Tag "students"

Marina Merkucheva came to HSE University-St Petersburg as an exchange student. Her educational path is different from the majority of international students. Several years ago, Marina enrolled in the National Autonomous University of Mexico and moved from a small village next to Kirov to Mexico City. But in 2023, she decided to come back to Russia to study under the student exchange programme and became a student of the School of Art and Design at HSE University-St Petersburg. In the interview, she talks about the choice of university, explains how education in Russia and Mexico is different and shares her impressions of studying at HSE University campus in St Petersburg.

On March 15, international students from more than ten countries visited an authentic Russian village to celebrate Maslenitsa. This week-long ancient holiday is impossible not to love: delicious pancakes with dozens of sweet and sour toppings, lots of games and activities, and the epic burning of the Maslenitsa doll will not leave anyone indifferent. Let’s recall that day!

HSE SPB Day has been held at Sevkabel Port in the open air. HSE students were congratulated on the beginning of the academic year by the trustees, faculty deans, and the rousing HSE Dance Club. The first-years had an initiation ceremony, participated in activities from student clubs, and danced to popular songs on the Gulf of Finland. They received well wishes from the professors, representatives of large companies and, of course, student organisations. Find out how the first-years spent the day and what they remember most about the event.

HSE University continues to develop its international relations with the best Asian universities. At the request of Thammasat University (Thailand), a special short-term educational programme in ‘Russian Language and Culture’ has been created at the HSE St Petersburg International Office.

Choosing a profession is hard, and not everyone can do it straight away. Such was the case with Taş Elif Esra, an exchange student who came to HSE University from Turkey. Esra started her education in translation studies before finding her passion in sociology. Find out why she decided to change her major and what motivated her to take part in the mobility programme in this interview.

Since her school years in Kazakhstan, Darya Bashlayeva has dreamed about HSE University. Now, several years later, her dream has come true—she came to HSE University in St Petersburg under the exchange programme. She is currently studying the Chinese language, Asian literature and Political Science. Read on to learn more about Darya's story.

There are a lot of opportunities for international students to come to St Petersburg for a semester under the mobility programme. Anh Ngo Quang is an exchange student from Foreign Trade University in Vietnam who is currently studying International Economics at HSE University-St Petersburg. In his interview, he talks about his impressions of the St Petersburg campus, HSE students and teachers, how Russian and Vietnamese education differ, and his plans for improving relations between Russia and Vietnam.

The term 'language barrier' refers to any difficulties that arise when speaking a non-native language. Almost every person studying a foreign language has experienced this unpleasant phenomenon. The reasons for this problem include a fear of the unknown, a fear of mistakes, embarrassment because of one's accent, a fear of being misunderstood and much more. All of these problems are a psychological component of the language barrier. In this article, foreign students from different countries share their experiences and help foreign applicants overcome their fears.

If you are an international student, there is a good chance that there are some things you do not know about the university you applied to. It can be hard to adapt to a new place, new people, and—most importantly—a new educational system. That is why we asked Yesuigen Tsogjavkhlan, 2nd-year student of the Bachelor’s programme ‘Public Policy and Analytics’, to share five things she wishes she had known before coming to HSE University-St Petersburg.

Students who come to a new country often do not know where to start, what to do first, who to turn to, and so on. In such situations, HSE University-St Petersburg and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) help international students adapt by providing buddies. ESN is the biggest student organisation in Europe that helps students integrate into the local society better. Buddies are local student volunteers who help international students and make their life at the university easier.