Testimonials

IM was a course that I was looking long time to learn, and I did it in Russia. I really enjoyed the classes, not only the one that I focused at the beginning... I enjoyed all of them, particularly the class of Russian Civilization and its Architecture, where after a few trips to Saint Petersburg, I could understand the meaning and have more information about some buildings that I saw daily before.

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.

I’ve been studying Russian for several years, and I needed practicing it with native speakers. Besides, I wanted to know more about society, politics, culture, and arts of Russia. I very much liked the practical and theoretical Russian Language classes; I also enjoyed the lectures on the history of art and politics, as well as the exciting trips we had during the program. It was wonderful to study in such a pleasant and friendly atmosphere, and our teachers are true professionals. We had lots of useful exercises and speaking clubs, and all this has helped me to significantly improve my language skills. In addition, I’ve got many new friends here, and the tutors helped us to know more about the city, I am extremely thankful for this experience!

Now that I have just finished my studies in Russia I can say with no doubts that I have a deeper comprehension about this unique country. What I most liked about my experience in the Summer Program was the opportunity to study and live together with many people from all over the world, Bulgaria, Finland, Italy, Mexico, Switzerland, Romania, the United States, including also other places from Russia! For sure this is not a mere opportunity, but an exercise for peace and fraternity. It is also incredible when you have a group of professionals who are ready to welcome you and offer the foreign students a valuable assistance in so many ways. The trips organized by the coordinators are the highest point of a mature project which learnt that a complete educational experience must go beyond the ordinary classroom. Furthermore, Saint Petersburg is one of the places with greater cultural potential in the world! I strongly recommend this international experience!

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.