Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs celebrated the Eastern New Year
Organizers of event, Faculty’s project group «Holidays of the Peoples of the East», and HSE Chinese, Korean and Japanese student clubs, have prepared thoroughly for the celebration of the Year of the Wood Dragon. The first part of the celebration program included master classes, where everyone could get acquainted with various types of art in China, Korea and Japan, and traditions of the peoples of East Asia. Exciting games and lotteries, a tea ceremony, classes in Chinese, Korean and Japanese calligraphy and other activities were also held for adults and children. Potential applicants and their parents were provided with the opportunity to receive detailed consultations about educational programmes of the Faculty. Not only an interesting interactive program was organized for the guests, but also a festive banquet.
The culmination of the event was a large concert that brought together student talents from various educational programmes of the Faculty, where oriental languages are studied, as well as from oriental studies of the HSE Lyceum. In 2024, an even larger number of HSE students and staff, applicants, parents and other enjoyers of Eastern culture showed interest in the Eastern New Year than before. The concert hall was packed, and warmly welcomed all the young artists.
The concert was opened by greetings from the Deputy Dean for Research, Alexandra Morozkina, Head of the School of Asian Studies, Andrey Karneev, Deputy Head of the School of Asian Studies, Head of the Department of Chinese Studies of the School of Asian Studies, Alexandra Sizova, Head of the Department of Korean Studies of the School of Asian Studies, Pavel Leshakov and Head of the Department of Japanese Studies of the School of Asian Studies Irina Gordeeva.
The program of the concert included a variety of traditional and modern art. Lyceum students presented an original theatrical staging of the legend of the origin of the symbols of the Chinese horoscope years. The scene of the students of the Asian and African Studies programme introduced the guests to the traditions of celebrating the New Year in Vietnam. A regular participant in the cultural events of the School of Asian Studies – the Japanese Student Theater «Kabuki» (N. Klobukova, the head of the Theater) has prepared a play by the Kyōgen comic theater «Bones, Skin and Novice».
Dance numbers of the students of the Asian and African Studies programme and the Lyceum students studying Korean and Chinese were filled with energy and vivid emotions. Dancers presented K-pop covers of the Seventeen’s «Super», Infinite’s «Be mine», Dreamcatcher’s «Piri», Oneus’s «Luna». Also in the concert program was the spectacular final performance «Dragon» presented by the 1st and 2nd year students studying Chinese. This performance marked the arrival of the New Year of the Dragon.
The vocal performances evoked a lively reaction from the audience. HSE students and Lyceum students presented emotional performances of lyrical songs in the languages they are studying – «Sayonara Baby» and «Blue Bird» in Japanese, Jungkook’s «Still with you» in Korean, as well as songs from the cartoon «Rapunzel» in translation into Chinese.
Invited participants – members of the Club for the Study of Wudang Wushu and Qigong «Black Turtle» (E. Kozlov, the Head of the Club), who demonstrated exercises from taijiquan, as well as exercises with swords, halberds and a meteorite hammer, brought to the audience unforgettable impressions.
The amazing capabilities of dexterity and coordination were demonstrated by 4th year student of the World Economy programme Ivan Slipchenko in his Chinese circus juggling performance «Ivan and the Magic Beans». Magic beans were also symbols of another performance. Students of the School of Asian Studies studying Japanese performed the traditional Setsubun ritual, which, according to legend, helps to drive out evil spirits from the house. Guests who caught the beans were promised good luck for the entire coming year.
The Eastern New Year 2024 was not complete without a prize draw. This year, the «Lingua» editorial office of the AST publishing house became a partner of the drawing, providing three sets of educational and fiction literature in Chinese, Korean and Japanese as prizes.
In the final part of the evening, professors of the School of Asian Studies – members of the «Holidays of the Peoples of the East» project group Maria Efimenko, Alexandra Sizova, Arina Shchinova, Anna Yanishevskaya, and hosts of the concert – students of the Asian and African Studies programme Vitaly Senotrusov and Irina Mezheritskaya, summed up the event and thanked all participants – teachers, student artists, volunteers and Lyceum students for their great work in preparing and holding a large-scale event. The organizers of the event also thanked the guests for their interest and warm welcome.
Project group (Departments of Chinese, Japanese and Korean Studies of the School of Asian Studies):
- Professors of the School of Asian Studies: Alexandra Sizova, Associate Professor, Deputy Head of the School of Asian Studies, Head of the Department of Chinese Studies; Irina Gordeeva, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of Japanese Studies; Anna Yanishevskaya, Senior Lecturer; Jeong Ji In, Senior Lecturer; Maria Efimenko, Lecturer; Maya Lesman, Lecturer; Valerie Toporkova, Lecturer; Arina Shchinova, Lecturer;
- Students of the Asian and African Studies programme: Vitaly Senotrusov, Irina Mezheritskaya, Amina Tursunova, Karina Belyaeva and others.
We also thank the HSE Chinese Club, HSE Korean Club «Hallyan», and the HSE Japanese Club «Musubi» for participating in the organization of the event.
The organizers express their gratitude to the Scientific Commission and the management of the Faculty for the financial support of the project «Holidays of the Peoples of the East». We would like to invite all Eastern culture enjoyers to our future events!