4th Annual HSE St Petersburg Summer School Opens
Already in its fourth year, HSE University – St Petersburg International Summer School commenced this past week on July 1. During the next 13 weeks (actually, it goes beyond the summer session) students from all around the globe will enhance their knowledge in a wide range of fields.
On the first day, the summer school welcomed over 30 students. 150 more are anticipated to arrive in July, August and even September. All in all, the summer school expects to welcome over 180 people from 42 countries―from the UK to South Africa and from Brazil to China.
‘I believe everything comes from getting to know each other. The more people you know of different backgrounds, with different experiences, and different beliefs, the more colorful your life becomes. This year, the summer school has surpassed itself in terms of student diversity. I hope this allows our students to learn not only from the brilliant HSE teachers but from each other,’ says Ksenia Antoshko, the Summer School Coordinator.
The first classes held on the opening day were Soviet History: Russia in the Age of Transformations, EU-Russia Relations Today, Contemporary Russian Politics, and Modern Russia: Language and Culture.
All courses are taught in English. Many of them last nearly 2 weeks and allow students to earn 2 to 4 ECTS for each one.
This is my third time attending the summer school at HSE, and I enjoy it every time even more and more. I like my classmates. I haven't met all of them yet, but I think they are friendly
‘HSE is an interesting place. There are many people from all over the world. Also, I'm impressed by the teacher. He is very young, but knowledgeable,’ says Si Hong Ng from Singapore.
‘HSE is super cool. I like the international environment and how the summer school team welcomed us. I'm super interested in the course, and the teacher is very well prepared,’ says Valeria Villani from Italy.
The School offers longer programmes as well. Examples include the Intensive Russian Language and Culture, which has 4 admissions periods; the Annual IPSA-HSE Summer School in Concepts, Methods and Techniques in Political Science, which welcomes researchers and PhD candidates from social science; and Topography of Imperial Power: Political and Cultural Space of Saint Petersburg, a programme for German students supported by DAAD.
However, the summer school is much more than an academic experience. There are a lot of things to enjoy and discover in St Petersburg at this time—the white nights, palaces and museums, boat trips, nearby towns, and a bunch of social activities organised by our ESN volunteers.
Being a fairly new educational offering at HSE University – St Petersburg, the summer school is still evolving, and it has changed from year to year. This year, the summer school offers 15 courses in Economics and Business, Russian Studies, Data Analysis, Social and Political Science, Design, Computer Science along with 4 programmes (each consists of 3 to 4 courses).
Veronika Denisova, one of the summer school coordinators, notes: ‘The fact that the summer school has grown both in regards to the number of courses offered and student enrollment makes us very happy. We are glad that some students who get to know HSE Saint Petersburg during the summer school return again as participants of non-degree programmes, exchange nominees, and full-degree students.’
Ksenia Antoshko