Came. Saw. Defended!
The IRGS Press Centre spoke with recent graduates who defended their final theses with the highest possible grade – ten out of ten! In this article, they share their research journeys, offer practical advice, and reflect on what the experience taught them.
The defence of a bachelor’s thesis is a moment students await with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety. It marks the final milestone of one’s academic journey and the transition from student to graduate. Our students have consistently impressed external examiners with their thorough research, source analysis, and empirical work. This year, the Press Centre of the International Relations and Global Studies programme spoke with those who received top marks for their theses. What helped them reach that level?
“Over the course of our studies, we constantly had to work through large volumes of text: reading for seminars, sourcing material for essays and projects,” says Ksenia Malyutina. "That helped develop the skill of fast reading — in English and beyond — which proved essential when working on my thesis. I used over 200 sources, and had to read an enormous amount of research and primary material for discourse analysis. We were taught how to properly analyse both textual and quantitative data — an invaluable skill in any profession. Language proficiency also played a key role (in my case, English and Italian), which is especially important for careers in international relations. Our language training was of a high standard, and it definitely broadened my horizons and future prospects.”
“I wouldn’t call my thesis perfect,” admits Filipp Zabira. “Even a month and a half later, I keep thinking: ‘I could’ve done this better, or that differently.’ But I had the perfect environment to write a piece worthy of such praise. I had excellent professors. Over these four years, we were taught by true experts — people who’ve proven their knowledge both in academia and in real life. They shaped the way we think. I took an interdisciplinary approach to my thesis, often going back to notes from lectures and seminars from my second, third, and fourth years. Without my professors, I simply wouldn’t have had the tools or the vocabulary to finish the thesis properly.
And then there were my brilliant classmates. We spent hours in fierce debates over course materials — often pushing me to finally read articles I’d previously skipped (I admit it!). Those discussions were intellectual fuel. I’d also had lots of informal chats with professors, which boosted my confidence. When a professor agrees with your assessment of event Y, you realise: wow, my opinion is actually worth something!”
For Darya Talalay, the most valuable takeaway from the IRGS programme was the importance of dialogue. “Over these four years, I developed one true superpower — the ability to connect with people. Networking isn’t just about ‘knowing people’. It’s about being surrounded by smart, kind, generous individuals — and growing alongside them.
My thesis was ambitious: ‘A comparative study of the French and Chinese approaches to resolving regional conflicts, 2003–2024: the cases of Iraq, Syria, and Myanmar/Burma’. And behind every chapter stood not just theory, but real dialogue. From my second year, I was involved in research, first through a sociology lab at Saint Tikhon’s University thanks to I. Zabaev, and later in an entirely different field under the guidance of my mentor and friend A. Lebedev. My term paper and discussions with A. Korolyov opened the door to Southeast Asia and ASEAN; T. Zvereva helped me understand French foreign policy; my sinologist friends shared stories about China; a classmate passionate about the Middle East inspired that part of my research. My ‘adopted supervisor’, Eriks Varpakhovskis, helped me grasp how research connects to real life.
Getting a 10 and successfully defending the thesis was about much more than just writing. It was about people. About not being afraid to ask questions. About how ‘there’s no harm in asking’ can become your academic motto. True research is born out of dialogue.”
Ksenia Davydova agrees that the foundation of good research was laid in Eriks Varpakhovskis’ research seminar course. "It was essential in teaching us the basics of academic writing and methodology. For my topic, the most helpful courses were those on political science, European area studies, international relations, and history — I constantly referred back to them. But really, every course played a part: whether it was analysing and sourcing material, critical thinking, or structuring text clearly. I think it’s thanks to this well-rounded, interdisciplinary education that I found a genuinely interesting topic and managed to explore it effectively.”
Of course, such a complex project comes with its fair share of challenges. Our graduates also shared how they navigated research dead ends and academic hurdles.
“A major challenge was managing a large and diverse body of material,” says Maria Balgley. "It wasn’t just about gathering data — I had to uncover the real mechanisms of influence behind the numbers and quotes. One of the hardest parts was distinguishing between when a politician was voicing a personal opinion, and when they were speaking under institutional pressure. I had to trace subtle links between speeches, votes, policy documents, and AIPAC’s actions over nearly three decades. My supervisor, Nicole Bodishtyan, was instrumental — her advice helped me stay on track when the structure of my analysis was becoming overwhelmed by the data. What helped most was a genuine interest in the topic, a clear methodology, and systematic case work.”
“There were definitely obstacles — from not having access to some of the data I needed, to the usual struggles with formatting and layout,” recalls Irina Belikova.“But timely communication with my supervisor, Alexander Pivovarenko, his guidance and encouragement, and support from classmates helped me through it.”
“Finding data is always the biggest challenge,” notes Aleksey Vorobey. “At first, I planned to scrape information using Python, but the websites I needed were down. So I had to change my approach, adjust the methods, and rewrite parts of the thesis.
The other big hurdle was stage fright. Even if you’re confident, defending in front of a panel is intimidating. What helped was reminding myself: they’re just people — and maybe even interested in what I have to say. That shift in perspective made it easier to present calmly.”
Maria Mkrtchyan faced a different kind of difficulty: “One of the hardest tasks was operationalising the concept of social capital — it includes components like trust, civic engagement, and social networks, each measured differently in various sources. I used a mixed-methods approach: aggregated survey data (ESS, Eurobarometer) alongside discourse analysis of political rhetoric, to blend quantitative and qualitative methods. The lack of full 2024 data was also a challenge, so I used 2023 data as a proxy — which I explained and justified in the methodology chapter.”
Finally, we asked our graduates to share practical advice for those just beginning their thesis journey — especially for those aiming high.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all recipe for getting a 10,” says Darya Savchuk, "but I’d recommend focusing on the defence itself. A few tips: be ready to present without notes; speak clearly and with confidence; anticipate the kinds of questions you might get (especially based on your examiners’ interests); and know the broader context of your topic, not just the narrow focus.”
“The most important advice?” offers Mikhail Vasin. "Choose a topic you’re genuinely passionate about. Build your entire structure around that interest: the methods, the sources — everything should feel close to you. That way, writing becomes exciting rather than a chore. And it really shows during the defence — when the committee sees that the student is deeply engaged, it significantly boosts your chances of success.”
“Don’t shy away from underexplored topics — that’s where your advantage lies,” says Mariam Verdiyan. "It’s your chance to go beyond summarising others and make a real contribution. See your thesis not as a formality but as a personal intellectual project. It’s a way to test yourself: can you face uncertainty, bring order to chaos, and find a structure where no one else has?”
Sofia Saparbekova adds: "Start by choosing a region and theme that not only interests you but that you understand well. Then, agree on a topic with your supervisor as early as possible and start writing right away — the analytical part takes a lot of time.”
We thank our graduates for such a rich and thoughtful conversation, for their invaluable advice to future students, and once again congratulate them on their outstanding achievements. We wish them continued success as proud graduates of the International Relations and Global Studies programme!
This article was prepared by the “International Relations and Global Studies Press Centre” project. Interviews by: Veronika Lyamtseva (2nd year), Ivan Pokatilov (2nd year), Polina Trusova (2nd year). Edited and written by: Timofey Petrov (2nd year, Press Centre Coordinator).
