Between 3 and 14 January, 2022, I was studying at
Winter Online School based on East China University of Science and Technology-
ECUST. Due to the pandemic, the event was carried out remotely.
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ECUST is situated in Shanghai. It is one of the
leading universities that is under the aegis of the Chinese Ministry of
Education.
![](/internationalactivities/international_programs_for_students_MPEI/2021otz/10-01-2022%20122000-min.png)
The University includes the Research Park, which
consists of 53 academic institutes, 8 national academic and 16 regional
research centers. ECUST is also authorized among six other national
Universities as a National Technology Center.
![](/internationalactivities/international_programs_for_students_MPEI/2021otz/11-01-2022%20124457-min.png)
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ECUST has three campuses: Xuhui, Fengxian and Jinshan
that cover a total area of more than 177 hectares. Their buildings and
infrastructure are located on an area of 816 000 square meters. ECUST libraries
hold over 2.5 million books, and more than 30 000 students study there.
![](/internationalactivities/international_programs_for_students_MPEI/2021otz/12-01-2022%20141834-min.png)
For admission to the ECUST Winter School various
documents were required, including international certificates of proficiency in
Chinese, a CV and a transcript (academic progress certificate). After the
pre-approval of the application, it was required to pass the examination for
knowledge of the Chinese language. There were two: written and oral, each one
lasted for 90 minutes. Due to the time shift the examination started at 3 a.m.
Moscow time, and that was quite unusual for me. It was quite hard, but I
managed to score 88 out of 100 and was admitted to the senior group. There were
14 students. They were from Vietnam, Corea, France and one from Russia.
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The courses were held from 3 to 14 January, from 12:00
to 17:00 with a 10-minute break. The program was carried out in Chinese and was
very interesting. Its goal was to deeply study Chinese culture and the Shanghai
way of life. Chinese experts offered curious lectures on combining tradition
and modernity in a certain region..
![](/internationalactivities/international_programs_for_students_MPEI/2021otz/12-01-2022%20155116-min.png)
Experienced teachers gave useful instructions and
recommendations for learning Chinese. Daily comprehensive practice of
communication has greatly improved my knowledge. I learned a lot of new words,
tried to have dialogues and did practice tasks. Before classes, I watched video
lectures on various aspects of life and culture in China.
![](/internationalactivities/international_programs_for_students_MPEI/2021otz/13-01-2022%20153009-min.png)
The cultural online tour touched me with its scale. I
was very impressed with the sightseeing and architecture of Shanghai. It was
interesting to get acquainted with traditional Shanghai food, clothing style
and theater, to learn martial arts, Chinese painting and calligraphy from
professional teachers. I especially liked the lectures related to Chinese
culture. As well, watching the Chinese tea ceremony was very exciting. We were
told about the traditions of tea drinking in the provinces of Jiangsu and
Zhejiang. This is the first time I have witnessed this process, it is very
calming and helps to gather the thoughts.
![](/internationalactivities/international_programs_for_students_MPEI/2021otz/14-01-2022%20124301-min.png)
The classes devoted to Chinese traditional theater
were very interesting. We watched the Chinese and Shanghai Opera. I didn't
expect to be able to hear a real concert online! The music, the costumes, the
movements - everything was very beautiful. I also learned a lot of interesting
things about Chinese painting and calligraphy.
It is worth noting that the teachers always had good
sound and picture in the presentations that were of a very high quality, and
the videos were very rich. The lesson plans were well thought through. I was
really able to enjoy personal communication with teachers and an integrated
approach to studying the material, appreciated the detailing of the educational
process. Mr. Wang and Mrs. Jessica gave us comprehensive Chinese practice in a
professional manner and my Chinese has improved a lot.
![](/internationalactivities/international_programs_for_students_MPEI/2021otz/14-01-2022%20141231-min.png)
In general, the course was very diverse, colorful and
useful for me. I am glad that I was able to learn something new and I think
that this training helped me improve my vocabulary, pronunciation and get a
huge practice in using grammar. I definitely had a good time. We enjoyed doing
homework and presentations, and the whole group was involved in the process. It was a great
teamwork and learning experience!
I liked the feedback from the teachers, the choice of
material and the opportunity to have a lively dialogue with the teacher during
the practice, as well as the chance to meet students from different parts of
the world.
I thank the MPEI staff, in particular Sergey
Shirinsky, and Ms. Liu Han from ECUST for giving me the opportunity to
participate in the study competition. Thank you very much for the experience
and the chance to practice at one of the best universities in China!
Communicating with foreign professors, teachers and students from other
countries who do not speak Russian has been a colossal experience in my life.