'At HSE University-St Petersburg, You Create Your Projects Straight Away': Student from Mexico on Her Exchange Studies in Russia
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.
— Usually, students enrol in a Russian university at first and then go on an exchange programme abroad. But for you, it was the opposite.
— Yes, my path turned out to be this way more by accident rather than under the plan. For some time, I had problems with the English language. I lived in St Petersburg and for practice started making acquaintance with foreigners, talking to them and showing the city. These were people from Argentina, Italy, Poland and other countries. In 2023, I decided to move to Mexico because I had some acquaintances there, and it was interesting to learn more about the country. Then, I decided: if I didn't like it, I would go back home. But Mexico enchanted me, and I chose to stay...
— And enrol in the National Autonomous University of Mexico, the programme 'Graphic Design'. What can you tell us about the university itself?
— Our university is very big, it has many buildings which constitute a full-fledged student village—it is called Ciudad Universitaria (University town). Distances between several buildings are so big that we have to use a special student bus.
The National Autonomous University of Mexico occupies the 93 place in the international university ranking 'QS World University Rankings 2024', the 2 place in the ranking of universities in Latin America and the 1 among Mexican higher education institutions.
The central university town of the National Autonomous University of Mexico was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Fresco and mosaics on the buildings of the Rector's Council and library were made by famous representatives of monumental painting: David Siqueiros and Juan O'Gorman. The decoration of the main Olympic stadium, which is also located on the territory of the university town, involved the popular painter and sculptor of monuments Diego Rivera.
There are a lot of students in the programme 'Graphic Design': we have nine groups of 25-30 students in each. For everyone to feel comfortable, the studies are divided into two shifts: some people study in the afternoon, and others—in the evening. You can set up a schedule yourself, that is why some students attend classes every day, and others—three times a week. Because of such a special feature of the schedule, I often attend classes with people I see for the first time.
— Could you tell us how you chose the country and university for your exchange studies?
— I really wanted to come back to Russia and St Petersburg in particular. So I was searching for information about universities in St Petersburg and scrutinising the websites. The webpage of HSE University-St Petersburg seemed the most informative and clear to me.
Of course, before applying for the exchange programme, I studied the rankings and knew that HSE University was very strong. Besides, my friend studies in St Petersburg. In the end, all these factors led me here.
— Is the programme 'Design' at HSE University-St Petersburg any different from the programme 'Graphic Design' at the National Autonomous University of Mexico?
— Yes, it is. All these differences made my life difficult at first. In Mexico, they take the studies easier—there are fewer modules and courses, and they don't require a lot of effort, especially in the first years. At HSE University-St Petersburg, everything is arranged differently—you dive into the work right away, attend a lot of classes and create your projects. On the one hand, such an approach sometimes makes you nervous, but on the other, it improves working capacity and endurance.
— What can you say about people? Are Russian students different from Mexican?
— I can say about the Mexicans that they are very open and friendly. They love singing and dancing—every party has a place where everyone dances salsa, gets acquainted and invites you to communicate.
But Russian students are also very nice and sympathetic. They will always help, welcome you warmly and teach you everything.
— To engage in design, it is important to understand what is beautiful and what is not. Visual erudition is truly important. How do you develop it?
— I believe that one can develop the visual erudition in different ways. Not only by studying other designers' works but also, for instance, by reading books. Sometimes when you see a reference, you involuntarily start redesigning it and transferring some details in your work. It is not bad but this way won't lead you to create something entirely new and original. But when you read books, you imagine the described as no one else can. I believe that the most visually erudite people are those who not only follow the tendencies in design but also read a lot. They can explain, describe and paint absolutely anything.
— Sometimes St Petersburg is called the most beautiful city in Russia. Do you agree with it? What do you like the most in the Northern Capital?
— Obviously, I am very impressed by the architecture. Mexico City also has many impressive buildings but they are completely different from the ones in St Petersburg. There are less romantic buildings, mysterious yards-wells and light comfortable metro like in St Petersburg. Plus, I really like Nevsky Prospekt. Mexico City also has the main street but it is completely different. In fact, when the Mexicans ask me about my favourite city, I always remember St Petersburg.
The interview by the 1st-year students of the Bachelor's programme 'Media Communications' Anastasia Ozhgo, Vera Skidanenko, Svetlana Iagodzinskaya, and Anastasia Ilyina directed by the programme academic supervisor Mikhail Tyurkin.