Profession orientalist pros and cons. Brief description of the specialty

Alexey Maslov, Head of the Department of Oriental Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics

A specialist who is involved in setting up economic ties with the East, one cannot do without studying the history of countries and their traditions. If in China, having arrived in Shandong province, in a conversation with a Chinese partner you remember that Confucius was born here, the chances of success will greatly increase.

— Alexey Alexandrovich, who are usually called orientalists? Are these exclusively scientists who study the languages, history, geography, and culture of the East? Or should everyone who, in one way or another, interact with the respective countries be orientalists?

— Oriental studies is the whole complex of sciences and disciplines related to the East. "Complex" - keyword: it includes languages, history, economics, and much more. Therefore, anyone who is going to work with the East is better off studying Oriental studies in general.

For us, Western people, it is really not very clear what relation, for example, historical information has to business, to trade. We are accustomed to the fact that a person can come to any American state and live and work wonderfully there, without knowing whether Indians live in this state, when the first white settlers came there, etc. But in the East this is not the case. In China, if you have not read Confucius and cannot quote him appropriately, you will be considered a barbarian and treated accordingly.

A specialist who is engaged in establishing economic ties with the East cannot do without studying the history of countries and their traditions. If, when you arrive in Shandong province, you remember in a conversation with your Chinese partner that Confucius was born here, your chances of success will greatly increase.

— Is it really in the East? Business Etiquette very different from the one accepted in the West?

- Yes, this is so, and people who want to do business with the East need to specifically study many things that to us, with our generally Western culture, may seem trivial.

Let me give you a simple example - Business Cards and attitude towards them.

Here in Russia, as well as in the USA and Europe, it doesn’t matter at all how you present your business card. In China, Korea, and Japan, it is customary to give and accept a business card with both hands. Holding out or taking a business card with one hand is an insult. disdain. And if a Western person usually doesn’t care what you did with his business card - there is contact, everything is fine - then when you take a business card of a Chinese, Korean or Japanese, you should definitely look at it carefully - even if you don’t understand what’s there written. Under no circumstances should you put a business card in your back pocket and then sit on it - the person will be seriously offended.

The design of business cards is also different. I was once in a meeting with Bill Gates - his business card only said “William Gates Jr” and gave him an email address. This is understandable - everyone already knows who he is. But in the East, what is important is not the personality of a person - even someone like Bill Gates - but his status, credentials, place in the hierarchy. Therefore, on the card of a Chinese or Japanese businessman, all his positions and academic degrees will be scrupulously listed. For our businessman traveling to the East, it is also better to prepare business cards that will correspond local traditions, - he will be respected more.

Another example is gestures. IN Western culture during a speech, it is customary to turn the hand with the palms towards the interlocutor, but in the East the palm should be turned towards oneself; turning it towards the interlocutor is an insult.

When preparing orientalists, we teach them even such seemingly trifles.

— Suppose a Russian company sends a delegation to China or Korea. What else do you need to know to negotiate successfully?

— For example, in the East the size of the delegation is an indicator of its status and level. And if two people from a company, or even just one, can come to business negotiations, then the composition of the eastern delegations is seven to eight people. If our businessmen want to be taken seriously, they need to go in a large delegation.

Another point is who speaks on behalf of the delegation. In my practice, there was such a case: one Russian company associated with metallurgy was negotiating with China about opening its representative office there. They needed to market their product, but no one accepted it. Moreover, on the Russian side, negotiations were conducted by experienced managers who had previously worked in Germany and Switzerland. My fellow orientalists and I analyzed the situation and realized: they are poorly received because during negotiations they all speak at the same time. It is customary for the Chinese to have one person speak on behalf of the delegation, otherwise they come to the conclusion that there is no unity of opinion in the delegation. I advised changing the composition of the delegation completely and giving the floor to one person at the negotiations. A month later, all contracts were concluded.

A person who is not very young should speak on behalf of the delegation. There were cases when Russian delegations were headed by young managers - thirty years old or so, and in the East they were not perceived as solid partners, although their formal status was known.

It is very important to dress correctly for negotiations. In the West, people sometimes come to negotiations in jumpers; if it's hot, wear light shirts. In the East - only business suits and white shirts, even if it’s plus forty outside. Women are not recommended to wear jewelry and open dresses- according to Chinese and Korean ideas, this can be perceived as arrogance, a challenge, a demonstration of wealth, while a woman should show modesty and business qualities. There were very unpleasant cases when our women wore all their jewelry during negotiations with the Chinese, out of Russian habit.

There are also some strange, from a European point of view, things. If a delegation goes to the Far East, it is better if the person leading it does not have a beard - there is still an idea that civilized man must be clean shaven. But in the Middle East it’s the other way around.

— They say about the countries of the Middle East that during negotiations guests are treated to a lot. What about this in China and Korea?

— In China and Korea, all the most important things are also decided at the table. You may be late or even fail to show up for a good reason at the negotiations, but if you refuse a business dinner, the contract will not be concluded. Refusing dinner is a refusal to seriously discuss the problem, because that is where the main conclusions about the prospects for cooperation will be drawn. Our representatives must endure this entire long change of dishes and be prepared to be closely watched. For example, it is advisable to take notes during the conversation, or even better, take a secretary or protocol taker to dinner for this.

— If we talk about economic problems themselves, is there any “Eastern specificity” here?

- First of all, it may seem to us that we know a lot about the East - about how Chinese GDP is growing, how prices change there - but in fact this is not the case. What is taught in most Russian universities as courses on "Asian economics" etc. are, for the most part, very trivial things that can be found on the Internet. Often this information is also very doubtful: we know what the State Statistics Committee of China publishes, but if we compare “GDP according to the State Statistics Committee of the PRC” with the total indicators for the provinces, the discrepancies will be very large. And if you look, for example, at what they write about Chinese GDP in the Western press, it will become clear that someone here is writing a lie. The East is very reluctant to publish actual information about itself - even such macroeconomic indicators as real GDP or the price level are underestimated or inflated to suit political needs, and more applied information - how to avoid double taxation in China, for example - is generally impossible to find.

Therefore, we teach our students, first of all, to think, analyze, and compare. Use your knowledge of the Eastern language and really search useful information about enterprises and regions of China, Korea, Japan. In addition to the well-known “figures and facts”, it is important to resort to non-trivial sources. For example, now in East Asia Internet blogs are booming - it can be very useful to see what they write there. Be sure to read local newspapers, especially in the regions. Or I strongly advise you not to neglect free listings on Chinese real estate, look at where the office costs, what addresses are repeated. This will help you immediately determine which company you are dealing with - where it has an office, how prestigious this area is. You must be able to ask the right questions during conversations with eastern business partners or even when talking with residents of some Chinese village - sometimes you can glean from this no less useful information than from an official report.

I think it’s important to invite people to teach who have worked in East Asia for a long time and can tell us some specific information about tax policy in different provinces, what industries are really developed there, how it is built business ethics. Personal experience, presented as a scientific or expert-analytical generalization, is very important.

— There is an idea that in the East personal and family ties are very important. Should specialists who, for example, trade with eastern countries, need to take this into account?

- Yes, and that’s enough a large number of“Trouble” happens if you underestimate the role that clan structures play in the Asian economy. For example, if our company has already established contact with a clan from the Chinese province of Henan, it should not contact other Henan clans, trying to arrange a “race” between them for friendship with you. We often think that it is possible to force the Chinese to compete with each other for our offer - this is not so. They would rather come to an agreement and stop doing business with you altogether. If you are already working with someone, continue to at least deal only with them in that region.

Another important point- relations with the state. In the East, it is generally accepted that all serious things are decided at the state level, therefore, before going with your proposal to China or Korea, it is better to enlist the support of, as they say, “official Moscow.” In China, even a concert without this Russian performers may not happen.

— Let’s say a young man decides to become a professional oriental economist—where should he start?

— First of all, study an oriental language. There are great advantages here for those who study it from childhood. Of course, in our schools, oriental languages are often taught very poorly, but in the future even this level will help. Then, in my opinion, you need to choose a faculty or department where they teach oriental studies, and not economics, because, of course, an orientalist will not know some things as well as a professional economist, but he will understand what not very accessible to an economist.

With the training of orientalists in Russia now serious problems because of educational centers is not enough to meet the needs of the labor market, but in some places this is still taught. In addition to our department at HSE, there are strong faculties at Moscow State University, St. Petersburg State University, the Far Eastern and Siberian Federal Universities.

During your studies, you must organize two internships. One - as part of a bachelor's degree, the other - as part of a master's degree. This is important, if only because speaking an eastern language without being in the environment is not accessible to everyone. I advise you to very carefully choose a university that is a partner on the eastern side. There are well-known centers - the University of Tokyo in Japan, Seoul University in Korea, Beijing, Tsinghua and Shanghai universities in China. There are other establishments. It is important not to make a mistake, go to a good place, where they take responsibility for the level of training of foreign students. Because in China, for example, in a number of universities there is a point of view that Western students come not so much to study as to have fun, and they are treated accordingly. It is necessary to carefully monitor this moment and analyze curriculum, forms of training, the level of certificates received, the opportunity, in addition to language training, to take specialized courses, for example, in economics or law.

In my opinion, it is highly advisable for an orientalist not to limit himself to the bachelor’s level, but to obtain a master’s education: this will make it easier for him in the labor market.

— Where do certified orientalists usually work? How is their career going?

- There are three ways here. The first is consulting for medium-sized companies: Russian-Chinese, Russian-Korean, Russian-Japanese. All of them, most likely, will be in one way or another connected with energy resources, mechanical engineering, petrochemical, food and textile industries, IT technologies - these are the key areas of our cooperation with the East. Here you just need knowledge of Eastern specifics: economic, legal. For example, once on our Far East purchased a very cheap Chinese line for the production of crackers, and then it turned out that its maintenance and setup cost twice as much as the line itself - this is how the contract was drawn up. The fact is that in China all these services are usually purchased as a “package”. And if you buy everything separately, it will be very expensive.

A specialist consultant can earn some serious money relatively quickly. But this will be associated with very high risks of failure and largely depends on how successful the company is in the market as a whole.

The second way is to work in large companies, such as Gazprom or Lukoil. Here career will be very slow, but those who have the patience to wait seven to eight years will eventually receive very serious money and will become great specialists, as they will have the opportunity to gain experience from business giants.

— Are there different ideas about hierarchy?

— “Different” is the wrong word. Let me give you an example: one of my friends worked for a Chinese company that supplied elevators and related equipment to Russia. He proposed a new, very interesting scheme for selling elevators, and for this he was demoted. Not because the scheme is bad, but because it is not his level to offer such solutions. In the East, if a person shows such initiative in irregular shape, this is regarded as distrust and disrespect for the leader. That is, you need to know the special Eastern corporate ethics

Or - oriental people We are confident that all issues are best resolved through personal connections. Another friend of mine was hired by a company that wanted to supply civil aircraft from Russia, so that he would negotiate everything through his personal channels. He suggested: let's go official way, because sooner or later you will have to do this anyway. And he was fired - the Chinese decided that he simply did not have the connections they needed. The idea of following a completely official path in some cases is alien to the Eastern consciousness.

Therefore, working for an oriental company is a path for few, although now Russian orientalists, especially Koreanists, are in demand by local representative offices of Samsung, Hyundai and other giants of Korean business.

Interviewed by Ekaterina Rylko

The most common entrance exams:

Russian language
Mathematics (basic level)
History - specialized subject, at the choice of the university
Russian language - at the choice of the university
Foreign language - at the choice of the university
Geography - at the choice of the university
Social studies - by choice of university

Most universities offer students three exams upon admission, one of which is specialized - this is always history, then one exam to choose a university - Russian, foreign language, geography or social studies. Also, at its discretion, the university may offer an additional exam - usually a foreign language or social studies, depending on which exam was set as an elective.

A bachelor's specialist in this field is a qualified expert who understands a specific aspect of the life of the states of the region being studied. The specialty is interesting due to the possibility of complete immersion in language, culture, literature, history, political system and economics African countries and states of the East, which involves an exciting learning process using modern technologies and methods, as well as visiting the region under study as part of the practice.

Brief description of the specialty

The specialty provides for several areas of study, when the bias can be made in favor of history, languages and literature, economics or politics of Eastern and African states. However, in most cases, a bachelor must have a comprehensive knowledge and apply it in different areas. The range of knowledge includes social, ethno-confessional, political, economic, cultural, linguistic and other features of development eastern states and peoples. The application of accumulated knowledge is possible in international structures, economic enterprises, diplomatic organizations, transport companies, government bodies different levels, educational institutions, various cultural organizations etc.

Large universities

Due to the specific nature of studying the Asian and African regions, many universities that offer knowledge acquisition under this program are located not in the capital, but in the part of Russia that is closest to Asia, including the Far Eastern region, about. Sakhalin and nearby regions of the Russian Federation.

Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov;
Moscow City Pedagogical University;
Sakhalin State University;
St. Petersburg branch of the National research university « graduate School economics";
Far Eastern Federal University;
Amur State University named after Sholom Aleichem.

Terms and forms of training

Training in this specialty primarily involves exclusively full-time study lasting 4 years, but some universities may offer part-time or part-time courses. After completing the bachelor's program, you can continue your studies in the master's program in Oriental and African Studies, where the program is usually studied jointly with leading European and Asian universities.

Subjects studied by students

As part of mastering their specialty, students master interesting academic subjects which they study with benefit and pleasure. Regardless of the chosen profile, the following subjects are considered mandatory for study:

introduction to oriental studies;
history of the country or region being studied;
physical and economic geography of the selected country or region;
history of literature of the selected country or region;
socio-political thought of eastern countries;
history of religions of the selected country or region;
English or other Western European language;
oriental language;
theory and practice of translation.

A specific training profile provides additional academic subjects, which include the following:

linguistics;
ethnology of the country or region being studied;
historiography and source studies;
religious and doctrinal systems of the countries of the East;
international economic relations of Asian and African countries and others.

It is possible to study a second Eastern or African language.

Gained knowledge and skills

A bachelor's degree graduate has a wide range of knowledge and skills, thanks to which he can perform highly professional tasks, including:

research actual problems countries of the East;
take part in the study of the historical, spiritual and cultural heritage of Asian and African states;
be fluent in at least one Western and Eastern language;
classify and separate information for a specific country (region) in different languages;
predict the development of societies in the countries of the East depending on their economic, social and political development;
translate texts from Russian into Eastern languages and back;
develop different types contacts with Eastern and African countries, establish and develop existing connections in the fields of culture, science and education;
conduct consultations with organizations and government agencies of our country regarding cooperation with eastern countries;
design and program the trajectory of development of relations between the Russian Federation and the countries of the region being studied;
teach oriental languages and other disciplines.

As a rule, training programs give preference to one of the following eastern languages - Arabic, Japanese, Chinese or Korean. However, some universities may offer study and rare languages. The choice of profiles is usually provided in one of three directions: historical and cultural, socio-economic or political development countries of the East.

Who to work with

Mastering the political, economic, social, cultural, ethno-confessional and linguistic characteristics of the region being studied allows one to find work in embassies and diplomatic missions, as well as in various foreign policy and foreign economic organizations. The most common professions in this field are represented by the following proposals:

expert on a certain region/country/people (expert political scientist, expert cultural scientist, etc.);
translator from one of the languages being studied;
orientalist;
cultural scientist;
linguist;
art critic;
editor/proofreader;
referent;
linguist, etc.

Regardless of your choice of specialty, you can count on wages from 40,000 rubles after completion of training. It is from this amount or more that the payment for a translator-referent starts. The remuneration of a political scientist starts from 60,000 rubles or more. Remuneration for diplomats with work experience can be significantly higher.

The most common entrance exams:

Foreign language - specialized subject, at the choice of the university

An interview is conducted on the topic of the portfolio chosen by the applicant.

This program of study provides students with an understanding of economic, social, cultural and political processes. It is expected to study Orientalism and sub-Saharan Africa. Orientalists are in demand in diplomatic missions, trade, economic and administrative structures within the Russian Federation, in business projects and commercial organizations working on the import and export of goods from the countries of the East and Asia.

Exams for admission to master's programs

Admission occurs after a competitive selection of applicants based on the results of an interview and communication on the topic of the applicant’s portfolio. Admission is carried out after a qualifying exam in English.

Brief description of the specialty

Russian study program cultural characteristics Peoples of the East is considered one of the most balanced and rich among all European programs.

It makes it possible to train specialists versed in culture, literature, history, political and economic features and modern state structure China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Thailand, African countries. In addition to knowledge in the field of culture and economics, important aspect is to study the language of the specialized country. Internships are expected cultural programs, student exchange with Asian universities.

Advantages of Master's Degree Studies

A master's degree is necessary for those who have decided to associate themselves with teaching, scientific activities and plan to write and defend a dissertation in the future. A master's degree provides an opportunity to take a comprehensive approach to the subjects being studied and teaches you to take an analytical approach to acquired information.

Attention and time are devoted to developing practical skills in working with institutions and organizations of Eastern countries, building business models, and analyzing political and social processes. The master's program is carried out with the assistance of European and Asian universities, some disciplines and courses are taught in English language.

Large universities in the capital

Less than ten universities in the entire country prepare masters in their specialty, among those in Moscow educational institutions you can choose from the following:

Terms and forms of training

This program is available to full-time (full-time) students only. You will have to attend classes for 2 years. Admission is possible both on a budgetary and commercial basis. Some educational institutions implement the entire program in English as part of cooperation with foreign universities.

Subjects studied by students

The direction of study depends on the student’s choice: one can dwell in more detail on either the historical and cultural or socio-economic features of the development of eastern countries.

The following disciplines are required to study:

at least one language each from the Western European and Eastern groups;
basics international relations and international law;
history, literature, cultural studies, religious studies;
theory and Practical activities in the field of translation;
features of the Russian Federation's policy towards the countries of the East and Africa;
foreign policy and economic ties.

Gained knowledge and skills

After completing the master's program, the graduate must be ready for the following tasks:

Who to work with

The work may be related to the activities of foreign policy, foreign economic organizations, diplomatic and cultural missions, embassies.

The specialties in which students of the Oriental and African Studies program can express themselves are very diverse:

translator, simultaneous or written from oriental languages - Chinese, Korean, Japanese;
an expert in the field of certain peoples or ethnic groups;
employee or manager of an international cultural center, galleries;
university teacher in a neighboring region.

Minimum experience as a translator-referent with knowledge Chinese language will allow you to immediately earn from 40 thousand rubles. An expert political scientist in the field of oriental studies can expect to earn from 60 thousand rubles.

Continuing training in the specialty

Graduates who feel the need to continue their education have analytical warehouse intelligence, sufficient motivation and purposefully strive for scientific activity, can continue their studies in graduate school in the field of international relations. The choice of topic that will be studied and presented in the future candidate's dissertation is chosen individually, taking into account the recommendations of the supervisor and current issues of current cultural and political relations with the countries of Asia and Africa. Postgraduate study will be necessary for those who expect to make a scientific and teaching career.

Hello, dear readers – seekers of knowledge and truth!

Orientalist - there is something exotic and unusual in this word. In conditions of constant time pressure, continuous rush, you really want to touch the world where everything is measured, unhurried and there is always an hour or two for a tea ceremony or afternoon rest.

But it’s not enough to be a fan of anime and sushi, accept the deep philosophy of Confucius and dream of working somewhere on a Thai island studying culture. The profession of orientalist is fraught with much more; it requires enormous effort, many years of study, dedication to one’s calling and great love east.

Today’s article will tell you about all the intricacies of the specialty: what orientalists do, where they are taught, what real professionals should know and what key qualities they should have, whether this profession is in demand at all, and most importantly, whether it is worth mastering.

Students of the Faculty of Oriental Studies of St. Petersburg State University

This article will be useful to young people who are facing difficult life choice– choice of profession, adults, accomplished individuals, in a good way those who are “sick” of eastern countries, as well as simply curious researchers of the world. So...

What does an orientalist do?

An orientalist is a person who knows everything about the East or its individual countries. This is a universal professional who understands a whole range of scientific disciplines regarding Asian and African countries.

This includes:

story;
cultural studies;
economy;
jurisprudence;
geography;
policy;
literature;
linguistics;
art;
philosophy;
religion;
material and spiritual heritage;
cultural phenomena;
holidays, customs and traditions;
literary works;
folklore;
household items, etc.

Despite the wide range of sciences, an orientalist is a narrow specialist. He usually studies a specific country or region, such as China, Japan, Vietnam, Indochina or Southeast Asia. African studies is sometimes distinguished separately from oriental studies.

Nicholas Konstantinovich Roerich (09/27/1874-12/13/1947). Russian artist, orientalist, traveler, writer, mystic philosopher, public figure, academician

In this regard, orientalists who study specific countries, peoples or languages can be called more highly specialized.

Here are just some of the sciences they deal with:

Vietnam Studies;
Buddhology;
Sanskritology;
Korean studies;
Malaistics;
Kalmyk studies;
Sinology, also known as Sinology;
Turkology.

It would seem that after so many years of scientific study of the cultures of other countries, everything has already been discovered, told and proven. But this is by no means true - every year oriental scientists study cultural heritage Asia and find something new, becoming discoverers. Confirmation of this - great amount fresh scientific works, studies, monographs, dissertations, concepts, scientific views.

Specialists do not just study theoretical foundations, they immerse themselves in the history and traditions of countries, get acquainted with their people, spend a huge practical work without visiting the country being studied. To fully understand what kind of profession an orientalist is, it takes them more than one year of continuous practice.

You can study the East only by seeing it from the inside. It is very different from the Western world, so globalized, focused on income, power and other attributes of a successful life.

Although Asian countries They have advanced far in terms of modern technologies, equipment, industry, and in some industries they are even ahead of the rest, here the connection with their ancestors, traditions, and culture of the past remains strong. And orientalists, understanding this, study what is so important eastern peoples.

Nicholas Konstantinovich and Yuri Nikolaevich Roerichs during the Manchurian expedition, 1934

Moreover, their work is not limited to research institutes, translations, and teaching. Good specialists are also needed in the field of trade, business, when it comes to international relations.

It would seem, how are business and knowledge of culture connected? In the East they are even very connected! Knowing their traditions helps build relationships. For example, if we give our Chinese, Korean or Japanese partners a business card with one hand, they will be offended - in their homeland it is customary to hand important documents and gifts with both hands as a sign of respect. Knowing this, you can make Asian friends.

What qualities does he have?

Despite the narrowness of his specialty, an orientalist must be versatile personality and have a broad outlook.

First of all, he must know at least two foreign languages: English and the language of the country he is studying. Moreover, knowledge should not be limited literary language, rules of grammar, you should apply these rules in practice, be able to understand native speakers and master colloquial speech. This is complicated by the fact that eastern languages have much less in common with Russian than European languages.

A specialist must know history, law, culture, religion, literature, art, customs, characteristics of the country being studied, and the current economic, social, and political situation. It is important to be able to summarize this information, work with documents for the archive, and write scientific works and articles for periodicals.

To the necessary personal qualities can be attributed good memory, emotional stability, patience, willingness to study long and hard. When choosing a profession as an orientalist, you need to understand that quick results you don’t have to wait - a lot depends on the person himself, his cognitive abilities, desire and love for the East.

Yuri Nikolaevich Roerich (08/16/1902-05/21/1960). Russian orientalist, linguist, art critic, ethnographer, traveler, language specialist, etc. Doctor philological sciences, professor, director of the Urusvati Institute of Himalayan Studies, head. Sector of Philosophy and History of Religion of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

At the same time, the abilities that a professional must have depend on the specifics of the job. If this is a researcher, translator, editor, then he is required to be careful, persevering, and attentive. If this is an employee in the trade or business sector, then his communication skills will be important.

Where to get an education?

Before you firmly decide to become an orientalist, you need to study one of the oriental languages in basic level and prepare for the fact that studying will take a lot of time. Since the specialty is quite complex, it is mainly assumed to be a full-time course of study: 4 years of bachelor's degree and 2 years of master's degree, during which a foreign internship is usually planned.

Today, more than 30 Russian universities offer the opportunity to become an orientalist. The largest of them include:

Moscow State University, Institute of Asian and African Countries;
MGIMO;
National Research University Higher School of Economics, Department of Oriental Studies;
RSUH;
RUDN;
MSLU;
St. Petersburg State University;
Far Eastern Federal University;
Siberian Federal University.

More detailed description faculties, specialties, information on the availability of budget and paid places, admissions committee can be found on the official websites of educational institutions.

Institute of Asian and African Countries, Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov

Even after receiving education, a specialist needs to constantly improve his skills, attend courses, lectures, seminars, read professional literature, go to practice abroad.

Where to find a job?

People around us often scare people with “horror stories” that orientalists are not in demand anywhere, and this is more of an activity for the soul. There may be some truth to this - finding work for new graduates and future professionals can be difficult. But this is only because it is quite difficult for young specialists without work experience in any field to get a good position.

In the profession of oriental studies, as in many other specialties, much depends on the person himself, his aspirations, desires, experience, and ambitions. But here there is a clear advantage over other university graduates against the backdrop of Russia’s growing rapprochement with Asian countries, globalization, the strengthening of mutually beneficial trade, social and economic relations, and the development of tourism.

Meeting of Russian scientists in Dharamsala, India

Orientalists can realize themselves in completely different areas:

Research institutes, educational institutions;
publishing houses, libraries, magazines, newspapers and other media;
translations, editing;
domestic, foreign and international organizations– as consultants, translators, specialists in foreign economic activity;
public service.

Evgeny Yanovich Satanovsky (born June 15, 1959). Russian scientist, orientalist, economist, professional

Is it worth becoming an orientalist?

If you are still asking this question, then you definitely should. And it doesn’t matter how old you are, what level of education, gender, Family status, civil position. If you are head over heels in love with Eastern culture, then why not give it a try?

Of course, first you need to weigh everything - after all, even the eastern sages always avoided hasty decisions. And like any profession, it has its pros and cons.

The clear advantages are interest, the opportunity to travel, internships in foreign companies, mastery of several foreign languages, communication with representatives of another culture, a fairly large number of budget places in universities upon admission, originality of the profession.

The disadvantages include possible problems with initial employment and low salaries at the initial stage.

If such difficulties do not frighten you, you should become the same pioneer who is exploring the still unknown world of the East.

Conclusion

The history of Russian oriental studies includes dozens and even hundreds of famous world-famous scientists who have been engaged in research throughout their lives oriental culture, have written many works. In subsequent articles we will introduce you to some of the most famous of them. Follow our blog news - subscribe to new fresh articles.

Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers! May your chosen one life path gives joy and novelty of discoveries. Share this article on in social networks, if you liked it, and we will search for the truth together.

An orientalist is a scientific specialist who studies the languages, history, culture, literature, economics, ethnography and art of the peoples of Africa and Asia.

Wage

20,000–50,000 rub. (rabota.yandex.ru)

Place of work

Orientalists work in research institutes, universities, companies communicating with countries in Asia and Africa, in the media, publishing houses and libraries.

Responsibilities

The peoples of the East are ideologically different from Europeans. And, despite the diversity of cultures, they are all united by devotion to their traditions and ancestors. An orientalist must thoroughly understand the diversity of Afro-Asian regions.

Experts study monuments, folklore, household items, history, and traditions. Based on the data obtained, scientific views and concepts are developed, scientific works. In fact, the essence of the activity comes down to: research work, teaching, translations, writing scientific materials.

Orientalists can also work as translators, editors and consultants in foreign trade companies, media, libraries and publishing houses.

Important qualities

The following qualities are important in the profession: a penchant for research, perseverance, flexible character, focus on results, big interest to the East and its culture.

Reviews about the profession

“For us Westerners, it’s really not very clear what relation, for example, historical information has to business, to trade. We are accustomed to the fact that a person can come to any American state and live and work wonderfully there, without knowing whether Indians live in this state, when the first white settlers came there, etc. But in the East this is not the case. In China, if you have not read Confucius and cannot quote him appropriately, you will be considered a barbarian and treated accordingly. A specialist who is engaged in establishing economic ties with the East cannot do without studying the history of countries and their traditions. If, having arrived in Shandong province, you are in conversation with Chinese partner remember that Confucius was born here, your chances of success will greatly increase.”

Alexey Maslov,
Head of the Department of Oriental Studies, National Research University Higher School of Economics.

Stereotypes, humor

A young man turns to an orientalist professor:
- Dear Apollinariy Aristarkhovich, I ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage!
“You know, young man,” the professor answers with pathos in his voice, “I must find out the answer from the Great Dragon, as the sages in the East have always done.”
- Apollinariy Aristarkhovich, this is not necessary. I have already received your wife’s blessing!

Education

To work as an orientalist, you need a higher specialized education. The direction is presented at St. Petersburg State University. Then you need to constantly improve your knowledge through books, lectures, seminars and travel.

Humanitarian universities in Moscow: Moscow Pedagogical State University, Institute liberal arts education And information technologies, Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov.