‘At HSE There Are so Many People Who Are Eager to Learn New Things, Supportive of Each Other, and Have Great Senses of Humor’
%20(1).jpg "‘At HSE There Are so Many People Who Are Eager to Learn New Things, Supportive of Each Other, and Have Great Senses of Humor’")
Kazybek Kanybekov, a Master’s student in Pedagogy, moved to Russia from Kazakhstan. He graduated from the Istanbul Bilgi University and now not only studies at HSE University, but also works as a teacher at a Moscow school. Kazybek answered HSE international applicants’ most frequently asked questions.
Why a Russian university?
I spent my childhood in the city of Atyrau, in the west of Kazakhstan, and moved to Russia from the city of Astana in 2019 — that year it was (coincidentally) renamed Nur-Sultan. I am a second-year student of the Master's programme in Pedagogy at the HSE Institute of Education.
In my last years of high school, my life took a new turn: I decided to pursue the field of education. When I became interested in education as a system, and I realized that I need to study it in the field by working as teacher in a school. In my opinion, Moscow is not only the capital of the Russian Federation, but also the centre of the entire CIS: where else can you find such a concentration of different cultures with a similar context in history? In addition, Moscow secondary education achieves high results in the international arena. Therefore, I decided to enroll in a Russian university. I chose HSE University.
Admissions
The admissions process was a bit stressful: for the first time in my life I was applying and taking part in a competition for applicants online. That time, I was still working in Nursultan, so I considered this option (admission to HSE University) as a plan B in case something didn't work out at work. But when I was enrolled on a state-funded place for the portfolio competition, I immediately realized that I should not miss this opportunity - and I quit my job! Fortunately for me, there were no problems with the documents in Moscow, and the rest of the admissions process was organized perfectly. My first impression of the university was promising.
Adapting to Life in Moscow
In fact, I was looking for exactly the same pace of life as in Moscow. Istanbul, where I completed my Bachelor's degree, is an ultra-city with an extremely fast pace of life and high population density. There, I got used to the rhythm of a big city, where the days are so busy (especially if you work) that winter passes like a brief moment. In Moscow, at first it was difficult for me to get used to the metro: there are so many stations, each has its own style, you get lost three or four times during your trip until you get used to it (this is exactly the first time I have encountered this). Also, in the big city, things are 1.5-2 times more expensive. You can save as much as possible, but here you want to spend, so you have to be more careful with your money.
Studies at HSE University: Expectations vs Reality
HSE University has exceeded my expectations! I’ve heard a lot about two popular Russian universities: Moscow State University and HSE University. And my friends described HSE as a modern university, open to new ideas and people, which at the same time provides high-quality education.
I did not expect to meet so many people who are eager to learn new things, supportive of each other, and have great senses of humor. The professors, my classmates, the administration — we are like a family. I may be biased in favour of my programme, but I don't think it's worse in other programmes.
As a second-year Master's student, I can assure you that our professors are true professionals in their field. Of course, in quarantine and remote learning, some aspects of my classes have changed, but this is a common problem for the whole world, which HSE University managed well. As a school teacher, I see the system from the inside and know the difficulties our teachers have faced. However, in my opinion, we have not yet learned to apply distance learning as effectively as full-time education. Therefore, I would like to get back to in-class learning: personal interaction between students and teachers is essential.
I definitely recommend applying to HSE University. I am sure that applicants — future students — will meet open and interesting people at our university. Here you will get a high-quality education if you do your best and learn. And life in the big city will open up great opportunities for you (but I also believe that all HSE campuses have such opportunities).
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.
Master’s applicants 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.
Admissions to HSE’s Bachelor's and Master’s programmes are now open. International students can apply online. To learn more about HSE University, its admission process, or life in Moscow, please visit International Admissions website, or contact the Education & Training Advisory Centre at: inter@hse.ru, or via WhatsApp at: +7 (916) 311 8521.