Report on experiences abroad. Study semester at the Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia

Transcription

1 Reprt n experiences abrad Study semester at the Higher Schl f Ecnmics, Mscw, Russia Summer term 2005 (March July 2005) By Nicle Petrick Idea The idea f spending ne semester in Russia develped already a lng time ag. Already in schl, I studied the Russian language next t English and French and since then had the gal f never neglecting the ne r the ther. The Russian language thugh always gave me a harder time than any ther especially its grammar (6 cases and the aspects). Taking this as a challenge, I decided t g abrad in rder t study and live in Russia. Planning / Preparatins Chice f University and perid f study My hme university, the Humbldt-University f Berlin, has varius cntracts with Russian state universities in Mscw, where all knwn universities are amng. Thus, als the State University - Higher Schl f Ecnmics (SU-HSE, shrt HSE) is ne f the partner universities, which als perates an internatinal masters prgram in the fields f ecnmics, finance and management with the Faculty f Ecnmics f the Humbldt-University f Berlin. The decisin f studying at the HSE was made due t the fact that this university just was funded twelve years ag and is thus a very mdern university, especially emphasizing internatinality. Additinally, its Faculty f Ecnmics has an excellent reputatin within and ut f Russia and enjys the extra bnus f being situated right in the centre f Mscw. As fr the perid f study, the bundaries f time were set t ne semester nly, since I believe it t be efficient enugh as well as due t the fact that I am planning t spend a secnd semester in France. Situatin in Mscw Language The ultimate need fr a survival in Russia is the knwledge f the Russian language, even in a city like Mscw. Almst nbdy speaks English n the streets and even at an internatinal university as the HSE there are almst n curses taught in English. Nicle Petrick Reprt n experiences abrad, HSE Mscw, Russia

2 Wh plans t study in Russia, has t already have a gd knwledge f the basics f the Russian language as t being able t read and write Cyrillic in hand- and print writing as well as having brader knwledge n vcabulary. Life Life in Mscw is equivalent t that in a typical big city. Fr the reasn f me cming t Mscw frm Berlin, I did nt have many difficulties while f adjusting. The things, thse are mst likely t becme visible and annying in shrt: Mscw has fficially 12 and unfficially 14 millin inhabitants, nt cunting the thusands f cmmuters that stream in and ut f twn daily. The masses f peple n the streets and especially in the metr, in particular within the rush hurs (9-10 a.m. and 6-7 p.m.), might becme a burden. Summarizing, the city is nisy, hectic and dirty (cmpared t German cities) and wh des nt cme frm a big city, shuld nt get depressed by it. Peple live in Mscw in large living huses and quarters. The average life standard is belw the German ne. I can nt give any advise n student accmmdatins, since Russian students themselves cmmented n aviding them what I did. If they are as bad as their reputatin, I cnsequently can nt say. Hwever, I als did nt knw ne freign student, wh lived in a drmitry fr a lnger perid f time. Wh wants t lk fr an wn apartment, shuld expect prices t be way abve the German average price level. It is pssible t pay $1000 fr a 60m²-appartment, even thugh prices vary a lt with lcatin. Apartments n Tverskaya ulitsa, fr example, can cst up t $5000 a mnth. Apartments generally cme furnished thugh. Public transprt belngs t the cheapest things in Mscw. Wh pssesses a student ID f a Russian university, can receive a student ticket at the Mscw Metr and is then able t ride the metr fr a price f 116 Rubles ( 3,30; August 05) fr a mnth, starting n each first day f the mnth. Generally it can be said, that prices fr fd and ther necessities belnging t the daily need are cheaper r at the same price available as in Germany. Furthermre, calling within Mscw via hme phne is fr free and using mbile phnes is als belw the German prices. Any thing that is nt cnsidered t be an every day need, such as ging t restaurants, bars, clubs and cafés is cmbined with prices, which are smetimes way mre expensive than fr instance in the German capital. Nicle Petrick Reprt n experiences abrad, HSE Mscw, Russia

3 Mentality f Muscvites With the plitical changes in Russia at the beginning f the 1990s, the ppulatin changed a lt. While sme turned ut t be the winners f the changes, many f the peple nw belng t their lsers. Cunting tw devaluatins f currency, mst elderly peple lst all f their savings, thus causing many ld peple t live in pverty. The current winners are the newly rich Russians, ut f which the nce with mst influence are called ligarchs by the peple. This negative meant expressin is suppsed t shw that prbably nne f thse peple ever gained all their mney by means f pure hnesty and fairness, at least nbdy believes it t be this way. Additinally, ligarchs are said t be trying t achieve pwer in plitics with the help f their hard currencies. The majrity f Russians is situated between the tw extremes and tries t get alng as well as pssible. Thse peple present themselves as warm-hearted and pen-minded peple, als twards freigners frm the west. (Next t anti-semitism, xenphbia twards dark-skinned peple, t, has nt vanished yet). Generally it can be said, that Russians in Mscw are, if at all, especially cld and unfriendly n the streets. If ne is able t get t knw them better, they turn ut t be very hspitable, helpful and reliable. Institute The Higher Schl f Ecnmics cnsists f multiple faculties, e.g. the faculty f Ecnmy, Management, Plitlgy and thers. Smetimes the impressin appears that the faculties d little if at all crdinate each ther r amng each ther; equivalently they are lcated separately all ver twn. Since I came t the HSE via the Faculty f Ecnmics f the Humbldt-University f Berlin, my main faculty at the HSE was als the ne f Ecnmics. I als chse sme curses at the Faculty f Plitlgy, which is generally pssible. Hwever, when I tried t get the certificates f passing the curses, I was tld that my main faculty was the ne f Ecnmics and thus n cntract was made with the Faculty f Plitlgy and this nw being the reasn f nt being able t handing me any certificate. As always, there is a bureaucratic way ut f the prblem, meaning that ne faculty sends the ther a cntract. One shuld cnsider this fact in rder t avid truble shrtly befre examinatins start. Students studying within the Masters prgram, meaning thse participating in curses f the first r secnd year Magistratura shuld knw that mst Russian students already wrk next t university. Thus, at sme faculties many curses start in the evening and many students belng t the very busy nes, which hardly find any free time between jb and study. Nicle Petrick Reprt n experiences abrad, HSE Mscw, Russia

4 Negative fr me was, that n curses f the Russian language were ffered fr freign students. The nly pssibility is t lk fr a private teacher. Mrever, ne can g t ther universities and participate in language curses there. Hwever, this is nt fr free and fees up t $200 per mnth have t be paid. Additinally, it is very cmplicated t gather infrmatin when already in Mscw. Since mst universities d have their sites in the internet, it is f advantage t retrieve infrmatin n language curses already in advance. Bureaucracy The mst annying tpic at last Russian bureaucracy. Everybdy travelling t Russia and thus already in the pssessin f a visa has t get registered within three wrking days. Fr this an entry and exit frm has t be filled in by the time f the arrival. While the entry card is taken when entering the cuntry, the exit card has t be kept until leaving it, since it is this card where the registratin will be stamped n (as als in the passprt). The registratin can nly be rdered by the persn r rganisatin wh als sent the invitatin (thus generally the university). The HSE has a whle department cping with this and is thus helping freign students a lt. One gets infrmatin n what frmularies are still missing and what needs t be filled ut in rder t finally becme a legal resident f Mscw. Sme mre wrds t the visa: Generally, as als dne by the HSE, ne receives a first invitatin fr the perid f three mnths that allws the receptin f an equally timed visa fr a single entry and exit. At the end f the three mnths an applicatin fr a multi visa, which will be rganized via the university in Mscw and will be given frm the respnsible Russian authrity, can be handed in. Within these first three mnths ne cnsequently enjys a quite restrictive freedm f travel. As far as I knw, in case f an emergency it is pssible t apply fr an exit and re-entry withut an invalidatin f the visa via the university. Hwever, this applicatin has t be given in advance f time. Real freedm f travel will cme back, when the multi-visa is valid. Return Due t the fact that my university has a cntract with the HSE and als perates a study prgram, I d nt believe that I shuld face any truble trying t get my curses accepted. Generally, I suggest talking with the hme university already in advance abut the curses that are ffered at the HSE and what curses shuld be taken, in rder t avid any truble afterwards. The HSE presents its curse plans and schedules n the internet fr each upcming semester. Since the system des nt change, the use f the equivalent schedules Nicle Petrick Reprt n experiences abrad, HSE Mscw, Russia

5 and plans frm the year befre is als pssible. All curses are cunted n behalf f the ECTS-System, making a valuatin f the needed credits easy. As fr the return t the hme university, I suggest preparing a certified translatin f the given Russian transcripts while still being in Russia. Summary I d nt want t miss the time spent in Mscw. I learned, experienced and saw a lt. Many impressins and experiences had influences n the way I think tday. I made a further prgress in my wn develpment and gt t knw a culture that rather stays unknwn fr mst peple. Wh lived in Russia fr a lnger time, will recgnize, what ne misses frm his hme cuntry but als what ne misses in his hme cuntry. It is harder t live in Russia than in Germany, because smetimes elementary things in life are missing, thus making every day life mre difficult. Hwever, it is easier t live in Russia than in Germany, because the mentality f the peple makes living tgether easier. Nicle Petrick Reprt n experiences abrad, HSE Mscw, Russia