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HSE’s ‘Oriental Crazy Day’ Marks its Sixth Year

Asian board games, calligraphy, origami, fortune telling based upon the Chinese Book of Changes (I Ching), and a traditional Japanese kabuki theater performance—these were just some of the activities in which students could participate on Oriental Crazy Day. Organized by students and professors of the School of Asian Studies in the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, the annual event was held this year as part of the ‘Asian and African Studies’ programme Open House Day.

On Oriental Crazy Day, HSE students convey their love for the East to prospective students through song, dance and theater performances. As Professor Yulia Korovina, head organizer of the event and professor of Japanese language in HSE’s School of Asian Studies, noted, an important characteristic of eastern culture is its traditionalism.

We wanted to start a new tradition at HSE that would bring together everyone who is interested in the East. And it looks like we succeeded—Oriental Crazy Day is now in its sixth year

It was the School of Asian Studies Head Aleksey Maslov’s idea to call the holiday ‘Oriental Crazy Day’. ‘The name, of course, is meant to be funny,’ says Yulia Korovina. ‘However, Asian Studies involves immersing yourself in a rather profound way into a culture that is very different from Russian culture. Eastern culture requires a high level of tolerance and the ability to apprehend a world that is different from the one you know. It entails going a bit “crazy”.’

Oriental Crazy Day is a lively celebration in which instructors and students alike participate. Students of eastern languages (Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Arabic) and their respective areas all organized activities, which took place in the school lobby. The event concluded with a big concert put on by the students—a performance that was the culmination of many months of painstaking rehearsals and preparation.

Over the past six years, the event has expanded considerably. A student team in charge of decorating the event site has been formed, and live sessions with students currently studying abroad have been added to the event programme. For some time now, HSE lyceum students of eastern languages and area studies have also participated in the event.

See also:

Tea Ceremony, Naruto and Norigae: HSE Celebrates Year of the Green Wood Dragon

On the day of the second new moon after the winter solstice, the HSE Cultural Centre welcomed admirers of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese cultures. HSE students, teachers, and guests celebrated the Lunar New Year with South Korean hit songs and popular anime openings. They attended calligraphy and origami classes, tried regional sweets, and had Far Eastern teas. The festival ended with a big concert.

Oriental Crazy Day 2023: Photos with Panda, Calligraphy and Oriental Hospitality

On May 21, HSE School of Asian Studies organised their traditional Oriental Crazy Day for 2023. Prospective students learnt more about HSE degree programmes and admission process, and met with students and university teachers at the ‘Meeting under the Stars’ held at the HSE Cultural Centre.

‘Asian Studies is a New High Tech for Russia’

Russia's pivot to the East requires balanced actions, as well as knowledge of the languages, cultures, and traditions of Asian countries. Without this, Russian businesses will not be able to work there effectively. Experts and government representatives discussed the issue and the experience of Russia's regions working in Asia at ‘The Pivot to the East: The Regional Dimension’, the first interregional conference held by HSE University with the support of the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.

Talking Chinese, Writing Articles, and Drinking Tea: What Chinese Club Students Did this Year

The HSE Chinese Student Club at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs School of Asian Studies has completed its 2021/22 season. Its participants and organisers talked to the HSE News Service about how they discuss China’s socio-economic, political, and cultural development as part of the club’s events.

Asian Studies—An Essential Subject for Students of Different Specialisations

Russian society demonstrates a growing interest in Asia and North Africa, with economic, social, political and cultural expectations associated with the macro-region. What is more, demand for educational programmes and competencies related to Asian and African studies is projected to grow in Russian universities. HSE Vice Rector Sergey Roshchin and the heads of relevant HSE departments explain the university’s past and current efforts to respond to these challenges.

Japanese Theatre, Dance and Calligraphy at Oriental Crazy Day 2022

Oriental Crazy Day is a traditional festival of the School of Asian Studies, which has been held at HSE University for eight years. This time, Asian Studies students taught guests Chinese calligraphy, Arabic script, Yemeni dancing and origami. They were also introduced to kabuki theatre and traditional Japanese drums.

Pivot to the East: A Comprehensive Study of the Cultural and Civilisational Centres of the Non-Western World is the Top Priority

China and the Chinese world, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Arab countries, Iran, Turkey, Central Asia and Africa are gaining new significance in Russia’s foreign policy. However, we do not know enough about the Eastern countries. It is necessary to change the priorities in education, starting from grammar school. Prospects for the development of domestic Oriental studies in the context of the new stage in the development of the system of international relations were discussed at a round table at HSE University.

Scientists Shouldn’t Be Afraid to Communicate. It’s Time to Speak Out

Aleksey Maslov, Professor at HSE University’s School of Asian Studies and one of its founders, has become a super-media persona this year. This is due to major interest in China amid the pandemic and Beijing’s strained relationship with Washington. In the column ‘HSE University Scientists’, Aleksey Maslov explains how to keep up with everything (spoiler: Shaolin Monastery!), why Russian science has become a ‘fossil’, what scientists should do for self-promotion and why it’s important to look good at the same time.

A Dossier of Deities: HSE University Scholars Create Electronic Database of Chinese Mythological Characters

The Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies (IOCS) at HSE University is developing an electronic database of Chinese mythological characters and motifs. Because nothing like it has ever been compiled, it meets an enormous demand. Project originators Elizaveta Volchkova, Olga Mazo, Aglaya Starostina and Alevtina Solovyova told IQ what they are attempting to accomplish and why Chinese mythology is both complicated and fascinating.

‘Tough Time Brings All of Us Closer Than Ever’

Thuy Tien Huynh from Vietnam is a second-year student in the Asian and African Studies Bachelor’s programme of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, majoring in Arabic. She enrolled at HSE University after winning an HSE Global Scholarship Competition in 2018. Thuy Tien Huynh has talked to HSE News Service about her choice of major, distance learning, and life in lockdown in Moscow.