China's media group conducts interview in Saint Petersburg State University. (Photo/CNTV)
An enthusiasm for studying Chinese has swept St. Petersburg and other places in Russia.
To meet the increasing demand of fluent Chinese speakers in the job market, many Russian parents are encouraging their kids to learn the language, according to Babelyuk Ekaterina Gennadievna, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs of the Saint Petersburg State University.
"We need people who understand Chinese to promote bilateral cooperation in various fields, so as to advance the development of Belt and Road Initiative", she said.
Students trained by her school have flexible career prospects, either work at the Chinese-funded enterprises in Russia or those Russian enterprises in China, she said.
Some excellent students have the chance to enter governmental sectors or public institutions such as Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she added.
China's media group conducts interview in Saint Petersburg State University. (Photo: CNTV)
Talking about specific learning, Alexey Rodionov, deputy director of the Department of Oriental Studies in St. Petersburg State University, noted that reading and writing are not the biggest barrier for the students. Rather, the difficulty for the Russian students, he stressed, lies in cultivating a Chinese way of thinking and deepening their understanding about Chinese culture.
To help them in this respect, he explained, the university has opened a Confucius institute with accomplished Chinese teachers and therefore remarkable results could be expected.
Besides, St. Petersburg State University has signed 53 cooperation treaties with major Chinese education institutions, including Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Renmin University of China.
