What changed
The Russia-China Year of Education opened with a Russian principals’ delegation ceremony and the annual meeting of the Russia-China secondary-school alliance in Beijing on October 26, 2026. Natalya Simachenko, deputy mayor of Rostov-on-Don, said the initiative aims to give bilateral cooperation new momentum, with language education at its center.
Why it matters
The program is being built through classrooms, not just ceremonies. In Rostov-on-Don, more schools are offering Chinese, while lessons increasingly include calligraphy, history and culture alongside vocabulary and grammar.
A university partnership gives the effort a larger footprint. Don State Technical University and Shandong Jiaotong University have worked together since 2019, jointly training professionals recognized by both countries. More than 1,000 students are currently enrolled in related programs, while teacher training and locally produced textbooks are being developed to support Chinese instruction.
The school-level links are widening too. Rostov-on-Don and Jinan have used cultural exhibitions and youth forums to create face-to-face exchanges, and participation by Rostov students in Chinese-language competitions has grown severalfold. More students are also going to Chinese universities.
The broader point is straightforward: this “year” has a chance to leave behind institutions that keep working after the calendar turns. Its success will depend on whether the expanding classes, teacher pipeline, university partnership and youth exchanges continue beyond the ceremonies.
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