• A
  • A
  • A
  • ABC
  • ABC
  • ABC
  • А
  • А
  • А
  • А
  • А
Regular version of the site

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

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

© HSE University

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.

At the festival, guests took part in competitions, listened to mini-lectures by the students about the history and culture of Asian countries, tried their hand at calligraphy and even took part in fortune-telling using the Book of Changes. The guests also hugged and took photos with the the panda mascot, an emblem of success.

School graduates told the HSE news service about the programmes they intend to apply for and why Oriental Crazy Day 2023 was important for them.

Dasha Mochalova, student of Moscow school No. 1541, plans to study Arabic. She came to the ‘Meeting under the Stars’ to learn more about the degree programmes implemented by the HSE School of Asian Studies. ‘I have already been to open days at HSE University before. These opportunites are important for applicants and for the university,’ says Dasha Mochalova. ‘Here we can learn more about the programmes and faculties, and understand whether we have chosen the right field of study. My friends who are studying at HSE University say that the atmosphere here is friendly and welcoming, and the teachers are great.’

For Polina, student of the Distributed Lyceum of HSE University in Moscow, this is not her first interaction with HSE. ‘I already feel like a member of the HSE community, I regularly participate in various events, I visit all the open days I can. I like the atmosphere and the quality of education. I plan to enroll on the HSE and Kyung Hee University Double Degree Programme in Economics and Politics in Asia,’ says Polina.

Stepan Dobrodeev, student of Moscow school No. 1678, visited HSE University for the first time for this open day. ‘I feel stunned by the scale. Everything is very interesting, many different cultures are represented. Such events definitely help me in getting to know the university better, and to understand what to expect. I want to apply for Japanese studies: I have studied different countries and cultures, but Japan interests me most of all,’ says Stepan.

Alexandra Panova, high school student of school No. 4 at the Moscow region, intends to apply for Korean studies. ‘Since 2020, I have been interested in Korean music, which inspired me so much that I decided to study this country and its culture more deeply,’ says Alexandra.

At the end of the event, the guests attended a big concert prepared by teachers and students from the School of Asian Studies, which immersed everyone in the true atmosphere of the East.

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.

‘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.

HSE Expands Offerings in Asian Studies with Opening of Joint Department with RAS Institute of Oriental Studies

HSE has been offering courses in Asian Studies for 10 years now with numerous departments and programmes producing research in the field and offering in-depth courses. In December 2019, the HSE Academic Council approved the opening of a Joint Department with the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IOS RAS). How will the IOS RAS transfer its vast experience and resource to its new home at HSE? And what traditions in the study and teaching of Asian studies already exist at HSE?