On June 16, a graduation ceremony was held in Dandong, China, for the first cohort of bachelor's students enrolled in the joint program between Kazan Innovative University named after V.G. Timiryasov and Eastern Liaoning University in Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language.

This was more than just an academic milestone, it was a true celebration for both students and faculty. For the first time in the history of cooperation between the two universities, Russian students received degrees from a Chinese university after completing the two-year double degree program. Among those attending the ceremony was Anastasia Kokurina, Associate Professor in the Department of Theory and Methods of Foreign Language Teaching at Kazan Innovative University and Director of the KIU Chinese Language Centre. The event took place in a warm, almost family-like atmosphere, filled with congratulations, embraces, and heartfelt words of appreciation for the faculty.

The Rector of Eastern Liaoning University, Mr. Fu Libin, congratulated the graduates and remarked:

"This is an important achievement resulting from our joint efforts, and one that we are proud to share. We sincerely thank our colleagues in Kazan for their professionalism, commitment, and dedication to our students."

Vice-Rector Ti Xu also addressed the graduates, stating:

"We highly value the strong partnership with your university and look forward to continuing our joint work to ensure the sustainable, long-term development of our shared projects."

The program is made especially meaningful by the students' own experiences. For them, two years of living and studying in China became a true immersion in both the language and the culture.

Roman Morozov recalls that the first few days were challenging:

"When we first arrived, it was intimidating. We couldn't fully understand the local accent and worried about how everything would turn out. But the teachers were incredibly kind and supportive, they were always ready to help. My main advice to future students: a large city offers more opportunities to improve your language skills. In Dandong, English is rarely spoken, which can be surprising at first, but it also means you're completely immersed in the Chinese language."

Ilya Beilin reflects on the progress he made in Chinese:

"In Kazan, I only needed Chinese during classes. Here, I use it every day when talking to delivery drivers, teachers, friends, or ordering food. At first, native speakers seemed to talk incredibly fast, while our teachers spoke deliberately slowly, carefully pronouncing every tone. After a year, they switched to a natural conversational pace, and I realized that I had started speaking fluently myself, I could even rattle off Chinese without hesitation. The progress is obvious."

Timur Tikhonov added that his greatest discovery was overcoming the language barrier:

"Even with a good level of Chinese, the first days were emotionally overwhelming. But the environment does its work: after a month, you stop being afraid; after three months, you begin thinking in Chinese; and after a year, you almost feel at home."

All the graduates agreed on one thing: there is no better teacher than complete language immersion. Although the journey was not always easy, it was precisely those challenges that made the achievement so rewarding.

Today, the first graduates of the joint double degree program hold diplomas that open the door to international education and professional opportunities. This is a shared achievement of Kazan Innovative University named after V.G. Timiryasov and Eastern Liaoning University, one that demonstrates that genuine cooperation and hard work always produce results.

Congratulations to the graduates, and sincere thanks to everyone who helped make this project a reality!