‘I Will Always Carry Gratitude to HSE and Move Forward for My Dream’
Fan Minlan, a 25-year-old from the coastal city of Zhangzhou in southeastern China, has recently graduated from the HSE Master’s Programme in Population and Development. In her interview with the HSE News Service, Fan Minlan speaks about her decision to enrol at HSE University, the challenges of speaking Russian, her career plans, and the love story that started with her studies.
Why I Chose HSE University in Moscow
When I did my bachelor’s degree in China, my major was English language and literature. During four years of study, I became so interested in foreign cultures, so I wanted to study abroad to see the world myself.
Russia was my first option when I made up my mind to study abroad. This is thanks to the close relationship between Russia and China, the friendliness of Russians towards Chinese people, and of course, the renowned higher education system in Russia
I chose Moscow for several reasons. First, the capital of Russia is very famous, very developed and historical, and I wanted to come and see what it is like. Second, the education quality is the best in Russia. And lastly, the prevalence of English is high, so I can survive with beginner-level Russian.
I searched the top universities in Moscow, and HSE was the most suitable for me when I compared it to other universities like MSU, RUDN, etc. HSE has the highest number of English-taught programmes among Russian universities, ranging from sociology and art to mathematics, economics, and biology. This is very important to me and gives me the opportunity to choose the programme that I am interested in because I cannot take a Russian-taught programme. Another important factor is that HSE is very international.
HSE University accepts students from all over the world and has a very good English environment
So, I believed I could encounter diverse cultures and make friends with people from many countries, and later it proved to be right. I also read a lot of news about academic events and student activities at HSE on its webpage, and I felt that it was a very prestigious, energetic, and creative university, which makes HSE very attractive to me.
Challenges I Face
For me, the most difficult part is the Russian language. Before coming to Moscow, I learned Russian for three months on Duolinguo. I only grasped the alphabet and some basic daily expressions, so most of the time I need to use a translator to communicate with local people if the conversation is a bit complicated. Not being able to speak Russian fluently made me feel very alienated, like I was outside of the life and culture here. But as time went by, I learned to accept the fact that I cannot communicate with local people as in my home country—but that does not necessarily mean that I was not accepted by Moscow. Now when some tourists from other cities visit Moscow and they ask me for directions, I feel like I am a Moscow local.
My Studies
It’s hard to say which course I enjoy the most because I like most of the courses on our programme, such as the seminars given by different professors on labour economy, housing policy, and general economy, etc.
I love to be present in class and have discussions with professors and classmates in most of the courses
Prof. Alexander Larionov is one of my favourite professors. In his class, the course content is very informative, and I especially enjoy the way he interacts with us. He is like our friend—always willing to listen to us, encourage us, and help us. I am very grateful to have him as our academic supervisor.
My Extracurricular Life
Very luckily, I found time for some activities outside study. I went to the volleyball court of our university for training for around a month, and also went to China’s embassy from time to time.
I haven’t been able to participate in specific volunteering activities, but I always carry my camera to campus for student activities and if students ask me to take photos for them I always do it very willingly.
Music is everywhere in Moscow! In the street, in metro stations, and in the campus, there are always musicians playing beautiful music
I was working for the HSE Chinese social media for one and a half years. During this time I wrote posts on the HSE WeChat official account every week, mostly about HSE programmes, the latest news, academic events, student interviews, etc.
Living in Moscow
When I first arrived in Moscow, I was very surprised that there are not tall buildings all around the city centre, because in China, one of the main criteria of a city centre is the number of tall buildings. But to be honest, I prefer having fewer high constructions in a city because they block the view and make it feel crowded.
I love the cultural environment in Moscow. The city is rich in museums, art galleries, theatres, and more
The Tretyakov Gallery and the Pushkin Sate Museum of Fine Arts are my favourites. The Impressionist paintings in the Pushkin Sate Museum of Fine Arts are amazing! I highly recommend it to every fan of Impressionist painting. The amount and quality of artworks there is just amazing!
I also like the parks in Moscow. Choose a sunny day and sit on the bench watching people walking with their loved ones, kids, pets, or friends—it is one of the most enjoyable things to do in Moscow.
I love VDNKh very much. It is very near to my dormitory, so I take a walk to there almost every week, sometimes even every day. Near the main gate of VDNKh is an old shopping centre. The owners there are generally a bit older, and I feel like I’m talking to my own grandparents when I buy things from them. Whenever I feel down, I always go to that shopping centre and talk to Бабушка and Дедушка.
Travelling and Summer Plans
I’ve been to St Petersburg, Tula, Voronezh, Rostov-on-Don, Krasnodar, and Crimea. Russia is such a big country, and I really want to travel to more cities.
Wherever I go, local people are always willing to help me even though I don’t speak fluent Russian
I also met incredibly nice people while on the train to these cities. On my way back to Moscow from Crimea, there was a gentleman who played guitar in his cabin and invited passengers to sit with him, share food, and sing together. In the end, he even gave me a whole bottle of Crimean champagne as gift because I shared some Chinese candies with him. It was a very nice travelling experience!
This summer I will stay in Moscow till August, and find some nice places to visit with my husband. We would like to visit Sochi very much. We heard that there are amazing beaches and beautiful seas there.
My Future Plans
I would like to continue on a doctoral programme after graduation. I am very interested in women’s issues, especially fertility desire and choices among young women, which is the topic of my master’s thesis. I hope to continue this study in the future, to explore the dilemmas and difficulties of contemporary young women in the face of career, family, and children.
Before I came to HSE, I never knew I was capable of conducting social research
HSE professors encouraged me and helped me step out of my comfort zone with great patience and guidance, especially my thesis supervisor Elena Churilova. She’s been very complimentary about my work and helped me for more than a year for my research. Owing to my supervisor and other professors’ encouragement, now I have made up my mind to apply to a PhD programme. I will always carry this gratitude to HSE and move forward for my dream.
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