HSE as One Big Multinational Family

A regular meeting of first-year BA and MA international students with the HSE Nizhny Novgorod administration has been held at the Austrian library. The students shared their first impressions of studying at HSE and life in Russia. 

HSE’s international students come from a wide range of different countries: Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China, Belarus, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Seoul, the United States, France, Italy, and Armenia. Most said that they have long dreamed of studying at HSE and they are happy that this dream has now come true.

Alexey Grytsenko, student at the Faculty of Economics (Belarus)

I have always wanted to study at the Higher School of Economics. It is one of the best universities, and it doesn’t really matter whether you study in Moscow or in Nizhny Novgorod. I really liked the city. I thought it would be gloomier, but it was colorful and interesting, there are lots of things to see here. Studying here is hard, but very interesting!

Natalia Vasiuk, student of the Faculty of Economics (Moldova)

I really wanted to study in Russia. I was advised to apply to university in Nizhny Novgorod. I got interested and found out more about the city on the Internet, and I liked what I saw. Then I visited with my parents and thought it was really great. I was really pleased to hear I had been successfully enrolled on the programme. Of course, we have a lot of math classes, but I’ll do my best!

The International Relations Office and HSE administration prepared a presentation on the opportunities for each HSE student. It was divided into three parts: visa information, student life, and intercampus mobility.

Valery Zusman, Director of HSE Nizhny Novgorod, welcomed the students: ‘I'm really glad that we have held this excellent, truly international, event today. I hope you will find it easy to adapt to life in Nizhny Novgorod, and that you will find your studies difficult, because if your studies are difficult, that means that we are doing something right, and if you adapt to life in here easily, it means that our city is open and welcoming.’

The university administration also noted that HSE Nizhny Novgorod is becoming more popular among international students, and that it has a good reputation both within Russia and globally. HSE staff said they hope the students study well, learn a lot, and enjoy student life.