Testimonials
Awesome time with awesome people. After spending just one night at home, those three weeks in the city of Saint Petersburg seemed as a dream. From the first moment the team which organized the event made me feel more than welcome. I arrived to the city at midnight. Even in that situation someone come to the airport to receive me with a smile. I learn so much. Not only in class but also thanks to my mates of adventure. All of us came from different countries and have different culture. The variability of thoughts enriched myself. At class we really had a wonderful atmosphere and classes were interactive and interesting. What I enjoyed the most from the program were the complementary activities. I would really recommend this experience to everybody. Thank you all for the great time I had!
There isn't nuclear engineering in bachelor level in Finland, and as I was aiming to work in nuclear industry, Nuclear Engineering Summer School in Saint Petersburg was easy choice for me. In lectures I got lots of theoretical knowledge about nuclear physics and reactors to support my practical knowledge. Lectures weren’t too formal and they had a great atmosphere, it was easy to ask more from professors and they were willing to answer. Volunteers from university also did great job guiding and helping us, who mostly didn’t know the Russian language. Our group with multiple nationalities had great time sightseeing Saint Petersburg together. I made new friends and almost learned Cyrillic letters too!
I followed the summer school "OPEN YOUR MIND TO RUSSIA" in 2013, it was a well organized mix of lectures and social program. The social program shows us the most important and famous historical and cultural heritage like Peterhof and the Hermitage, but also the life in St. Petersburg nowadays. The lectures gave me a good overview about the history and culture of Russia. Moreover I got a good impression of the develop of the Russian economy. The knowledge which I gain during this two week program was very helpful for my further studying, especially for my class in "International Business and Cultural Diversity". I really like to get in contact with people from other countries therefore it was a great opportunity and I could extend my international network.
It was an amazing experience where I learnt to explore a different city and tested my limits. Living in a city with majority of outsiders speaking a foreign language was really interesting with only the warmth of the people pulling us through amid the cold days.
The integration of cultural and academic activities were very fitting for the "Open your mind to Russia" course. The elements of Russian language, history, and business culture come alive in the contexts that St. Petersburg and it surroundings provide. My views of Russia and its values have changed as much as could be expected from a three-week program, due to the flexibility of the programme both in and outside the classroom. Exceeding the formalities of the programme, the uniquely internation composition of the student population, spanning east and west, offers a remarkable environment reflecting the international position of Russia.