'HSE is not and never seemed to be a university similar to others'

Jhon Piccione, Parma, Italy     1st year MIB student     Current occupation: Student     Prior education: Diplomatic and international relations’ studies     Professional areas of interest: Research, Education, management     Languages:Italian, English, French, Russian

Someone you admire:  One of the persons I admire the most in this world is my grandma. She taught me what “hard work” means. She was the oldest of 7 children. She had to take care of them, work in the country side and go to school every single day. She used to sleep 5 hours every day. But she always kept going without hesitation. When she grew up, she started a company (drilling of artesian wells) and she achieved her own goals. Sometimes, when I think that I’m facing complex troubles, I think of her and how she stubbornly overcame her problems, which were way bigger than mine. 

First of all, could you share with us, what was your motivation to pursue a master’s degree in Russia? And how do you find your experience of studying and living in Moscow so far?
Basically, what pushed me to decide to study in Russia was Russia itself. I have been in Russia several times during my life, for study, professional and personal reason. I've always found Russia an interesting country full of treasures. Personally, Russia is a country that never ceases to marvel. Furthermore, I wanted to deepen my understanding of the Russian people. As we well know, the relations between the European Union and Russia are not very easy in this period despite the fact that they could be very profitable. Ideally I would like to, in the future, be one of those people that will help to improve these relations.
Moscow is a magnificent city, full of history and culture. Given the size, I will never stop discovering it. I will always consider myself to be a tourist in this city, even if I live here for a long time.
 
Why, out of all the master’s programs offered by the leading Russian universities, you decided to pursue Master of International Business at the HSE?
I can say, with some confidence, that the HSE is not and never seemed to be a university similar to others. For instance, what interests me the most is the attention the HSE pays to research. One of the main areas of interest for my future is research; therefore, when I was thinking about a master's degree I sought out a university where I could improve my skills in the field of research.
Another element that puts HSE and, in particular, the MIB in the spotlight is the network that the program has developed with important companies. It is, in fact, common practice for the MIB to host lectures by executives of a particular company (in my case, Henkel); or to have entire courses taught by a company executive. I believe that this is of fundamental importance for those intending to pursue a career in the private sector.
 
Two months of studies at HSE MIB are over. How were your expectations met?
My expectations were met with regard to the quality of studies and with regard to the attention that is given to research. What went beyond my expectations was the close contact that the program has with representatives of large companies.
The university has a great diversity of departments which hold frequent conferences and provide opportunities to get in touch with numerous internationally renowned experts of various fields.
 
Which courses and lecturers do you find the most exciting, and why?
The courses that I found thus far the most interesting are International Marketing, and the master classes presented by Henkel executives. The International Marketing course has clearly defined what marketing is and explored the dynamics in a multi-faceted and far from generalized way. The Henkel lecture series allowed us to understand certain aspects or topics studied in previous years from a more pragmatic perspective.

In your opinion, what are the most important and useful skills you acquire while being an MIB student?
Probably the most important skill that I think I can acquire in this program is the ability to analyze the most complex issues in detail from a multidisciplinary perspective. I especially like the fact that we get to hear different points of view on certain aspects that are often quite opposite, thanks to such a diverse international student body of the MIB.