Students' Experiences

Even though most of my NES experience was online due to health measures, it was an enriching experience. I took several finance classes where I learned a lot even though I had to work hard - often with limited time for exam preparation because of the high number of exam periods. I enjoyed the fact that many classes were taught by professionals and experts in their field who have rich real-world experience rather than by university professors who only focus on theory which is so common in other universities. This really helped me to bridge the gap between the theory and practice. Based on my international experience which I gained during my previous studies at some of the leading universities in the Czech Republic, Germany and China I can say that the quality of classes and the facilities which the university provides to its students is very good. Also, I felt very welcome even though I met my NES classmates only a couple of times in person. The International office of NES did a really great job and I cannot thank them enough. It was always ready to help me even though I faced a lot of difficulties because of the coronavirus and distance learning. Thank you NES!

— Filip Jonáš, Charles University in Prague, exchange student at NES in 2020

 

Even though I went through two exchanges before, I am very pleased I had a chance to spend a semester at NES. When choosing this exchange, my main criterion was the quality of education, which was truly at a high level. NES provides a variety of courses in the field of economy and finance taught by professors from both academic and industry backgrounds. This gave me a unique opportunity to understand the content from different perspectives. As the classes are usually small, most lecturers actively involve students during lectures, which sometimes made me feel that I am a part of professional discussion instead of a typical lecture where the only lecturer speaks. Regarding the university facilities, except for working on interesting home assignments or group projects at study rooms, I enjoyed that NES building has a gym and a student room with table soccer! In my free time, I participated in the NES football tournament and attended a Russian course provided by the university. It is also important to note that NES managed to deal with corona-crisis lockdown perfectly, as teaching went smoothly from one day to another into online mode. However, what I enjoyed the most was the approach of the International office, NES staff, lecturers, and students, who were always helpful and made me remember this experience only in a good light.

Therefore, if you are considering an exchange at NES, I would definitely recommend it. If more information is needed, do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected].

— Martin Bosak, Charles University in Prague, exchange student at NES in 2020

 

Last year I decided to have a break from my studies at Charles University and try a different place. NES became my first choice. I expected to find myself in a cosy institution where students and academic staff know each other and where one stresses high academic proficiency. Reality exceeded my expectations. Students at NES surprised me by their ambitiousness and hard work. A great thing was that I could always count on their help whatever (not only academic) problem I faced. The International Office proved to be extremely helpful in many practical issues which awaited me after my arrival in Russia. The courses led by Natalya Volchkova provided both interesting theoretical and empirical insights in the international trade often put in the perspective of current issues. Although the courses were challenging, I am very grateful that my curriculum still enabled me to travel and see some wonderful places such as Crimea. At the beginning of the semester, director of the Master's programme in Economics Grigory Kosenok told me that the ambition of NES is to become the best economic university in Eastern Europe. It was certainly not a big surprise to me when I later found out that NES belongs to the top universities in Russia based on a ranking by Forbes magazine. I would like to express gratitude for the opportunity NES gave me and strongly encourage other foreign students to spend their semester at this institution.

— Michal Kotrč, Charles University in Prague, exchange student at NES in 2020
 

"Studying at NES has been a deeply enriching experience for me. At the beginning, it was tough since it was the first time for me studying abroad; however, the university staff did all its best to make me feel home and among my classmates I found wonderful people who became friends of mine. Studying was quite hard, because of the university high standards and its dense schedule, but the courses I chose were interesting and I believe the knowledge I acquired will be useful for my future career. Moreover, I also managed to spare some time to enjoy Moscow and to get acquainted with a country quite different from mine, that I am happy to have experienced."

 — Enrico Siri, Bocconi University, exchange student at NES in 2016

 

“I study linguistics at the University of Texas at Austin. I am currently interning at NES, and taking two BAE courses. I was surprised by the intimate setting NES offers its students; both of my classes are small and my professors are highly invested in the progress of their students in spite of their prominent research careers. Students here are friendly and love to exchange ideas. They take their studies seriously – not only in contrast to my preconceptions about Russian academia, but also to an extent that has caused me to reevaluate the attitudes towards education I've inherited as an American. This school occupies a dynamic position in Russian academia, and I only recommend NES if you want to avoid all the clich?s students bring home from typical study abroad programs.”

 — Andy McMahon, the University of Texas at Austin

 

 “NES is like Warren Buffet: an outlying occurrence at one end of a distribution. It exists against all odds! And that’s what made it appealing to me when I was considering options for studying abroad in Russia. There is nothing wizardly about appreciating the role of econometrics, math, and monetary theory in modern economics. But NES is the one Russian university that understands this fact. Even though I'd previously had access to world-renowned faculty at the University of California, at NES I found something more: a highly-motivated group of students. Most universities can provide books and resources, but only a few distinguished ones are able to inspire interest in learning from the bottom up. NES is such a university.”

— Segah Meer, NES MAE Class of 2012

 

"Весенний семестр второго курса я провел в Университете Намюра по программе Эразмус. Если говорить об учебе, то семестр в Бельгии позволил мне увидеть иной, отличный от РЭШевского подход к экономической науке и её преподаванию, где большее внимание уделяется практике, экономической интуиции и гуманитарной составляющей, а не математическим моделям. Особенно примечательным был курc институциональной экономики, который был гораздо ближе к философии, чем к тому, что изучается в РЭШ.

Географическое положение Бельгии позволяет очень удобно путешествовать по Франции, Германии, Нидерландам, но это делать не обязательно, т.к. даже в окрестностях Намюра есть что посмотреть: количество средневековых замков на единицу площади просто зашкаливает, и их можно по хорошим велодорожкам объезжать на велосипеде, любуясь видами. Ещё, живя в Бельгии, я смог познакомиться с представителями других культур, попытался понять бельгийскую идентичность (спрашивал у многих людей о том, что значит быть бельгийцем, ожидая услышать "откуда есть пошла земля Бельгийская", но получая в ответ, что бельгийцев объединяет футбол, вафли и картошка фри. И только раза в 10-го до меня дошло, что это не баг, а фича, а мое изначальное представление о том, какой должна быть национальная идентичность, не является универсальным). Ещё я увидел другую грань русской культуры, побыв полгода частью русской (и немножко румынской) диаспоры. А ещё огромным плюсом Намюра является стипендия на которую можно жить и даже немного путешествовать."

Simon Agapov, MAE2021, exchange student at the University of Namur

 

"I was fortunate enough to study for a year at Goethe University as an exchange student. Despite the fact that the whole year I studied online, I had never regretted my decision to participate in this program. The faculty has a fairly large number of courses which cover many areas in Finance and Economics. Additionally, I had a chance to
attend courses from other departments. Also, some courses were supposed to have excursions to large banks, but they were canceled due to the restrictions. The level of teaching is very high. It was always interesting to be at lectures. Professors explained difficult things in simple terms which made it easier to perceive valuable information.

Besides studying, I could also meet a huge number of people from different countries. Meetings were often held among students, so there was no time to be bored.

The exchange program, I would say, is a very good opportunity to immerse in the culture of another country. When you are in a foreign country as a tourist, it is a completely different story. If you consider living for a short time in another country, then this is undoubtedly a very good opportunity.  There were many exchange students from different countries at the university, and everyone I asked about their impression, enjoyed this experience."

Alexey Teselkin, MAF2021, exchange student at Goethe University in Frankfurt

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