Maria Gerasimchuk, a second-year student majoring in English and Teacher Education, took part in the national Chinese Business Elite Competition in International Trade Simulation. The competition was held in Ningbo (Zhejiang Province) as part of the major China (Ningbo) Brand Products Expo. Ningbo is one of China's most economically developed and largest foreign trade port cities, with a well-developed cross-border business system and an international business environment.
The Business Elite Competition in International Trade Simulation has long been a part of the professional development system at Chinese economic universities. It is included in the official ranking of student competitions approved by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. The Nantong Institute of Technology team, including Maria Gerasimchuk, won second and third-place awards, confirming the high quality of business education at their partner university in China.
Maria Gerasimchuk, along with four other students from Derzhavin University, is currently completing a semester-long language internship at Nantong Institute of Technology as part of academic mobility and an agreement between partner universities. In addition to traditional courses in Chinese language and culture, Maria has chosen a specialized course in cross-border trade and e-commerce.
"The modern language and professional training model helps develop versatile specialists in demand in the international labor market. Taking the course on international e-commerce and participating in the competition became possible under the guidance of my mentor, Chai Yi, a professor at the Faculty of Business at Nantong Institute of Technology," said Maria Gerasimchuk, a representative of Derzhavin University.
She is actively pursuing elective courses in cross-border trade and achieving high academic results. She was selected for a full-time professional internship during the competition finals.
"At the exhibition, I accompanied a group of Chinese students, helping with translation into English and negotiating." The pavilions showcased products from China, Central and Eastern Europe, and several Western European countries. The product range covered virtually every area: household appliances, cosmetics, food, children's products, ceramics, and textiles. But innovative products were particularly interesting: VR glasses, smart home appliances, robots, and even light aircraft, shared Maria Gerasimchuk, a student at Derzhavin University. "We devoted the first day of the exhibition to preparation and setting up the stands: laying out product samples, preparing informational materials, and setting up the presentation equipment. The main presentation took place on the second and third days. Participants presented their selected products to buyers and the jury. The students worked actively on the project: they selected brands for the exhibition, developed a marketing strategy, negotiated with buyers, and presented their project to the jury." Live interaction allowed me to see how language skills are in demand in commerce – from verbal negotiations to formalizing agreements.
Maria says she had already shown an interest in trade and business, so she chose to take an additional course in international e-commerce at Nantun University of Technology. The exhibition in Ningbo helped her determine how she could integrate her language skills into this field. Maria Gerasimchuk realized that she was interested in working at the intersection of languages and information: translating product descriptions, assisting with communications between suppliers and international partners, and adapting content for different markets. Now, the student wants to focus on improving her English and Chinese to a level sufficient for professional communication.
The internship proved to be a productive stage of her professional training. Close interaction and collaboration between students from Russia and China contributed to strengthening friendly youth relations and developing intercultural dialogue between the two countries.
