Festival of two cultures
What do the students from other countries dream about while they are far away from their native land? Of course, home. So on the eve of their national and state holidays, students from China and Nigeria, who came to study at Belgorod Shukhov decided to organize an exhibition of national cultures. On the display there were necklaces, figurines, magnificent robes of African shamans, Chinese Fans, Asian coins and much more.
We remind, that the first of October is a significant date for the peoples of China and Nigeria. On this day the people of China are celebrating the date, when People’s Republic of China appeared on the world map and the citizens of Federal Republic of Nigeria - Independence Day.
Day of the People's Republic of China is rooted in the 50's last century. On this day in Beijing there is a military parade in the central square. Another important factor is that starting from October 1 China start to celebrate one of the two "golden weeks" when the holidays are combined with the weekend, and together form a week of leisure. At this time the streets are decorated with huge floral compositions, people take part in the festivities, fireworks are lit on the squares of the cities.
On the same day, in a distant and sunny country of Nigeria, the Independence Day is celebrated in all 36 states of the country. It happened 51 years ago, when the country was no longer a British colony. The celebration starts on the central square in the capital of Nigeria - Abuja. Attributes of the holiday are the military and student parades.
Currently 19 students from Nigeria are taking courses at BSTU, five of them are undergraduates, the rest are studying at the preparatory faculty for foreign citizens. Most of them choose engineering and construction specialties, however some apply for economists.
Samuel Oboli, a student of the institute of architecture and construction, commented on the celebration of Independence Day of his country:
Despite the fact that our country was colonized for centuries, now Nigeria is one of the most progressive countries in Africa, with its main wealth - big oil deposits. Moreover, we are the seventh in the world in oil production. The main population of Nigeria is concentrated in urban areas. More than half of residents with higher income send their children to study abroad.
Chinese students also prefer economic specialties, as well as architecture and construction. Currently 21 citizens of China are studying at the university. Students of the Institute of Architecture and Construction, Lee Mantszin and Yang Hundo have lived in Russia for four years. They have learned about our University through the "World Wide Web". Being away from home, they never forget their traditions and customs, celebrating with pleasure the Eastern New Year, and other official public holidays in China.
Aldar Zhamyanov , an employee of the Center for International Education and Cooperation at BSTU knows at first hand about the culture, history, economy and education system of this amazing country. After graduating from the Buryat State University, Aldar went to China for two and a half years. During this time, he managed to get acquainted with the culture and traditions of the Middle Empire and to study the Chinese language.
The amazing exhibition of the two cultures has aroused interest among students. Here you can see statues of Chinese emperors, magical medallions styled as "yin-yang", aromatic sticks, books with stories of China.
The Africans are also amazed the audience by the richness of their national culture. Masks, musical instruments, amulets in the form of human figures and animals, plush robes reflect the beauty of the wonderful and magical continent.
The staff of the Center for International Education and Cooperation and Preparatory Faculty for Foreign Students assist the students to adapt to the unfamiliar country, study the Russian language, learn more about Russian culture, and in organizing such events. After receiving a prestigious specialty a few years later they will return to their homeland. But for a long time they will remember the days they spent in Belgorod, their favorite teachers and the university.
Igor Mereschenko