‘HSE Has Made Me Confident and Brave’

© HSE University

Enrolment in undergraduate programmes is underway. International recipients of the Russian Government Scholarship can study at HSE University for free and get a place at an HSE dorm. Senanu Dekpo-Adza from Ghana and Hamisha Rijal from Nepal study at HSE University as part of the scholarship programme. They shared their experiences of admission and studies at HSE University with the HSE News Service.

Senanu Dekpo-Adza, 24, from Ghana, first-year student of the Master’s programme in Finance at HSE University-St Petersburg

The decision to study at HSE was made easy by the available funding and double degree opportunities that came with my programme. I also had very good recommendations about the university from friends who had previously attended HSE.

The admission process was relatively simple. The ASAV platform was comprehensive and quite easy to use.

Thanks to my friends, I had a fair expectation of the university and city. However, that was still not enough to prepare me for my first experiences.

Contrary to my initial expectations, St Petersburg was quite calm and friendly

It was easy to walk about the city and experience the breath-taking historical layout and architecture. There were also lots of great places to hang out and make new friends.

Studying at HSE has been great so far. The teachers are deliberate and skilful with their lesson delivery. They always make time to consult with students and address individual challenges. However, I struggled a bit with the compatibility of some software that was required for some of my courses. Some of the lessons we undertook in class required Russian versions of the software.

I had to uninstall and install some applications several times to ensure everything was compatible with what was required in class. With some help from my colleagues, I overcame this challenge too

Learning Russian language has been my biggest challenge so far. Even though my programme is English-taught, some of my colleagues struggle to express themselves in English. This was perhaps one of my motivations to learn Russian.

There are optional Russian language courses run by the university and mobile applications to help one learn the language

I must say, I am enjoying the experience and the opportunities for career advancement and networking that come with it.

Hamisha Rijal, 24, from Nepal, student of Media Communications at the Faculty of Creative Industries

Before coming here, I had little knowledge of HSE Moscow. The Government Quota selection led me to this university. Now that I am a member of the large HSE family, I am grateful to be studying at one of Russia's top universities.

For admission, I had to fill out an online application, which was followed by an interview at the Russian Culture and Science Centre in my home country. The procedure was concise, and I received timely updates on my admission status.

The requirements were clear, and the staff were kind enough to guide me throughout the admission process

There are definitely many stereotypes about Moscow and Russia as a whole. But I came here with no preconceived ideas about the country or the university. Moscow intrigues me; I love how alive the city is. HSE has given me a lot of exposure and opportunities. It has made me confident and brave. That is something I will always be grateful for.

The first difficulty for me here was the language. The first few months were spent learning basic Russian communication skills. The second difficulty was adapting to the fast-paced life in Moscow. Given that I come from a small town in Nepal, the commute to and from the university and the dorm itself was tough. Finally, there is winter. I suffer in winter. It takes great determination to get out of your bed in winter when the weather is -20°C, -25°C.

Over time, I've grown fond of Moscow. I like how there's always something going on here.

Moscow will not bore you at all. Nature, nightlife, adventure, sports and whatnot

All you have to do is be willing to explore, and this city will certainly entertain you.

My Russian is not bad, in my opinion! I understand all of the Russian seminars and lectures. I still need to improve my fluency and grammar. I studied Russian for a year as part of my HSE Preparatory Year.

Government quota students must complete the prep year and learn important subjects in Russian

The Russian language has numerous exceptions. As a result, it can be quite perplexing at times.

I am going to graduate this summer, so there are already many things to take care of. Applying for master’s scholarships and choosing a suitable programme is what I see in the near future.

I have plans to film a documentary and write screenplays in a few years.

Russian Government Scholarship admissions for undergraduate students are open until April 1, 2023.