‘Russia Offers Strong Education, Which Is Why I Decided to Apply to a Russian University’
How can foreigner become HSE University students? Do prospective students need to come to Russia to pass entrance exams? What does education at HSE University have to offer future professionals? Hyen Jin, a South Korean master’s student at HSE in Moscow, and Sezar Barotov, an undergraduate from Tajikistan who studies at HSE Nizhny Novgorod, shared their experiences of applying to the university and adapting to independent life.
Hyen Jin, second-year master’s student in Financial Economics, Research Assistant at HSE ICEF International Laboratory of Financial Economics
I am a citizen of South Korea, but I was born in Moscow, studied at the Korean school at the embassy, and graduated from the HSE and University of London Double Degree Bachelor’s Programme in Economics. Today, I am a student in the ICEF’s master’s programme in Financial Economics.
Russia offers strong education, training experts in a number of fields, which is why I decided to apply to a Russian university. I also like the ability to communicate freely with teachers as an equal, as well as the opportunity to combine my master’s studies with work. I first heard about HSE University from a postgraduate friend of mine when I was applying to university. While still in school, I wanted to study economics, and HSE offers one of the strongest programmes in this field. The European educational system, discounts and even state-funded slots for international students have also been important factors.
The admission procedure is quite simple: you go through a simple registration process, upload your documents, and wait for the portfolio assessment and the university’s decision. Further online or on-site interviews are also possible. Everything is organized on one platform, with step-by-step explanations and an opportunity to contact an English-speaking moderator. It is important for prospective students to choose a programme in advance since early application gives privileges in the admission process. The only difficulty I had was with the visa: if the invitation is delayed, an international student may be late beginning their studies.
Since I have lived in Moscow from birth, I didn’t have any problems adapting. Here, you can find any cuisine you like, lots of shops, and a convenient metro system. The student social card gives you the ability to travel across the city easily.
I’ve heard from other international students that their main problem has been the language barrier: in some places, they can’t ask questions in English and get the information they need. They also often have problems with registration, migration cards, and medical insurance, because foreigners are not familiar with these procedures and documents. When I had issues like this, I contacted the faculty’s international department to get information, which is also available on the HSE website. To help with adapting, HSE University offers ‘buddies’: Russian students who help their foreign classmates to get around the city and become their first Russian-speaking friends. The university offers a tour of Moscow and interactive programmes for international students, so that we start our lives in the new city more easily.
Studies at the university take a lot of time. I like the lecture-seminar system, which helps me learn the material well. I also like the format of studies with the clear schedule and objective grading scale, as well as the new campus on Pokrovka, which has everything that students need.
I would definitely recommend international students to choose HSE University. HSE University has strong programmes and teachers who are experts in their fields. It offers interesting double-degree programmes and programmes that are taught completely in English; there also are Russian-language preparatory courses.
The university already has extensive experience working with international students; it has an elaborate support system that continues to develop
If a student demonstrates strong performance in their studies, they can get a discount on tuition or be transferred into state-funded slots depending on their nationality.
Sezar Barotov, fourth-year student at the Faculty of Law, HSE University in Nizhny Novgorod
I came to Russia from Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. I was admitted to the bachelor’s programme in Law. There are many Russian universities’ branches in my home city – MSU, MPEI, etc. – but I decided to go outside Dushanbe to study in order to gain new experience and pursue new opportunities. I wanted to study at HSE University because of my friend who was finishing high school at the time and preparing documents for HSE University in Moscow. But I didn’t want to study in a capital city: I don’t like the pace of life in big cities, and when talking about St. Petersburg, my friends said that the climate is too gloomy there. My choice was obvious – Nizhny Novgorod – especially since the feedback on this campus was very positive.
In Tajikistan, I studied at a Russian school and obtained a Russian certificate of secondary education, which gave me an advantage over other university applicants who submitted their documents via Rossotrudnichestvo. After the exams at Rossotrudnichestvo, we were exempted from obligatory USE subjects at school, so all we had to do was to pass remote exams at HSE University. They are similar to the Unified State Exam, but have a different format, and since we had prepared for them, I didn’t have any problems. All in all, the admission process for international applicants is specified down to the smallest detail, and before I knew it, I saw that my enrolment order was in process.
After I moved to Russia, there is greater independence in my life than there is back home. This is useful and not scary at all
The university helps us to adapt quickly through extracurricular life. It is thrilling to be an active member of the community, and I recommend it to everyone! For example, I led the technical department at HSE Event student association. My job was to provide technical support by preparing equipment at the clubs where we organized events, helping with the audio at the event, etc. Membership in student associations is a huge opportunity for self-expression.
Over three and a half years, I got everything I wanted from student life: from deadlines that were killing me and sleepless nights, to the great experience of interactions with students, teachers and campus administration.
HSE University welcomes applicants from all over the world and offers not only different levels of study, but also different formats in English and Russian, online and offline. International applicants can apply for Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programmes in a separate admissions process for foreign applicants and receive scholarships with full or partial tuition fee coverage.
When applying to a Bachelor’s programme, including five English-taught programmes in Moscow, it is possible to submit international certificates you have received in English and mathematics, such as IELTS, TOEFL, A-Level and other international exams and they will be recognized by HSE University, so taking entrance exams in relevant subjects will not be required.
Undergraduate applicants can test their chances of admission now by taking mock tests. Master’s applicants also have the opportunity to get a preliminary assessment of their portfolio and communicate with their programme of choice online. There are also ZOOM consulations available for graduate and undergraduate applicants.
International Admissions staff are ready to advise prospective students and their parents via email at inter@hse.ru, by phone +7 (495) 531 00 59 or WhatsApp +7 (916) 311 85 21, as well as on social media in Russian and English: VK, Facebook, Telegram, Instagram.