'Go Beyond': HSE University–St Petersburg Student on Her Exchange Studies in Malaysia and New Experiences
Elizaveta Fomina, second-year student of the Bachelor's programme 'Political Science and World Politics,' spent the autumn semester at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. Read on to find out why you should choose a mobility programme in Asia and how studying abroad helps to develop independence and build global plans.
How to Get into the Mobility Programme
I learned about the academic mobility programme back at the Open Day when I was thinking about applying to HSE University–St Petersburg. Yury Kabanov, academic supervisor of my educational programme, was talking very passionately about the opportunities which open up for students. Back then, I thought that it was a great idea for personal and professional development.
Asia has always attracted me with its culture, mentality, and rich history. I also had a professional interest: my family has a business directly connected to Asian countries. Thus, Malaysia seemed the most suitable place for the mobility programme.
When choosing a university, I relied on several factors. Firstly, I looked at the position in the global rankings, then I looked at the courses offered in the programme and how interesting and useful they are.
I started preparing for the contest six months before. I often went to the Student Mobility Office and asked specialists numerous questions. Over this time, I got almost the maximum number of extra points and tried to improve my academic performance. As a result, my application to the Malaysian university was approved.
Studying at the University of Malaya
The University of Malaya pays less attention to seminars than to lectures. There are often no breaks between double classes. A seminar lasts for an hour, and lectures last for two hours. Another important difference is how they check your knowledge. All cohorts take exams together at a separate building in the presence of a commission and volunteers who monitor compliance with disciplinary norms. For cheating, you may get expelled.
In general, the University of Malaya is not very strict about the main block of classes, though they mark lecture attendance in two ways: via Spectrum, a platform similar to LMS, and on a paper list with signatures.
The classes started at 9:30 am or 11 am. Usually, the first were lectures, sometimes three in a row, for about six hours. I took four courses: 'Politics and Public Administration in Southeast Asia,' 'Politics and Public Administration,' 'Modern Economic Problems in China,' and 'ASEAN and Regionalism.' The only drawback of the programme at the Malaysian university was the absence of an elective course in the Chinese language. At HSE University, I am a student of the Chinese track, and for me, it was important, so I had to study on my own.
A lot of the courses I took at HSE overlapped in one way or another with the topics I studied in Malaysia. The courses in comparative political science helped a lot, especially the topics related to authoritarian and democratic systems. In Malaysia, the political structure combines elements of parliamentary democracy, monarchic tradition, and Islamic norms. The basis I got at HSE helped me to understand the logic of the local political processes more quickly.
The final assessment tasks often included a three-to-five-page essay, and sometimes tests with detailed answers. There were no tricky questions or new information. The main difficulty was the time limit: for an essay, they gave us two hours, and sometimes, that wasn't enough.
What I remember the most are two courses: 'ASEAN and Regionalism' and 'Politics and Public Administration.' The first was memorable for its very interesting curriculum. We studied everything related to ASEAN. The organisation includes ten countries, and its main purpose is to strengthen economic and political cooperation and also support peace and stability in the region. The second course stuck in my memory for a funny reason—because of Prof. Tawfik, his funny remarks and stories.
Life in Kuala Lumpur
I lived in an apartment hotel next to the university. The conditions were good: a private gym and a pool on the roof. My friends rented accommodation not far from us, and their complex also had a pool and a gym. Then, we exchanged impressions and agreed that living conditions in Kuala Lumpur are at a high level. By the way, I didn't notice the language barrier at all. In Malaysia, almost everyone knows English at a good level.
I studied on a huge 373-hectare campus. Classes often took place in different buildings, and I had to walk to the necessary building for quite a long time. But I liked these walks: on our way, my friends and I often passed by a huge lake with monitor lizards and trees with monkeys. The latter, by the way, often stole cold drinks from students.
Kuala Lumpur is radically different from St Petersburg. The weather turned out to be unusual: I don't tolerate the heat well, and here the stable temperature is 32 degrees; every day, there is a storm from 3 to 5 pm, which makes the air feel stuffy. What's more , the locals' mentality, food culture, and art are strongly different. I felt the latter intensely because I love going to theatres, exhibitions, and museums several times a month. Obviously, Kuala Lumpur also offers cultural entertainment, but it is completely different.
Asia Beyond the Classroom
I was very lucky to travel around Asia with my friends. Over the course of the mobility programme, we managed to visit six countries: Vietnam, Indonesia, China, Cambodia, Singapore, and Thailand. In Malaysia, we visited Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Putrajaya, and Langkawi.
I was most surprised by the mentality of the locals. Malaysians are very kind, sympathetic, and tolerant of other peoples, religions, and traditions. It was most obvious on Catholic Christmas Day and New Year's Day. In the malls, there were three- and five-metre Christmas trees, Nutcrackers, and pretzels. On the night of December 24 to 25, there were impressive fireworks.
To those who are going to Malaysia for the first time, I would recommend taking some warm clothes, for instance, a sweater. In almost every building, air conditioners cool the air down to 16 degrees, and without some warm clothes, it may be uncomfortable.
An Experience That Lasts
The exchange programme definitely gave me confidence. The change of accommodation, environment, social circle, weather conditions, and separation from the family—all these things were a challenge for me. Through the mobility programme, I met students from different countries, so now I have friends all around the world.
The mobility programme has no drawbacks except, perhaps, the financial side of things. But other than that, it is an amazing opportunity which happens once in a lifetime. You go beyond your own culture, information space, and basic comfort. You greatly enhance your English proficiency and gain valuable experience which you'll remember forever.
After the trip, I became more disciplined and started treating exams more responsibly. The experience of living in Malaysia will definitely come in handy in my future profession, as I am planning to connect it to Asian regions. I have also been thinking about a master's degree and the opportunity to go on a mobility programme again.
To everyone who is planning to go to another country as an exchange student, I recommend to start preparing in advance (it's even better to start six months before). Don't be afraid of going to Asian countries; they are very interesting and rich in history and culture. Ask the mobility office if you have any questions—the employees are real professionals. But the main thing is to just go for it. Even if you don't pass the selection process on the first try, you'll have another chance. Believe me, it's worth it!
HSE University–St Petersburg students can participate in mobility programmes with more than 100 partner universities in 27 countries. Students can apply for the campus-specific or university-wide contest. The call starts on June 20. Find out more details here.
