AI-generated Notes: INRTU student Elizaveta Prosekina studies design in China
Elizaveta Prosekina, a third year student of INRTU, is studying at Zhejiang Wanli University (China) as part of the academic mobility program. She’s studying architecture and design in English, AI trends and brand management. Right in the middle of the semester, she shared her impressions of the student life there.
Zhejiang Wanli University is a private university in the city of Ningbo, which is seen as the hub for industry, trade, finance and logistics in Eastern China. INRTU and the Chinese university signed a memorandum of cooperation and an academic exchange in 2024.
As the future architect and designer, Elizaveta Prosekina chose courses those are directly related to her future profession, but differ from the usual curriculum at INRTU.
The main difference of the local educational system is its focus on AI and advanced technologies. While in Russia novice architects concentrate on narrow academic areas such as drawing, painting and designing, in China design is viewed as creating a brand using modern AI tools.
Elizaveta learns the basics of working with AI, writing the exact prompts and generating images. Most of her classmates are students from China, though her cohort also includes students from Japan and African countries.
The academic process at a Chinese university is entirely based on digital technologies. In the classroom, students use only laptops and tablets – paper notebooks and pens are no longer in use.
"There’s an entirely different learning system here: lots of communication and no notes. Thanks to AI, I have summary notes of each lecture on my smartphone. AI comprehends the teacher's speech in real time, analyzes important points, and then provides the concise information.
And at the same time, I don’t use the Internet at all, since everything can be done in one educational application. I also do my homework assignments in digital format," student says.
The typical exam period, that Russian students are used to, isn’t implied within the modular training at Zhejiang Wanli University.
"I won’t have exams. Classes in one course last only six weeks, and at the end of the course, you have to submit the final project," Elizaveta explains.
Elizaveta Prosekina lives in a hotel-type dormitory on campus. She hasn’t gotten used to Asian cuisine, so she prefers to cook by herself. Personal expenses, accommodation and insurance are paid by herself, while the studying is free under the agreement.
This is the first experience of studying abroad for the student. When choosing a country and a university, she oriented for the professional specifics of the program.
"There are relatively few exchange programs those are directly related to design and architecture. Zhejiang Wanli University was the best fit for me. Ningbo is an industrial center located by the water, so delivery is really developed here and you can always buy inexpensive seafood. It’s also just a cool city with a well-developed infrastructure.
The main purpose of my trip is communication with foreign students and acquaintance with a new country and advanced technologies. Moreover, this is a great opportunity to experience an independent life and approach your profession from a completely different angle," INRTU student says.
