Testimonials

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!

My time at Polytechnic University of Saint Petersburg was an all-out amazing experience. From start to finish I was surrounded by wonderful people. Upon arrival at the airport I had all the help I could ask for by one of the students of the university. This led to an immediate feeling of ease. From the first day of the course up until the last our class was taken good care off. The start in the impressive main building was organized in great fashion, and after the introduction we had a little general information which all proved to be very useful. To end the day there was a little pub quiz which led to a lot of people being able to come together and form friendships. The teacher was an expert in her course and made the lessons very easy to pick up on. The cultural program was interesting as well, the ability to visit the Hermitage with its seemingly endless works of art and the astonishing Winter Palace. The lovely people who organized everything for us even ended up joining my group of friends for a birthday dinner/drink. After that we even went out for dinner multiple times during our stay and this sort of feeling that you’re more a group of friends than students/organizers made my stay and that of my fellow students unforgettable. All in all I can not recommend people enough to take the chance to attend a summer or winter school event and have the opportunity to meet the most amazing people from the school itself and your fellow students who attend the courses.

I would have never imagined how a three-week course could change someone in such a good way. Nowadays, I am definitely not the same person who landed in Saint Petersburg on the 16th of August. Behind me, I left a great university, one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited and many nice people I am sure I will meet again. But I am taking back home much more. I have discovered a new country and a new culture from inside with the help of local people (such as our tutors, coordinators and teachers) and with the company of a diverse international group that both contributed to make a brilliant and unique 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.

I attended summer school with my classmates back in July 2016 and it was an unforgettable experience! I truly enjoyed myself, from touring the city of St. Petersburg, soaking in the sights, admiring the palaces, gawking at the views, even the lessons itself were amazing thanks to the professor. I will definitely recommend this summer school programme to my friends. Thank you SPbPU for this opportunity!