Ksenia Kovalevskaya, 3rd year student of the Business Administartion program about studying at Antai College of Economics and Management in China
My name is Kovalevskaya Ksenia and I am a 3rd year Business Administration student. In the fall of 2024, I was an exchange student at Antai College of Economics and Management at Jiaotong University in Shanghai. I chose this university because I already have a pretty good knowledge of Chinese and I am interested in business in China.
Jiaotong University is considered one of the best in the country, and its Antai Business School has high ratings. Preparations for the trip went quickly. It took about a week to get a visa, and the visa itself was done in three days. Checking into the dormitory took place at the same time as registering at the institute in the Taoliyuan dormitory building. On the same day, students usually get a Chinese phone number and open an account at Bank of China, a branch of which is located at entrance 5 of the Xuhui campus. There are two main campuses in Jiaotong, traveling between them by university bus takes 40 minutes and costs 6 yuan. If you need clothes upon arrival or want to buy souvenirs later, I recommend visiting the fake markets right at the subway stations. There you can find almost everything and haggle, which sometimes halves the price. Also, household items for the home can be easily bought in IKEA and Walmart, which are available in Shanghai.
First impressions and adaptation
Shanghai is a huge, dynamic city where modern skyscrapers combine with traditional Chinese architecture. Adaptation was easy thanks to my knowledge of Chinese. Living in a dormitory made it much easier to meet new people. I was lucky to have a roommate, a girl from Bulgaria, and we became close friends, but some people had difficulties living together. It can be more difficult for people without knowledge of Chinese - almost no one speaks English outside the university and you will have to use a translator all the time, for which you need a VPN. Chinese culture differs from Russian culture in many ways. For example, local communication traditions and daily habits may seem unusual. At the same time, the Chinese are very friendly, and if you know the language at least at a basic level, you can make useful acquaintances.
The learning process and everyday life
At Jiaotong I studied Chinese language, e-commerce, industrial organization, as well as two master's courses - business law in China and doing business in China: marketing. The teaching format is different from HSE: there is no division into lectures and seminars, classes are mixed, and attendance is not always mandatory. Most subjects required group projects, which turned out to be more difficult than in HSE, as it was not always possible to assess the responsibility and motivation of fellow students in advance. In general, however, I found studying in China easier than in HSE. Students often put classes at the beginning of the week to leave a few free days for traveling. Many guys visited Korea and Japan, and traveled to different cities in China.
One of the most convenient things about China is the well-developed delivery system. There are drop-off points for Taobao as well as Meituan delivery units on campus. This makes it easy and cheap to order food, household goods, and just about anything without leaving your dorm.
The most vivid memories
The main thing that this experience gave me was the expansion of my social circle. My friends and I visited festivals, parties, attractions, had movie nights, went to karaoke. For Christmas we rented an apartment overlooking the Bund. Many of my friends have already invited me to visit. It's a great opportunity to continue international networking and see other countries from a local's perspective. After the semester ended, my sister and a friend came to visit me and I showed them Shanghai. Dinner at a restaurant at Oriental Pearl Tower, a trip to the “Venice of China,” a day at Shanghai Disneyland, walking along Nanjing Road, visiting Yu Garden and temples-the list of experiences is huge.
Acquired skills and achievements
Studying abroad gave me experience in an international environment. I became completely fluent in English and improved my everyday Chinese. The experience also taught me how to adapt to different work styles and interact with people from different cultures.
Conclusion
“Studying as an exchange student in Shanghai was a valuable experience. It gave me practical skills, international connections and a new perspective on business in China. Advice to students: don't be afraid of challenges, be open to new things, adapt and take advantage of opportunities.
