Located only 30km from the Chinese border, the Khabarovsk State Academy of Economics and Law (KSAEL) attracts many Chinese students pursuing higher education abroad. Seeing a lack of opportunities for meaningful interaction between Russian and Chinese students at KSAEL, Elvira Gayfullina (UGRAD 2007-2008) teamed up with fellow Debate Club members at her university to connect the two groups.
Elvira and her team of volunteers organized a series of meetings throughout June for 80 Russian and Chinese students to spend time together in the countryside, the downtown city, and academic settings. A professional photographer accompanied the group to document each of these gatherings, resulting in a final photo exhibit showing the relationship between the two countries. The opening of the exhibition, held at the Khabarovsk State Academy of Economics and Law, was attended by several special guests, including a representative from the Chinese Consulate, and covered on the local TV news.
Elvira’s project was inspired in part by her experiences as a UGRAD fellow studying in Mississippi. “An important role in adapting to a new culture is played by representatives of this culture,” she reflected. “It’s always nice to be taken as a friend. That’s what I felt when I came to the United States, and that’s what I want for our Chinese friends who come to Russia.”
“In our modern world, when borders become more and more transparent, we can’t let people be unknowledgeable,” Elvira continued. “In the case of our Chinese partner, the closest neighbor living just next door, we should do the most we can to avoid any misunderstandings or clashes that might occur when different cultures meet. In addition to receiving pictures that will stay with the participants of the project for the rest of their lives, as well as the memories about those meetings, the Chinese students got good Russian friends and vice versa.”
The exhibit has already had an estimated 3,000 visitors and will be on display until October 2009. The project was made possible with funding from an ECA Project Smile grant.