Student exchange programs continue to be arranged by the Graduate School of Management of St. Petersburg University (GSOM SPbU) and foreign partner universities. Changes in the external environment impacted the intensity and nature of international relations, but motivation and active participation of GSOM SPbU students in international programs remain the same.  

More than 50 Bachelor's and Master's students spent the autumn semester of 2022 abroad. This once again proves that student mobility is one of the key vectors of GSOM SPbU activity.


 

"Students still go to foreign universities as part of exchange programs. In fact, although academic contacts come to an end, individual contacts continue. It is very important not to interrupt educational links in the academic community. Sooner or later the turbulence will calm down, and it is important to support and preserve this global exchange of the best students, — believes Olga Dergunova, Deputy President and Chairman of VTB Bank Management Board, GSOM SPbU Director. 

Upon return the students shared their impressions in the blog on GSOM SPbU website: they told about the specifics of educational programs of foreign universities, the value of learning abroad, the things they liked and disliked, and what you have to be ready for. 

Nikita Mikhailov, a second year student of Master in Management (MiM) program at GSOM SPbU, spent a semester at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad. During three months at one of the best Indian business schools, Nikita has gained precious knowledge and realized the importance of the learning process. According to him, Indian society is segregated so strongly, that good education is virtually the only way to escape from poverty. This kind of attitude to learning inspired the student and motivated him to gain more knowledge.

 

Nikita noticed that practical approach, case analysis, building a dialogue between professors and students, and many other features of educational process organization at GSOM SPbU and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad are similar. However, there are some differences, too. "Classes at IIMA last for 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) with a 20-minute break, unlike those at Russian universities, that last 90 minutes with a 15-minute break. Education is organized according to the Harvard Business School model: classrooms are semi-circular and stepped for a more comfortable dialog between students and lecturers and various discussions. 90% of time at the classes is dedicated to analysis of cases. During classes students mainly learn the material in the dialog with the professor and each other. Attending the classes and participating actively is necessary to get a good final grade," — shared Nikita.  

Kamilla Shaikhattarova, a second-year Bachelor in Management program's student at GSOM SPbU who spent an exchange semester at a business school in the city of Mexico, also shared her impressions. "This was my first offline semester after online education. I learned how to communicate with people and speak in public again. I made many useful connections and did a lot of networking. Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México has a different grading system: you need to pass a mandatory exam with a score of 60% to pass the subject. There are many homework assignments, more than at GSOM SPbU, but there is less group work: the emphasis is on independent study of subjects and cases. During and after lectures, we also talked more with professors who were always ready to help.