Testimonials

Boris Kuzmanov

The reasons that underpinned my decision to take part in the summer school were the international outlook of the program, the involvement of leading professors in the educational process, the visit to industrial facilities and the chance to be exposed to the Russian culture in a vibrant city as Saint-Petersburg. I am delighted that all professors, as I expected, were very knowledgeable, open-minded and positively-oriented, and also very eager to transfer their knowledge in a non-traditional (more interactive) way. Furthermore, the visit of some large electricity generation (Rosenergoatom, the branch of Leningradskaya NPP) and turbine manufacturing (REP Holding) sites was undoubtedly a cornerstone in terms of providing additional added value to the program. In addition, for the positive outcome of the school contributed the big variety of cultural activities organized during the stay. For instance, the excursions to the world-renowned The State Hermitage Museum and Peterhof Palace, and the boat trip along the Neva river were absolutely marvelous. Last but not least, all program coordinators were extremely supportive and always ready to help throughout the entire program, which has made the stay even more delightful. So this is my impression of the summer school in a nutshell. Hopefully, it will suit your needs. Please let me know if there is anything else that I have forgotten. Also, I believe that this type of international programmes are not only about acquiring new knowledge, experiencing the life in a new country with a different culture, but also about establishing new professional contacts. Hence, I am hoping that we will manage to keep our contacts successfully in the future as well. Since I don't have all the contacts of your university colleagues who have been involved in the summer school (and I don't want to miss anyone), please say hello to them from me. Lastly, I wish you a great success to all your current and future endeavours.

Boris Kuzmanov, (Summer School 2016, module “Nuclear Engineering”)
Jakob Kaufmann

Going to summer school is not only about the in-class experience. I am so glad I decided to go to summer school and I am very grateful to every single one who made my experience at SPbPU this summer so extremely awesome. Students of all levels should be able to attend the “Doing Business in Russia” program, however, also further advanced students will get a great and broad insight into the Russian market and economy from Russian professionals and their personal experiences. I will long look back at the memories I created there with a smile on my face and definitely recommend everybody to take the chance and experience the same!

Jakob Kaufmann, University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt, Austria (Summer School 2018 “Doing Business in Russia”)
Uday Kiran Rajeshuni

It has been the best summer for me. The course was just for 3 weeks but I have learnt a lot in those 3 weeks and met people from all around the world. We all hung out in the night talking about people and culture. We went around the city and cover all the most awesome places in the city. Thanks to the teachers for being very understanding and patient. They taught us with understanding of our background and made the course very fun. St.Petersburg was awesome. Dasvidanya Russia. Hope to come back again

Uday Kiran Rajeshuni, Florence Design Academy, India (International Polytechnic Summer School 2014, module “3D Design and Digital Fabrication”)
Sebastian Bialek

First of all, I like Russian language, it is very melodic for me, that is why I came here. Secondly, I am studying Power Engineering, and a huge part of the Polish energy industry is connected with Russia. So I am sure that in future I’ll use my Russian language skills effectively. For me the most interesting part of the program was the Speaking club, because there we were talking only in Russian. Since my level is not very high yet, it was quite challenging for me not to switch to English and to speak Russian as much as possible. We discussed different topics and it was indeed very practical, I enjoyed my time in St.Petersburg a lot!

Sebastian Bialek, Silesian University of Technology, Poland (Summer School 2017, module “Exploring the Russian Heritage”)
James Chong Khi Tse

Summer School of Russian Studies in SPbPU was one of the best decisions I made this summer! Having the opportunity to visit Russia allowed me to learn the Russian language, culture and history.

I came away with a much greater appreciation for a country that doesn’t get much publicity. In particular, SPbPU was a great host university. From arranging to receive us from the airport to ensuring we are settled into our accommodation, SPbPU made us feel very welcome in a very foreign land. The White Nights programme was planned really well, as we had a very experienced language tutor in class, as well as a very knowledgeable guide who accompanied us for all the ‘field trips’.

We were treated to visits to places such as the Hermitage, Peterhof Palace, and they even arranged for us to see the opening of the iconic drawbridges at night! Lastly, for such a complete experience in St Petersburg, SPbPU ensured that it was all kept really affordable, especially so when compared to other summer study programmes elsewhere. Would definitely recommend this programme to others!

James Chong Khi Tse, Singapore, student of Nanyang Technological University (module “The Challenge of the White Nights”)