Education exchanges between China and Russia play a vital role in enhancing mutual understanding and fostering long-term mutual trust, said Tatiana Urzhumtseva, director of the Russian Cultural Center in Beijing.
China and Russia have designated 2026 and 2027 as the China-Russia Years of Education, which is expected to inject new momentum into bilateral exchanges in education and people-to-people cooperation.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to China, Urzhumtseva emphasized the importance of youth exchanges in presenting an authentic image of both countries.
"I have worked in the field of education for quite a long time, and I have witnessed the growth of Chinese students in Russia from generation to generation. Of course, I know the inside story. I have seen young people who arrived from China knowing nothing about Russia, and then left as completely different people -- one could say they had come to understand Russia, to know and understand everything about it. After returning to China, they pass on this information to their relatives, to their classmates, and to their work partners and so on," said Urzhumtseva.
"Likewise, young Russians studying [in China] gain a great deal of real information about real life and real people here. So, through their understanding, or rather with their help, they are conveying the real situation of our two countries," she said.
Urzhumtseva also emphasized the deep friendships formed between Russian and Chinese students, using a traditional Russian expression to describe their bond as sharing "porridge" and "bread".
"The real situation of our two countries is important. We firmly believe that when they grow up and become experts in their respective fields, and start working in their positions, their communication with their Chinese partners will be faster and easier than it is for our generation. Because they studied together. As Russians say, they 'ate porridge together,' sharing bread from the same bowl. That is very, very important, because it builds trust. Without trust, there can be no cooperation, nor any friendship," said Urzhumtseva.
Putin will pay a state visit to China from May 19 to 20 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping. This will be Putin's 25th visit to China, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular news briefing.
Education exchanges form long-lasting bonds between China, Russia: expert
