Chinesewings.com 2004/06/17

　　On June 12, the preliminaries for Russia in the 3rd Chinese Bridge—Chinese Proficiency Competition for foreign college students was held at the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Moscow, Russian Federation. Eight contestants entered the competition with two shining through in the end, 克賽尼亞 of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University and 狄伯仁of Moscow’s Faculty of World Politics. They will represent Russia in the secondary and final rounds held August this year in Beijing.
　　Due to historical reasons, Mandarin was never a mainstream language in Russia and only few universities in Moscow and other cities offered the expertise. The amount of students who pursued Mandarin was limited and generally took jobs in foreign affairs, education, broadcasting or analytical research dealing with Mandarin. However, starting in the 1980s, interaction between China and Russia begin to increase. At the time, it was hard to find a decent translator in Russia so China had to frequently dispatch translators for the exchanges.
The lack of Mandarin-speaking personnel in Russia has created numerous job opportunities for students who have studied the language. Individuals are usually poached before graduation with corporations promising high salary to compete with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and like organizations. Even graduates with average Mandarin linguistic skills can find agreeable jobs. Furthermore, college students can earn USD$1,500/month just by working as a tour guide on the weekends and holidays.
　　The favorable treatment of Mandarin-speaking personnel has effectively promoted Chinese education. The Moscow State University and the Faculty of World Politics along with other notable colleges have strict admission standards when it comes to majoring in Mandarin. At the highest, admission ratios can reach 20:1 while other less popular majors retain a ratio of 2:1. Many universities are following suit and offering specializations in Mandarin. Two years ago, news of Former President Putin’s daughter learning Mandarin created quite a stir in Russia.
　　After numerous conversations with these students, it is understood that though each of them started out with different reasons for learning the language, all of them believe in the positive development of China and the favorable prospects awaiting in the future because of the possession of this particular skill. Moreover even the vendors at Russia’s scenic spots know at least a couple lines of Mandarin. Quite a few are even well-versed in bargaining with the customers!