To deepen people-to-people exchange and cultural cooperation between China and Russia, broaden students’ international horizons, fully leverage the strengths of the Northeast Asian Studies College of Jilin University in country and area studies, and strengthen international exchanges and cooperation with Russian universities, six students from the College, led by Professor Zhao Yang, participated in a 21-day summer school program titled “Russia in the Transformation of the World Order” from July 12 to July 31, 2023. The program was organized by the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation (hereinafter “Financial University”).
Opening Ceremony of the Summer School “Russia in the Transformation of the World Order”
On the morning of July 13 (Moscow time), the opening ceremony of the Financial University summer school “Russia in the Transformation of the World Order” was solemnly held in the second-floor conference room of the university’s main building. Lilia, Director of the International Relations and Exchange Office of the Financial University, and Professor Zhao Yang from the Northeast Asian Studies College of Jilin University delivered speeches on behalf of both sides and exchanged gifts. Director Lilia introduced the university’s background and the schedule of the summer school to the Chinese faculty and students. After the ceremony, Chinese students visited the Financial Museum on campus. In the evening, the Financial University hosted a welcome buffet reception for the visiting Chinese faculty and students.
Group photo of Chinese and Russian faculty and students at the Financial University main building after the opening ceremony.
The summer program was conducted in two cities—Moscow and Saint Petersburg—and consisted of two phases. During the first phase (July 13–26), Chinese participants attended a series of academic lectures and socio-cultural activities at the main campus of the Financial University in Moscow. Five professors from the Financial University delivered 16 lectures covering Russia’s economy, politics, diplomacy, history, and culture. Chinese teachers and students had in-depth and friendly discussions and exchanges with Russian professors during the lectures. Outside the classroom, Chinese participants, accompanied by Evelina (Deputy Director of the International Relations Office), staff faculty Jenny, and student volunteers from the Financial University, visited landmarks including Red Square, the State Historical Museum, the Kremlin, Tsaritsyno Estate, the towns of Alexandrov and Sergiev Posad, and Kolomenskoye, gaining insight into Russian traditional culture and the historical development of Tsarist Russia and Moscow. They also visited the Victory Museum, the Moscow River, the Central Air Force Museum, and the Ostankino Television Tower, learning in detail about Russia’s development and achievements from the Soviet era to the present-day Russian Federation.
A guide at the Victory Museum explaining the history of Moscow’s urban development to Chinese participants.
July 26 marked the last day in Moscow. At the closing ceremony, Director Lilia and Professor Zhao Yang delivered speeches respectively. The Financial University awarded completion certificates to the Chinese participants, and the campus television station conducted interviews with the Chinese faculty and students. From July 27 to July 29, participants traveled to the Financial University’s Saint Petersburg campus for the second phase of socio-cultural activities. Accompanied by university staff, they visited the Winter Palace, Peterhof Palace, Catherine Palace, Peter and Paul Fortress, Kronstadt, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, and the Neva River, gaining a deeper understanding of the history of Saint Petersburg and the evolution of Russia’s geopolitical and economic development. The “northern capital,” which encapsulates Russia’s history and national characteristics, left a profound and memorable impression on the participants. On July 30, all scheduled activities of the summer school were successfully completed, and the Chinese delegation returned to China, concluding their visit to Russia.
Chinese participants attending lectures on the Russian economy.
The Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation is one of the top-ranked universities in Russia in the field of finance and economics. In 2022, the Northeast Asian Studies College of Jilin University signed an exchange agreement with the Financial University. Both sides will continuously promote substantive exchanges and cooperation. The summer school provided a platform for young Chinese and Russian students to enhance mutual understanding and deepen traditional friendship, and offered Chinese students an opportunity to get to know and understand Russia. Students from the College successfully completed the program. The successful completion of the summer school strengthened inter-university and inter-departmental ties, promoted people-to-people exchanges among Chinese and Russian youth, and deepened Chinese students’ understanding of Russia’s history, culture, politics, economy, and society, laying a solid foundation for further practical cooperation.
Chinese participants visiting Saint Petersburg.
