Student Exchange Opportunities: Global China Program

Nikita Folomov about student’s exchange program in Shanghai.

Hi there ! I am a student of the HSE "Socio-economic and political development of modern Asia" master's program. At the beginning of the second year I went to an internship at the East China Normal University, which is located in Shanghai.

Even before entering the HSE, I knew about international mobility program for students and really wanted to be among those who would be allowed to do internships abroad. By that time, I already had the experience of studying in Taiwan, where I studied Chinese, and in the future plans there was a trip to mainland China. When I got to know that HSE cooperates with one of the Shanghai universities, the decision to apply was made at the same second. The procedure itself took no more than two months. At the end of March, I uploaded an application to the LMS, and in May I was holding an invitation from Shanghai.

At the university I studied under the Global China Program, which included 4 conditional disciplines (Economics, Sociology, Marketing, Globalization) and a Chinese course. The thing is that courses in Economics and Sociology were designed for students with basic knowledge of China. I cannot say that these courses were useless, but I expected to encounter more complex material.

As for the courses on Marketing and Globalization, here I can positively evaluate both the teachers and the material. Marketing classes are taught by an American professor with extensive experience in this field. Due to the fact that he has lived both in Japan and China for the last twenty years, every theoretical aspect was supported by an example from his or international practice. The same can be said about Globalization course. In addition to being a field researcher for a long time, a professor attracted local students and children of migrants and other people who were affected by the globalization processes in the PRC to work on the educational material. This is a truly outstanding approach to the presentation of the material, which helped me to perceive scientific activity in a livelier manner.

Shanghai itself is an amazing place. On the one hand, the city is striking in its size, and on the other, here you can find the quietest and secluded areas in the world hidden in the shadows of giant buildings. I believe that the cost of life and rent prices in Shanghai are higher than in most Chinese cities. I spent about 700 dollars monthly. I paid about $ 1,700 per semester for a dormitory. An important caveat: regardless of how much you plan to stay in a dorm, 3 months or 4, in any case, you have to pay for the entire semester.

I want to wish good luck and patience to the students who will study at this university. Hope you enjoy life in Shanghai.