'These Are Unforgettable Impressions, I Will Cherish Them Forever': How HSE Saint Petersburg Summer School Is Going

HSE Saint Petersburg International Summer School is in full swing—right now, international students from 12 countries are actively attending lectures and enjoying the cultural programme. We talked to some participants about their most vivid impressions.

HSE University—Saint Petersburg

This year, the International Summer School started on July 10—from the first day, international students from France, Italy, India, Peru, PR China, Vietnam, Turkey, the Republic of Korea, Russia and other countries attend lectures by the professors of HSE University-St Petersburg. The students chose tracks from six thematic blocks in advance: 'Russian Language and Literature', 'Political Science and World Politics', 'Economics and Finance', 'Social Sciences', 'History' and 'Data Science'.

Zhao Yilin

China

I decided to come to HSE University-St Petersburg because HSE is a very prestigious university I have heard a lot of. I knew that the university strived to develop and support international relations as well as used modern teaching methods.

I am enchanted by the professors' competencies and students' level of training. I chose the track 'Introduction to Digital Politics: Eurasia in the Global Context' where lectures are delivered by Yury Kabanov. He is very friendly and delivers the material clearly—his English is very good, so it is very pleasant to listen to him. As for students, I noticed how deep their thoughts are, their arguments are very interesting. So for me, it is a good opportunity to exchange opinions on various topics.

I didn't expect that apart from lectures, we'd have such a good cultural programme. For instance, we went to Peterhof, and it was a great opportunity for me to get to know Russian culture and architecture. The most important thing is that the staff of the International Office always accompanied us, and students from different countries felt very comfortable together. During the trips, we discussed where we were from and how the studies in our home countries went. These are unforgettable impressions, I will cherish them forever.

Now, half of the educational programme is over: some international students have already completed their courses and presented their final projects. The second half starts on July 29 and will last up to August 8. As a result, the participants will receive certificates and ECTS credits which they will be able to use at foreign universities. It means that ECTS credits received for the course can be added to those gained at their universities.

Yury Kabanov

Senior Lecturer of the Department of Political Science and International Affairs at HSE University-St Petersburg, Lecturer of the International Summer School

Teaching at the Summer School is different because attendees have very diverse backgrounds. It is a certain challenge to make a course clear and interesting for students of different qualifications. On the other hand, it is a wonderful chance to look at usual topics from a new perspective. 

This year, in my course, we managed to have a lively and informative dialogue between students from Russia and China. It was especially interesting to compare the approaches of the two countries to the digitalisation of public administration processes as well as discuss issues of using algorithmic management of artificial intelligence in politics. During the final classes, the students presented the cases of other Eurasian countries in this sphere which helped to understand better how countries of the region adopt the best practices of digital transformation from each other.

Maximilian Steiner

Austria

I started learning Russian two years ago but before this moment, I hadn't had any opportunity to practise my skills in the Russian-speaking environment. When I saw an invitation to the International Summer School on the website of HSE University, I realised straight away that I had to take this chance.

My fellow students are very motivated to study, and this atmosphere allows us to master new information faster and better. I also noticed that professors are genuinely involved, they try to immerse us into the Russian-speaking atmosphere to the fullest and give us truly useful knowledge.

St Petersburg is a very beautiful city. For myself, I noted that the capital of Austria, Vienna, was built in the same architectural style. That's why roaming about the city, I feel like I know plenty of beautiful places here.

The participants of the International Summer School do not only attend classes but also actively get to know St Petersburg and Leningrad Oblast. The guests of HSE University-St Petersburg have already visited Peterhof and admired the beauty of the palace, garden and shore of the Gulf of Finland. In addition, the international students enjoyed the favourite summer entertainment of Petersburgers—taking a boat trip along rivers and canals. Soon, the students will visit the Hermitage where they will see the main masterpieces of the museum.

Qiwen Wu

China

It's my third visit to Russia. I came here for the first time with my mother when I was 14. For the second time, I came to Russia last year, and this is when I discovered that HSE University-St Petersburg offered a summer school for international students.

Now, I am learning the Russian language in the course 'Modern Russia: Language and Culture'. I am very impressed by the lectures—so much that on the first day, I asked the manager of the summer school to sign me up for another course to extend my studies for another two weeks. I especially liked the quality of teaching: an individual approach and personal attention to each student. The professors sincerely try to adapt the material to our language level. And for me, it is a real happiness. I would definitely recommend coming to St Petersburg and trying to sign up for the HSE Saint Petersburg International Summer School for those who are learning the Russian language.

The International Summer School has existed since 2018. Over six years, the project hosted more than 160 people, 80% of whom are students of foreign universities. This year, the selection was passed by 22 students from 12 countries, including France, Italy, Peru, the PRC, Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, Russia and others.

HSE Saint Petersburg Summer School is not the only programme for international students. For example, recently our university has held the Indian Students Week. More than 50 students from Indian universities visited St Petersburg to learn more about the educational opportunities in Russia and at HSE University-St Petersburg in particular.

HSE University is actively developing global cooperation programmes and holding events involving international guests. For instance, one of the most significant events is the International Partners' Days. In 2024, it resulted in the signing of partnership agreements between HSE and universities of India, Uzbekistan and Oman.