My unforgettable semester at UMTE

“Friendly students, helpful teachers and cozy classrooms”, – this is how Yulyana Liashchuk, an academic mobility program participant from Euphrosyne Polotskaya State University of Polotsk (Republic of Belarus), describes her study period at UMTE.

A student who studied at our university in the spring semester of the 2023/2024 academic year in the Institute of Economics and Finance shared her experience and recommendations.

Yulyana Liashchuk: “I have always wanted to visit St. Petersburg and get acquainted with the culture of this amazing city. Therefore, when I saw the opportunity to study under the academic mobility program at UMTE, I immediately decided to apply. After all, it is a great opportunity to get acquainted with teachers and students from another country, learn the peculiarities of their approach to teaching and understand what principles underlie the Russian educational system.

In order to study at UMTE, it was necessary to successfully pass the selection process and provide the necessary documents, as well as show good academic performance. In the process of preparation and training there were certain difficulties related to adaptation to the new educational process, but thanks to the support of teachers and students, these difficulties were overcome.

I really liked the atmosphere at UMTE – friendly students, helpful teachers and cozy classrooms. All the disciplines I had were interesting and useful, they gave me new perspectives, ideas for professional development and an outside view. I liked the competent teachers who taught us in a very interesting way.

Indeed, studying in Russia is different from studying in my country. Here there is more emphasis on practical skills. Also, studying in Russia is characterized by a wider range of subjects and opportunities for specialized training, which makes it attractive for research students.

My extracurricular life in St. Petersburg was also rich and exciting - traveling around the city, visiting museums, theaters and concerts. I would recommend other students not to miss the opportunity to get to know the culture of this amazing city. There were also many different events and opportunities for communication and cultural exchange at the university, which makes staying here even more valuable and memorable. I also took part in one of the events. Together with other students from the Republic of Belarus, we introduced UMTE students to the history, traditions and customs of our country.

I would definitely advise other students to spend an exchange semester at UMTE because it is a great opportunity to get acquainted with Russian culture, improve level of academic English and gain new experience. In addition, to successfully participate in the academic mobility program, I would recommend students to be flexible and open to new knowledge and cultural differences. It is important to actively participate in the university life, communicate with local students and use all opportunities for professional and personal development”.