INRTU Students Boris Mansurov and Valery Toporkov - Winners of the Regional Contest “Discover Your China”

Valery Toporkov and Boris Mansurov from INRTU became prize-winners of the regional essay contest among students and schoolchildren “Discover Your China”. The contest was organized by the Irkutsk branch of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Society. The event was dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the People's Republic of China and the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, as well as to the Years of Culture of Russia and China in 2024/2025.

The “Discover Your China” contest was held in three categories. Participants aged 11-25 were invited to talk about the Celestial Empire's contribution to world culture, economy and science. Twelve people made it to the finals, and the best works of 13 authors, including nine students, were recognized.

On October 11, the winners and prize-winners of the creative project were congratulated by Konstantin Zaitsev, Chairman of the Government of the Angara Region, and Mi Guixiong, Consul for Science and Technology of the Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Irkutsk. The most outstanding students received diplomas, medals, cups and prizes.

The second place in the nomination “Science” was taken by future biotechnologist Valery Toporkov, who studies food waste processing. In the contest project, the INRTU student discussed the achievements of Chinese geneticists.

”The research team has successfully applied CRISPR gene editing technology to treat beta-thalassemia in a 13-year-old patient. This was the world's first case of successful clinical application of this technology to treat an inherited blood disorder, opening new horizons in the treatment of genetic diseases,” noted Valery Toporkov.

The student is currently undergoing a language internship at the China University of Petroleum.

Fourth-year student Boris Mansurov came second in the Economics nomination. In his creative work, the INRTU student outlined China's role in international financial relations. According to the student, most of the goods and equipment are produced in China, so everyone is familiar with the economy and achievements of the neighboring country.

"This is the story of how one country, despite all the challenges and obstacles, was able to become a key player on the world stage, impacting the lives of billions of people. For me, China is a symbol of change and progress, an example of how courage, perseverance and innovation can change the world. And there is something incredibly inspiring about this change - the feeling that we are living in an era of great change, wh ere new horizons are opening up every day,” shared Boris Mansurov.