Discovering China: Students from School No. 187 Return from Guangzhou with New Knowledge and Invaluable Experience

Students and teachers from School No.187 visit the "Wangxue" school in Guangzhou

In the modern world, where globalization processes have an increasing influence on society, teaching children basic intercultural communication skills fr om an early age is the key to their future career success and effective adaptation in a rapidly changing environment. A prime example of this is the recent visit of a delegation fr om Kazan's Multidisciplinary School No. 187 to the Chinese metropolis of Guangzhou. This trip, which took place fr om October 25th to November 1st, 2025, was not just a tour, but a living embodiment of educational diplomacy.

The history of this successful cooperation began back in November 2024, when a memorandum was signed with the "Wangxue" school at Tsinghua University during the International Forum "SPROUTS: Russia and China — Mutually Beneficial Cooperation." Less than a year later, the words on paper turned into an exciting journey for 9 students in grades 9-10 and 7 teachers.

School No. 187, which opened in 2020 as part of the national "Education" project, established itself from the very beginning as a modern and progressive educational institution. The visit to China is one of the projects confirming this status.

The students had no time to be bored — the visit program was very intensive. Every day, the students had interesting classes wh ere theory went hand in hand with practice.

For example, in the morning, the schoolchildren from Kazan learned the basics of the ancient art of calligraphy, and in the afternoon, they were already studying the intricacies of artificial intelligence. Engaging biology, physics, and chemistry experiments were followed by master classes wh ere they could play musical instruments, work on a potter's wheel, or even practice fencing. This combination of tradition and high technology is a hallmark of modern Chinese education.

A crucial component of the trip was live communication. Russian and Chinese teenagers participated together in youth events in a TED format, wh ere everyone could share their ideas. The children from China and Russia got to learn the nuances of our great cultures from their peers, which became a solid foundation for genuine friendship.

Excursions to the Guangdong Museum, the Guangzhou Middle School of Arts, the Beijiao Experimental High School, and others gave the Kazan children a unique opportunity to see firsthand how their peers live and study in China. The organizers created all the conditions for a comfortable stay, providing free meals and accommodation. But the main things the children brought home were invaluable experience, broadened horizons, language practice, and, of course, new acquaintances.

An important outcome of the visit was also that the parties discussed future plans and agreed on a return visit of Chinese children and teachers to the capital of Tatarstan. This means that in the near future, Kazan students will be able to host a delegation from Guangzhou to show them their educational institution, their hometown, and rich Russian culture.

School No. 187 is not the only Kazan school cooperating with schools in Guangzhou. In July, a delegation from the Kazan Department of Education visited Guangzhou to participate in the international educational forum "Leadership in Education and the Future of Education: Innovation, Convergence, and Sustainable Development." The forum discussed the results of the 13-year sister-city relationship between the two cities. A report on the work done so far was presented by Maria Saltuganova, Deputy Director of School No. 187.

As a result of the trip, three memoranda of cooperation were signed between schools in Kazan and Guangzhou: School No. 132 entered into an agreement with Guangzhou University Middle School, School No. 9 will cooperate with Guangzhou Foreign Language School, and School No. 51 signed a memorandum with Guangzhou Experimental Foreign Language School.

The journey of our schoolchildren to China is not just a one-time project, but a confident beginning of a long-term partnership. The educational bridge built between Kazan and Guangzhou promises to become a reliable foundation for future joint projects, exchange of experience, and strengthening of friendly ties between the young generations of our countries. School No. 187 clearly demonstrates that modern education is a world without borders, full of opportunities for growth and discovery.

Photo: "Wangxue" school at Tsinghua University

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