2020 Winter School: Students of Zhejiang University Went to Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University

From January 27th to February 7th, 2020, the International Polytechnic Winter School in Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, which was hosted by the Department of Physics of Zhejiang University, was successfully completed.This exchange activity was attended by a total of 32 students from 9 faculties. The winter camp included professional courses and rich cultural activities.

Start：The Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony was held on January 27 in the Technology City of Peter the Great University of Technology in St. Petersburg. Dmitry ARSENIEV, the vice president of international affairs, welcomed the participants of the winter camp. In his speech, he pointed out that after four years of development, the international science and technology winter camp has achieved important results. Only 30 people participated in the initial stage. However, it has expanded in 2020 to nearly 300 participants. Joseph JORGES, a student from the University of Technology, Sydney, Australia was also invited at the opening ceremony. He introduced the students to the impressions of St. Petersburg and STI and their expectations for the winter camp.

Learning：Different kinds of advanced subjects

This winter camp has a wide selection of courses, so every student can choose the corresponding course modules according to his/her own interests. 32 students from our school participated in 4 different courses: plasma physics & controlled nuclear fusion, space technology, business management, and Russian language & culture courses.

After introducing the basic plasma basic knowledge such as single-particle orbit, magnetic fluid, statistical description, and particle simulation method in the course of Plasma Physics and Controlled Nuclear Fusion, the professor deepened the students' understanding of the principles through a series of experiments. As well as the understanding of plasma technology,the course also explained the current situation of the energy crisis and the prospects for controlled nuclear fusion. Finally, we visited the Siemens company focusing on the new energy industry and the reuse of resources. The visit helped our students to find out the process of physics from knowledge to application.

The Space Technology course is taught in turn by multiple professors. The whole course includes multiple laboratory visits, aerospace museum visits, Matlab operation courses, satellite design practices. In the course, we learned about the development and current status of aerospace technology, especially Russia's aerospace technology, satellite-related theories, and some astrophysics-related knowledge. The assessment form of the course is a satellite design demonstration in groups. Three students from our school are divided into two groups and completed in collaboration with students from Austria and India.

The course Business Management includes three modules of Russian entrepreneurship, Russian e-commerce and marketing. The Russian entrepreneurial spirit allows students to clearly define themselves and build complementary entrepreneurial teams. During the class, the team brainstormed, exchanged ideas between the teams, and imagined the future business development. The Russian e-commerce and marketing part led students to think about two questions: Why do the customers choose us? How to make customers find us? From the development of e-commerce to marketing methods, from case analysis to theoretical summary, students are introduced into the business world from shallow to deep. In the end, the students and members of other countries and schools teamed up to complete the display of various unique product sales plans, promoted cultural exchanges, and improved team collaboration.

The students of the Russian Language and Culture course had a wonderful two-week life. In addition to learning Russian, listening to lectures on history and contemporary Russian society, there are many extracurricular activities. City excursions take us into a gentle heaven on earth, and museum adventures show the deep history and spirituality of the Russians in front of us. Students learned a lot from that.

Enjoy：Skiing on snow by Baltic Sea

In addition to the group visits and studies on campus, there are a variety of extracurricular activities. Through skating, we experienced this Russian-inspired sports event, which shortened the distance with foreign friends; by visiting Kunstkamera, the first museum in Russian history, we learned about the medical example collected by Peter the Great and Russia Unique history and culture; by visiting the Hermitage Museum, one of the top five museums in the world, we watched the breathtaking works of art from all over the world from ancient times to the present, and cultivated our body and mind.

End：Parting treasure

On February 7, the winter camp was nearing its end, and the closing ceremony was held in the IMOP teaching building.More than 100 students from Zhejiang University, including Zhejiang University, came to the stage one by one to receive a certificate of completion and take a photo with teachers and stuff. Finally, a group photo ended the short but wonderful study time. During the visit, students not only learned relevant professional knowledge, but also experienced the long-standing culture and customs of St. Petersburg, a city with ancient civilization. We were impressed by the exotic scenery here, and also exulted by learning those basic and authentic Russian expressions. This exchange also provided students with opportunities to communicate and cooperate with students from different countries and universities, and to feel the flexible and peculiar thinking style of foreign students. The collision of knowledge and practice and the impact of Eastern and Western cultures will surely benefit students.