INRTU Student Polina Egorova Studied Chinese at Universities in Qingdao and Haikou
INRTU student Polina Egorova spent one semester each at China University of Petroleum (Qingdao) and Hainan University (Haikou). She advanced her Chinese proficiency fr om zero to HSK 4 while immersing in the culture of Pacific coastal provinces.
Aspiring to become an interpreter, Polina Egorova enrolled in INRTU’s Baikal School of BRICS for the English-taught Bachelor’s degree program “Linguistics and Business Communications”. She studies Chinese as a second foreign language. To practice with native speakers, she undertook an internship in China during her first year.
For nearly six months, Polina studied at China University of Petroleum – a multidisciplinary university in the coastal city of Qingdao (Shandong Province). After completing her INRTU exams online, she applied for an internship at Hainan University in Haikou, located on Hainan Island resort in China’s southernmost province.
The universities’ curricula were nearly identical. Polina attended classes in general Chinese, listening comprehension, and oral communication. She frequently delivered presentations, including one about Irkutsk Oblast in Chinese.
Polina describes the internships as highly productive:
“As a linguist, I discovered a lot of new things. Thanks to the language courses, I significantly improved my Chinese language skills. When I arrived in Qingdao, I had zero knowledge, but in Haikou I was placed in the B+ level group. I overcame the language barrier quickly, reaching HSK 4 proficiency. By the way, I have already completed the qualification, so in December I will take the certification exam in Irkutsk”.
Polina notes both cities are coastal and picturesque, offering abundant leisure opportunities. Qingdao’s German-influenced architecture features European styles. The city provides captivating tours, wh ere she experienced tea ceremonies and local cuisine. On Hainan, she took calligraphy lessons and explored resort towns.
During each internship, Polina stayed in comfortable university dormitories. She vividly describes life at Hainan University:
“The campus is located on the coast: from my window there was a view of the sea and the Haikou Bridge. The single room turned out to be very spacious, with a bathroom, a kitchen and a large balcony. Unlike many dormitories, there is no ban on electrical appliances here. There are many cafeterias on campus with delicious Chinese and other cuisines, as well as a shopping centre, shops, a post office and ATMs. Hainan impressed me with its beauty: it is a true tropical paradise. The trip gave me new friends from different countries. We helped each other with our studies, took walks and explored the island. And all of this is great practice for English!” Polina Egorova emphasizes.
Hainan impressed me with its beauty: it is a true tropical paradise. The trip gave me new friends from different countries. We helped each other with our studies, took walks and explored the island. And all of this is great practice for English!” Polina Egorova emphasizes.
Chinese universities provided Polina with free tuition (as part of inter-university cooperation). She prepared reviews for the INRTU website in which she described in detail the financial expenses related to food, dormitory life and flights. The reviews are available here: Stories from Abroad.
She plans to go again on an internship to China next spring. After defending her thesis she intends to enroll in a master's degree program at either a Russian or a Chinese university.
