Consul General of Finland Visits HSE University – St Petersburg
On November 10, 2021, a delegation from the Consulate General of Finland in Saint Petersburg paid a visit to HSE University – St Petersburg to meet the team of the university and discuss opportunities for promoting student academic mobility, expanding cooperation with Finnish researchers and business partners, and other collaboration prospects.
The delegation was headed by Ms Sannamaaria Vanamo, the Consul General of Finland in St Petersburg, Mr Janne Hirvonen, the Consul for Economy and Regional Cooperation, and Ms Ekaterina Malevskaya-Malevich, Coordinator for Regional and Economic Matters.
The honorary guests were welcomed by the university team headed by Ms Anna Tyshetskaya, Director of HSE University's campus in St Petersburg, Ms Maria Gusikova, Head of International Office, Ms Irina Shchemeleva, Deputy Director for International Affairs, and Mr Konstantin Platonov, Director of the Centre for International Cooperation.
The meeting took place in the historical heart of the city, within the walls of HSE campus in Saint Petersburg on Griboedova Channel Embankment.
At the beginning of the meeting, Mr Platonov conducted a quick tour around the campus. The delegation walked through lecture and meeting rooms, student café, library, and also visited various departments.
Following a brief introduction and catch up with campus news, Mr Platonov made a presentation of HSE campus in St Petersburg, paying special attention to its internalization efforts. At present, at HSE University – Saint Petersburg there study international students from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, among others.
Mr Platonov also told the guests about a double-degree track in Finance Master´s programme with the University of Vaasa (Univaasa). Special attention was given to exchange programmes with the leading Finnish universities, tailor-made summer schools (at which students can choose a training duration from 1-8 weeks), and international projects, such as HSEIMUN (HSE International Model United Nations) and St. Petersburg Conference on Inequality and Diversity.
In addition to that, Mr Platonov highlighted the multidisciplinary nature of the campus, vast research opportunities, including virtual exchanges, and online courses on the Coursera platform.
After the presentation, the participants discussed possible forms of collaboration with Finnish educational institutions and the role of the Consulate General in strengthening these ties. In particular, Ms Vanamo stressed the interest in developing exchange opportunities for students and researchers between the two countries, as well as the desire of Finnish companies to continue expanding business contacts in North-West Russia. Special attention was given to projects related to environmental and climate issues.
Prof Shchemeleva noted the fact that Finland has always been a very close partner and neighbour for Saint Petersburg, which makes the campus a favourable place to study for Finnish students. In relation to the environment, Prof Shchemeleva highlighted the fact that HSE campus in Saint Petersburg has always been committed to sustainability. “We are one of a few universities in St Petersburg that has employed recycling system right on the campus”, she said. Prof Shchemeleva also mentioned the Laboratory for Environmental and Technological History, at which such topics as current policies of use of natural resources, climate change, and socio-technical systems are investigated.
Representatives of the campus expressed strong interest in developing new academic partnerships with Finnish institutions in the sphere of student and staff exchange, research and double-degree tracks. Consul General confirmed her readiness to provide assistance in establishing partnerships; it was decided that the campus will prepare a proposal, describing the projects which can be supported by the Consulate General in St Petersburg. At the end of the meeting, HSE – St Petersburg international team exchanged gifts with the honoured guests and enjoyed informal socializing.
If you want to learn more about exchange programmes with Finland, do not hesitate to visit our Study Abroad website.