Aleksandra(left) met Russian guest Leonid Todorov(right) at Shanghai Pudong International Airport Photo provided to Hangzhoufeel
Experiencer
By Daria Fominykh
Margushina Aleksandra (萨莎) from Rostov-on-Don, Russia, was the sole international volunteer at the 2023 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit held in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province. Aleksandra's presence garnered significant media attention, and Hangzhoufeel had the opportunity to discuss with her on her volunteering experience.
Aleksandra, a senior student majoring in Business Chinese at Zhejiang Gongshang University, arrived in Hangzhou just two months ago after three years of online study during the pandemic. Due to her academic excellence and active university involvement, she was selected to represent the university as a volunteer at the annual Wuzhen Summit. Although she happily accepted the invitation, she was unaware of the responsibilities that awaited her.
Aleksandra was part of a volunteer group providing assistance to international VIP guests, including guiding and accompanying them, addressing urgent requests, and so on. To qualify for this role, volunteers had to pass a paper test, with the final task involving drawing a map of the event venue from memory. The test required reciting Chinese and English names and locations of various places on the summit grounds. "It was a challenge, and I felt a lot of pressure initially, but our teachers and other volunteers were very kind, always offering help at any time." Aleksandra said.
"We arrived at the venue one week in advance, exploring the environment from 8:00 and attending classes during the afternoons," Aleksandra recalled. As a newcomer to Hangzhou and Wuzhen, she put extra efforts into becoming familiar with the area, spending evenings walking around the venue with a friend who helped memorizing the Chinese names of bus stations and other locations.
All the preparations paid off, as Aleksandra has proved to make a good companion with Leonid Todorov, General Manager of the Asia Pacific Top Level Domain Association (APTLD). While making sure that Todorov felt comfortable and satisfied, Aleksandra truly enjoyed her time with such an intelligent person.
In conclusion, Aleksandra felt happy and honored to participate in such a large-scale volunteering effort. She was impressed by China's ability to blend traditional cultural elements with modern development at the summit. She also advised other foreign students in China to "participate in activities whenever possible, as it helps them become more familiar with the country and the organization of significant events".