conditions than, say, the German Goethe Institutes or the Spanish Cervantes Institutes. The latter are subordinate to the Ministry of Education of the country that opens them, and it also approves curriculum, textbooks, teachers. The Confucius Institute, for example at the Russian State University for the Humanities, is not Chinese center, but is subject to all the rules of our university, definition educational literature, programs and other things is a matter of our choice.
- Who can study at the Confucius Institute?
Anyone from the age of 11, regardless of education level. At the end of the semester we conduct an exam. Based on its results, the student is recommended to further study or repeat the course if something did not work out. Students, future Chinese language teachers, China specialists who want to continue their education at a Chinese university and who have studied for some time at the Confucius Institute can count on a scholarship from the Chinese government. The application indicates two universities where the student would like to go. Depending on the availability of quotas, the Chinese government distributes applicants to higher educational institutions, pays for studies, accommodation and pays scholarships. But participants in the “New Sinology” program (Sinology is a complex of sciences about the history, economics, politics, philosophy, culture and language of China), enrollment for which was recently opened by the headquarters of the Confucius Institutes in Beijing, can apply for inclusion in the program by preparation of masters and doctors of science and upon completion of studies receive the corresponding academic degree.
- It is believed that learning Chinese is difficult. How do you still achieve success?
Rumors about the difficulty of learning Chinese have been greatly exaggerated. You just need to get used to it. They often say: you must have a keen ear for music, you must learn from childhood, otherwise it is impossible to master the Chinese language. These are all myths. Everyone who studies Chinese in universities and studies, for example, at Confucius Institutes, refute this with their example. Yes, you need to get used to the peculiarities of Chinese writing and practice pronunciation. But it’s the same with any language. In German, French It's also not very easy to pronounce. Do many of us speak English without an accent? The Chinese language has such a feature as tones. Depending on the tone, the same word will have different meaning. But you can learn this. As the Chinese proverb says, if you do something, difficult things become easy. If you don't do this, then the easy becomes difficult.
- Do we need so many specialists with knowledge of Chinese? Will they be in demand? What advantages does this give when applying for a job?
In any specialty, knowledge of any foreign language is an advantage. Moreover, there are now a huge number of projects in Russia with Chinese partners. As for broader specialists in China, theoretically they are very necessary, but practically they are not always in demand to the extent they should be. The labor market in Russia is not yet brain-intensive enough. Simply put, a young engineer will have difficulty finding a good job in his specialty; he will be offered the position of sales manager much faster. But I am sure this situation is temporary. And if we look forward, to the future, these specialists will be extremely needed in the near future. Today in Russia it is necessary to seriously engage in the study of China, which means it requires the training of high-quality specialists who are fluent in the Chinese language and who are oriented in all aspects of the life of the PRC, its position in world politics and economics. Such an attempt to look into the future is the creation of a new master's program at the faculty international relations and foreign regional studies, which is called “PRC in modern global and regional politics and economics.”
- Please tell us more about this program. What kind of jobs can graduates expect to get?
The peculiarity of the new master's program is that it places high demands on knowledge of the Chinese language for applicants. All courses will be related to the PRC, and a number of them will be in Chinese. We invite professors from China to teach. In particular, from the University international business and economics from Beijing (UIBE), with which we cooperate. Short-term and long-term internships in China are expected for undergraduates. As well as summer and winter camps (both in Russia and China), during which Russian and Chinese students will work together on certain projects and then present the results of their work. In the future, we plan to ensure that graduates of the master’s program can receive diplomas from both the Russian State University for the Humanities and a Chinese university. But our goal is not a “double” diploma in itself, but still quality education. This refers to basic fundamental training that will allow our graduates to choose work in various fields of business, politics, culture, and humanitarian cooperation. Courses are planned on the history of modern China, Russian-Chinese relations, the system public administration China, also series of lectures and practical classes on the position of the PRC in the world (SCO, BRISK), on reforms and economics. By the way, to teach the last course we specially invite a professor from China who is specifically involved in such research. The program includes a course on Chinese stock markets and a course on Chinese minorities. All courses will be taught by leading experts in these fields.
Where can you apply yourself? In the field of international trade, diplomatic and economic cooperation, in specific Russian-Chinese projects, for example, in energy, etc.
The new “Chinese” master’s program is designed for 2 years, with a total of 15 places. At least 5 of them will be budget ones. In the future, it is possible to expand admission to the free department, as well as increase the duration of training.
- What is the secret of the Chinese education system? Recently, the Chinese have begun to overtake Russian schoolchildren even where they have traditionally been leaders, in mathematics, for example. Many Chinese universities are included in leading world rankings.
There is no secret. Funding education is an investment in the long-term future. This means that it must be a government investment. This is not always interesting for private businesses. The state invests in itself without expecting immediate profit. This is what is happening in China. Moreover, even many projects are financed there that are simply of cultural significance and do not imply economic return. In China, scientists - mathematicians, physicists, chemists - are needed to work in a huge number of projects that are currently being developed in areas where China wants to achieve a breakthrough. That's why intensive preparation scientific personnel started from school. At the same time, China's leading universities - Peking University, Tsinghua University, Beijing Normal University and others - have become not just educational, but educational and scientific centers. Their specialists are in great demand in the system, in the Chinese economy. Although she herself graduate School appeared relatively recently in China. The first university is Beijing teacher training college appeared in 1898. Peking University grew out of it. But, as the Chinese proverb says, the one who hits the gong later can play the play better. History and tradition are very important. But equally important is how the system works now.
As for Chinese schools, the best educational institutions There is a very strict selection process at universities. Not everyone can withstand it. But no stress means no progress. It's hard to study in them study load high. It is no coincidence that the problem of how to reduce the pressure on children who are very tired from studying is now being actively discussed in Chinese society.
How to understand Chinese
- Our businessmen often complain that it is very difficult to come to an agreement with Chinese partners. Like, they don’t say “yes” or “no.” Why? So different mentality?
The point is not a difference in mentality, but a failure to comply with the basic rules of negotiation - calmness and observation. And also in the lack of ability to wait, not to rush. Negotiations that were conducted with the Chinese side in an extremely professional manner are rare to see. Structures that have been working fruitfully with China for a long time are successful in this, in particular Russian Railways, the Ministry of Energy and others. In particular, I was struck by the dialogue between the representative of the Russian Orthodox Church, who communicated with an official from the Chinese government's Religious Affairs Department. Tactfulness, intelligence, observation, respect for the interlocutor. In such a situation, you don’t even need to say anything about the person’s mentality. He understands everything himself.
Yes, it’s really not customary for the Chinese to often speak or refuse directly - so as not to offend the interlocutor or spoil the relationship. So what? You can learn to understand them. It's not that difficult. If you were told: “We need to think about this,” it means that the Chinese side, most likely, does not yet see any prospects in your proposal. And besides, there is general rule conducting negotiations and simply communicating: you should always try to put yourself in the place of your interlocutor. Have you clearly defined all the conditions? Probably not all. Have you presented the picture clearly? Apparently not quite. Why don’t the Chinese say “no” in this case? What if you change your mind and offer other conditions? Therefore, when communicating with the Chinese, and not only with them, rigidity and straightforwardness are not always effective.
- Where would you advise people who want to learn more about China to start?
It is best to go to China first to see with your own eyes what it is like. You can start with books. There is an encyclopedia “Spiritual Culture of China”, books such as “Chinese Civilization”, collections of Chinese philosophy and many others. Chinese culture has a very long history. She has accumulated valuable spiritual and intellectual knowledge (practices of working with one’s consciousness, with spiritual energy, knowledge of medicine, etc.), not to mention poetry, literature, painting, which have not only Chinese, but universal value.
RSUH has a prestigious international profile. He is a member of various international associations and network structures - International Association of Universities(IAU) European University Association(EUA) European University Information Network(EUNIS), Global University Network for Innovation (GUNI).
The university cooperates with 200 universities in Europe, America, Asia, Africa, Australia, 25 of which are among the 100 leading universities in the world according to the Shanghai Ranking, the Times Higher Education Ranking and the QS Ranking. Among them are universities such as the University of Cambridge (UK), University of Bologna (Italy), Humboldt University (Germany), University of Freiburg. Albert Ludwig (Germany), Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (Germany), University of Göttingen (Germany), Charles University (Czech Republic), University of Oslo (Norway), Sorbonne University (France), University of Basel (Switzerland), Uppsala University (Sweden), Tokyo State University (Japan), Jagiellonian University (Poland), etc.
The University provides humanitarian support to international educational and scientific projects, and also participates in innovative projects implemented jointly with UN (UNESCO, UNICEF), European Commission(Tempus, Erasmus Plus, 7th Framework Program scientific research, Horizon 2020 program), Council of Europe, German Academic Exchange Service(DAAD), German Science Foundation(DFG), Library of Congress, Italian Institute of Culture and other international organizations.
RSUH is a member of a consortium of 39 Russian universities within the framework of the priority project “ Development of export potential Russian system education", including such models for exporting education as internal internationalization, joint international educational programs, institutional presence of Russian educational organizations abroad, online training and networking universities Within the framework of the project, RSUH pays special attention to the development of internal internationalization and joint educational programs as the main tools for attracting foreign students to study in Russian Federation.
One of the tools for implementing the internationalization strategy at the Russian State University for the Humanities is academic mobility. Every year, more than 300 students, graduate students, doctoral students and teachers study and undergo internships abroad. In turn, more than 350 foreign students, graduate students, doctoral students and teachers come to study at RSUH annually as part of Erasmus Plus projects, as well as within the framework of bilateral exchange agreements of one semester or more. In addition, on a permanent basis at the Russian State University for the Humanities More than 700 foreign students study.
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