From Greece to Russia to study Business

Panagiotis Sarantidis made a decision to study at MIB for unique life experience and numerous employment opportunities.

Panagiotis Sarantidis

Current Job : Freelance Promoter & Sales Representativefor the French Magellan International OOO and several Greek companies

 

Prior education: BBA in Business Administration, University of Macedonia, (Thessaloniki, Greece)

Professional areas of interest: SME consulting, branding, promotion

Languages proficient in: Greek, English, Russian

Favorite destination: Saint Petersburg, a true European city in Russia!

Hobbies: Watching Manga series (Japanese comics), writing, studying on Coursera

Pano, you are a Greek citizen who travelled to Russia in 2013 to learn the Russian language and later decided to stay here to do your master’s degree in International Business. Why did you want to pursue Master’s Degree in Russia?

To be honest, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration didn’t give me much competitive advantage on the Greek or European job markets. My Greek classmates chose to get their master’s degrees somewhere in Europe or the USA, but I wanted to have a very unique life experience. I spent a few months studying Russian at the Pushkin State Institute of Russian language and in no time applied for the HSE MIB program. I expected that master’s degree in International Business would open for me numerous opportunities to work in Russia while applying my international background.

 

Pano, how did you come to know about the Master of International Business program at the Higher School of Economics?

Whosoever I sought advice from, referred me to the Higher School of Economics as the best school in Russia for getting a business degree. I researched HSE website and discovered that MIB program was a perfect fit for my career aspirations which are to remain involved in International Business.

  

Pano, what were your expectations before you started studying as an MIB student and how were they met?

I expected to make a lot of new friends and gain some connections in Moscow. Higher School of Economics really seems to be the place for that! Besides, I was looking forward to numerous group projects, case studies and guest lecturers that would contribute to my knowledge. As expected, this business degree taught me a certain way of approaching and solving complex business problems. Can’t wait to apply these skills at work!

 

Pano, can you think of some most exciting courses or instructors during your MIB studies?

I truly enjoyed the courses taught by Vyacheslav Buyevskiy (International Marketing Strategies and International Market Research and Analysis). Along with being a good professor he is also a real practitioner. Vyacheslav offers a holistic approach on his subject, both theoretical and practical. Also, we had an exciting academic journey in the International Business Negotiations class (by V. Lissniak) where on weekly basis we learnt how to negotiate with each other. A very useful skill indeed!

 

Pano, soon you will be graduating with a master’s degree in International Business. What would you say to the next MIB generations?

Smiling Do not fully trust your teammates! Without doubt, you learn a great deal from your classmates, but at times project assignments in teams can be really troublesome to manage. This is the time when you gain valuable team building experience.