Знакомство с Иннополисом

Hello! My name is Aleksei Antipov, and I took part in a student exchange program where I studied at the Beijing Institute of Technology. It was an unforgettable journey, but let me tell you everything step by step. I’ll start with the learning experience.

The education system there is quite different from what I’m used to at Innopolis University. For example, in Innopolis, each subject usually includes a lecture where the professor explains the theory, then a tutorial to go deeper into the topic, and finally lab sessions where teaching assistants help with practical tasks.


At the Beijing Institute of Technology, there are only lectures, but they happen more frequently. For practical work, we were given homework that included both the necessary materials and the tasks themselves. Despite the differences, there were also some similarities. Sometimes, AI professors in both Innopolis and Beijing used the same examples during classes.


But the exchange program was not only about studying – it was also about making new friends. The Chinese people were very friendly and always willing to help. Just as we were curious about their culture, they were also interested in learning about ours.


There were also participants from other countries like France, Mexico, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, and many others. Each country has its own unique characteristics. This made it a great opportunity not only to communicate with people from different backgrounds, but also to have fun together.


Of course, I can’t forget to mention the traveling. During my stay in China, I visited some of the most famous cities like Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai. In Beijing, some of the most memorable places I visited were the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, Calligraphy Street, the electronics market, and the popular shopping streets of Sanlitun and Wangfujing.


Tianjin is known for having the largest Ferris wheel built on a bridge. The Italian-style district is also worth a visit. In Shanghai, I walked along the Bund, which offers a beautiful view of the city’s business district. I also went up the Shanghai Tower to see the city lights at night.


Another highlight of the trip was visiting the Avatar Mountains. I explored Zhangjiajie National Park (which inspired the mountains in the Avatar movie), walked across a glass bridge, visited a village near waterfalls, and climbed Tianmen Mountain. This trip happened in winter, so it was a bit cold, but it was still unforgettable – although my legs were very tired afterward!


One more thing that impressed me about China was its developed bicycle culture. In Beijing, there is a dedicated bicycle lane on each side of the road, as wide as a regular car lane. Along the main roads, there are even two-lane bicycle paths on both sides, which means four lanes just for bicycles. Renting a bicycle only costs a bit more than 200 rubles per month.