HSE - Nizhny Novgorod and Tuscia University (Viterbo, Italy) Expand Their Cooperation

Representatives of the Tuscia University (Italy) recently visited Nizhny Novgorod: the Head of International Relations and Mobility, Carlo Contardo, and Professor of Economics, Social Sciences, Engineering and Business, Patrizio Morganti.

HSE Nizhny Novgorod and Tuscia University are connected via the student mobility programme, Erasmus Plus. The Italian guests told HSE news service about the goals of their visit and even gave their opinion on how ready Russian students are to study in Italy.

International Mobility

‘Thanks to mobility, you can dramatically change your life’, said Dr Carlo Contardo. ‘The main thing students need is a readiness to perceive another reality’. This enables students to solve problems much more quickly and effectively. Students obtain not only theoretical but also practical knowledge via exchanges. Companies value participation in mobility programmes very highly. They value it not only because of the knowledge the student gained, but also because of the professional courage that they showed when they left to study in another country.

How Ready are the Russian Students?                                                 

Patrizio Morganti was extremely enthusiastic about his experience of HSE students in Italy. ‘I have already worked with HSE students in my course - they are more than prepared. They are extremely interested, very hardworking, and actively participated in the classes, even more than their Italian classmates.’ Our students also did very well in their exams. As part of his visit, Professor Morganti conducted a lecture for those who will go to Italy this year. Many of them already speak Italian well and are very motivated and keen to learn, according to the professor.

Future of Cooperation

This visit was carried out as part of the Erasmus Plusprogramme, which enables Tuscia University to accept more students and to realize more projects. A group of 15 students will travel to Italy this year whereas last academic year only 10 students took part in the programme. ‘This is definitely growth. We can confidently say that our connection with Russia is very much valued,’ said Patrizio Morganti.

The details of the cooperation were explained by Pavel Malyzhenkov, Associate Professor at HSE in Nizhny Novgorod at the Faculty of Informatics, Mathematics, and Computer Science and Coordinator of Exchanges with Italian universities. ‘In early June 2017, there was a decision to finance the Erasmus Plus project (2017-1-IT02-KA107-036278), in cooperation with our Italian colleagues. Financing would be put towards the mobility of students, teachers and technical and administrative staff between the Nizhny Novgorod campus and our partner university in Viterbo (Italy, http://www.unitus.it/). This agreement, signed by both universities in December 2006, enabled the creation of joint curricula that allow students of the master's programmes ‘Audit and Consulting’ and ‘Marketing’ to complete their second year of study at the University of Tuscia. Providing they successfully pass all examinations and their thesis defense, these students receive a master's degree from the Italian university, in addition to the diploma from the Higher School of Economics.

Programme Structure

During their first year of study at HSE, students are trained in basic Italian and the terminology of economics under the guidance of Professors Khoroshilova and Malyzhenkov. This prepares them to enter the study environment in Italy helps them adapt quickly. The language study continues (without charge) at the Department of Linguistics at the University of Tuscia. In the academic year 2017-2018, 10 students from the HSE Nizhny Novgorod were enrolled at the University of Tuscia. Three were participants in the double-degree programme and seven were on a shorter programme (they attended separate courses and then re-enrolled at HSE). About twenty students and teachers from the Higher School of Economics visited Tuscia University previously.

Erasmus is a non-profit programme funded by the European Union to encourage collaboration between universities of EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Norway, and Turkey. The programme provides participants with the opportunity to study, carry out internships and even teach in another country which is participating in the programme.