‘If You Can’t Apply Your Knowledge, It Is Like Leaving a Book in the Attic’
Xinyi Zhao, 23, is a second-year Master’s student in Comparative Social Research. Originally from Weihai, Shandong, China, she came to HSE University with a desire to turn theoretical knowledge into practical solutions. Xinyi spoke to the HSE News Service about the importance of utilising one’s learning, as well as why foreigners in Moscow shouldn’t be scared to ask for help.
Xinyi Zhao
Putting Knowledge into Practice
My undergraduate courses in Chinese language, literature, and political science were very theoretical. At that time, out of all my teachers, only my sociology teacher was interested in raising social issues before each class and letting everyone discuss them. This greatly stimulated my enthusiasm for using theory to solve social problems.
In Chinese, there is an idiom about ‘shelving knowledge in the attic’. If I cannot apply my knowledge, then my learning is like a book left in the attic. It cannot solve anything practical. Comparative social research is a discipline with strong social and practical significance.
Courses such as Social History and Gender Development have provided me with a grand and objective perspective while consistently enriching and improving my logic
In every problem, they are both forward looking and precise in controlling details.
Life in Moscow
At present, I live in Moscow, and it has made me feel the goodwill between people. My Russian is not good, but any friend who passes by is willing to help me carefully, regardless of whether it will delay them. Moscow is a place with excellent historical and cultural heritage. I have visited some museums and got a lot of inspiration—and culture shock. Of course, as a foreign student with poor language proficiency, adapting to the new language is a journey.
My personal advice is never to be scared to speak up. I have requested and received help countless times, and the kindness and patience of everyone has also made me cry countless times
Trust me: if you aren’t confident in your language ability, you can trust every introductory professor and classmate. And do not dwell on any problems. Life is about moving forward in the process of solving problems. Having the ability and opportunity to solve problems is a good thing for everyone.
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Bai Xinyi, 24, comes from Ankang, a small city in China. She is pursuing a master’s degree in Economics and Economic Policy, with a focus on Behavioural Economics, in the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences. Below, she speaks about the application process, shares some details of her favourite courses, and reminisces about talking to friendly passers-by in the streets of Moscow.
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Over 450 international students from all over the globe currently study at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences. Some of them have recorded video greetings, talked about celebrations in their home countries, and shared their ideas on how to spend the winter holidays in Russia.
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Delegations from Nanjing University and Renmin (People's) University of China have recently made their first visits to HSE University to explore potential areas of cooperation. The Chinese universities have expressed interest in initiating collaborative research projects, educational and academic mobility programmes.
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The delegation of the East China Normal University has visited HSE University’s Moscow campus. The representatives of both academic institutions confirmed their mutual interest in developing cooperation. The East China Normal University was the first Chinese institution to cooperate with HSE University. This partnership has been developing for quite a while, with the first memorandum signed on June 30, 2011, followed by two agreements on student mobility.
The China Puzzle: Building Business with the Celestial Empire
Cooperation with Chinese partners in all spheres of the economy is reaching a new qualitative level. At the same time, Russian entrepreneurs often lack knowledge about the specifics of doing business with China. Ways to solve this problem and strengthen the bilateral partnership were discussed at the ‘Russia—China: Business in a Multipolar World’ forum held at HSE University.
HSE University to Host First ‘Russia—China: Business in a Multipolar World’ International Forum
Experts from Russia and China will discuss new challenges and opportunities for business cooperation between the two countries, including those using advanced digital technologies. The event will take place on September 28 at the HSE building on Pokrovsky Bulvar. The forum is expected to be held annually.
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On July 3, the HSE University building on Pokrovka hosted the graduation ceremony of the Master’s in Applied Statistics with Network Analysis (MASNA). The programme, which trains students to use modern approaches in data and network analysis, is taught fully online in English. We spoke to Jiaxuan Wang, Sergio Camposortega, and Iris Cilenšek, three international students who came to Moscow for the graduation ceremony. The recent graduates shared their thoughts about the online format and finally meeting their classmates in person.