International students are welcomed as family

25 July 2022 University life 527

Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University traditionally attracts a large number of international students from all over the world. Thus, out of almost 34,000 students enrolled in the main educational programs, over 5,200 are from abroad: China, CIS countries, Latin America, Middle East, Africa and others. Among the most popular fields of training for international students are civil engineering, mechanical engineering, energy complex, intellectual and information systems, information and communication technologies, innovative entrepreneurship, economics, management and linguistics. University foundation programs and Russian language programs are popular.

Polytechnic University has serious academic and scientific ties with universities in China, Latin America, the CIS countries, North and Central Africa, and the Middle East. Students from these and other countries come to Polytechnic from all over the world to study at the leading technical university in Russia and to join the friendly family of Polytechnics. And as you know, families support each other. That is why Polytechnic has created organizations that help international students adapt to life in a new country, successfully integrate into the learning process and, of course, find new friends, said Rector of SPbPU, Academician of the RAS Andrei Rudskoi.

Sightseeing tour for international students in St. Petersburg

Several associations support international students at Polytechnic University. Volunteers from the student organization Tutor Forces SPbPU traditionally help foreign students who came for exchange or short-term educational courses. Most often foreign students need help at the very beginning of their stay in the country: to meet them at the airport or help with documents. Our students are happy to do this, said Pavel Nedelko, assistant vice-rector for international relations at SPbPU. In addition, the members of Tutor Forces SPbPU conduct cultural and educational events. In spring, about a hundred international students have been on excursions to the sights of St. Petersburg and its suburbs.

The international student club PolyUnion is very popular with students and hosts a variety of events: film screenings, dance classes and language clubs. International students put on a concert with songs and bands at the end of the school year. In the spring, more than 50 people were guests of the Navruz national holiday.

International students celebrated Navruz, the spring equinox, at the PolyUnion Interclub

Senior students from the Adapters organization help all Politex freshmen in their studies and academic matters. Adapters Int members work with first-year international students to familiarize them with the structure of the university and campus and help them create a supportive environment in the study group. Traditionally, Adapters Int has taken care of first-year undergraduate and graduate students, said Pavel Nedelko. This year we also plan to sponsor preparatory course students.

Tutor Forces and PolyUnion are unique communities where the main role is played by the students themselves. It helps to understand each other better and be on the same wavelength as the other participants. I am an international student myself and I understand very well how important support is. Especially at the beginning when you do not know anything in the new country. And then you meet people who hold out their hand and say, ‘Come with us!’ And it seems that what seemed difficult and incomprehensible yesterday, is now just a little adventure. I am grateful to Polytechnic University for the valuable knowledge and for the new friends, shared Mehri Aminullah, a student from Afghanistan.

Polytechnic University is also remembered with gratitude by those who studied on exchange. A student from Mexico, who studied at the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade, maintains friendly relations with her Russian classmates to this day. My experience in Russia was incredible, I learned a lot and had a good time, recalls Ana Paola Ramos. There were some non-standard situations, but thanks to Tutor Forces everything became easier, and I am grateful to this organization because they always helped and advised us from the very beginning. But the best thing about Tutor Forces is that I made two good friends, which made y time in Russia much more valuable.

The material was prepared by the SPbPU Public Relations Office and SPbPU International Office. Text: Evgeny Pleshachkov, Olga Dorofeeeva

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