Latin America Online: Polytechnic University and Rossotrudnichestvo held an international webinar for foreign applicants

Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University and Russian House in Buenos Aires held an international webinar for applicants and students from Latin American countries. Representatives of the International Office and students from Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Nicaragua took part in the webinar on behalf of SPbPU. The moderator was Dmitry Fominykh, coordinator of educational programs at the Russian House in Buenos Aires.

The Latin American region has been the focus of Polytechnic University for many years. Ecuador, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and other countries have considerable scientific potential and hold a high educational bar. Despite the distance, many students from these countries choose SPbPU and enroll in its various educational programs. A striking example is the Republic of Ecuador: only two universities in St. Petersburg have students from this country, and most of them are at SPbPU.

During the webinar, which was held in English and Spanish, representatives of the Polytechnic University held a presentation on the main educational programs and spoke about the admission procedure to the University in 2022. Students from Latin America shared their impressions about studying at Polytechnic University and their experiences living in Russia. Evelyn Sosa from Argentina, Miguel Montana from Colombia, Mateo Dominguez from Ecuador and Stefany Mendieta from Nicaragua talked about why they chose Polytechnic University, how they decided to make the long trip to Russia, what programs they are studying and what plans they have for the future.

I am studying for my master’s degree, where I am studying computer technology for designing unmanned cars and electric cars. Important criteria in choosing a university and country were the availability of programs related to car design and modeling, as well as the cost of tuition. I found a program online at the Polytechnic University, Mateo Dominguez said. Compared to other countries, the cost was lower, and the university and the program were well-reviewed. I study in Russian, and my favorite subjects are computer-aided design systems and computer technology in vehicle design.

Miguel Montana, a student from Colombia, is also studying for his master’s degree at SPbPU, but he specifically chose an international program in English. He is studying intelligent systems at the Institute of Computer Science and Technology and says he plans to become a specialist in artificial intelligence in the future. Stefany Mendieta from Nicaragua is studying advertising and public relations in her master’s degree program. Stephanie talked about her active participation in the university’s student life: she is involved in tutoring projects of the student organization Tutor Forces and the international club PolyUnion. Evelyn Sosa from Argentina said that she is currently studying Russian at the university foundation program in order to continue her bachelor’s degree studies. The webinar participants noted that they feel very comfortable being a part of the multinational student community of Polytechnic University, where students from different countries study. At the same time, the guys noted that they feel the friendly support of their compatriots from Latin America, a large number of whom are students of SPbPU.

The webinar was highly appreciated by Olga Muratova, the head of the Russian House in Buenos Aires, who called it a good example of effective cooperation between SPbPU and the Russian House in organizing a joint event that brought together representatives of different countries and cultures — Russia, Argentina, Nicaragua, Ecuador and Colombia.

Summarizing the webinar, moderator Dmitry Fominykh emphasized that Polytechnic University and the Russian House in Buenos Aires were able to reach the audience of Latin American countries, which is of great importance both for the promotion of the Russian language and culture in general, and for the promotion of the educational and scientific potential of Russian universities. The event was organized at a high level and received a significant response from the foreign audience, concluded the coordinator of educational programs of the Russian House in Buenos Aires.

Polytechnic University and the Russian House in Buenos Aires continue their cooperation. Currently, the parties are actively discussing the promotion of international short-term programs for students from Argentina, as well as interuniversity partnerships with Argentinean universities.

Prepared by the SPbPU International Office