HSE Brand Ambassador in Indonesia
After turning down two offers of admission to universities in the United Kingdom, Rifki Zulkarnaen decided to accept a scholarship offer to attend the Master’s programme at HSE’s School of Asian Studies.
‘Both of my father and mother totally supported my decision to get this education since a great opportunity would not come twice’, the 28-year old student from Indonesia says.
Zulkarnaen says he was attracted by the opportunity to conduct interdisciplinary research that touches issues of politics, economics, sociology, culture, ethnicity, religion, and linguistics while at the same time gaining the valuable perspective of a diverse group of international students in the programme.
Despite initially having difficulty with the application for a student visa, Zulkarnaen had nothing but positive experiences when applying to and arriving at HSE, especially the ease of the online document submission and the helpfulness of his HSE buddy, Larisa (Lara) Shestak, who met him upon arrival at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport.
‘As a newcomer and as foreigner who has zero knowledge of Russian, coming to live in an international metropolis like Moscow was quite challenging’, he says. ‘Lara was really kind by picking me up and accompanying me to the dormitory. Furthermore, on the next day, she picked me up at my dormitory and went with me to the HSE international admission office to get me registered and told me about the politics, culture, laws and many other interesting things about Russia. She even taught me how to read Cyrillic and pronounce things correctly. Finally, she showed me how to use Metro from the central building to my dormitory’.
Zulkarnaen currently serves as a Brand Ambassador for the HSE International Student Information Centre Office in Indonesia and Malaysia, which provides information about study at HSE to high school and university students looking to pursue undergraduate or Master’s degree programmes. As for what comes next, he is considering several possible career options, including teaching, government work, or business.
‘By becoming an international student at HSE Moscow, I can spread my network across borders. My career prospects are wide open!’ he says.
Anna Chernyakhovskaya, specially for HSE News service
See also:
‘HSE University Has a Lot to Offer to Applicants from Southeast Asia’
A delegation from HSE University presented the institution at the Indonesia International Education and Training Expo. Additionally, a series of events were organised in Jakarta, the capital city of the country, where representatives from HSE University interacted with Indonesian applicants interested in bachelor's and master's programmes.
MIEM and HSE Design School Meet with Indonesian Game Dev Representatives
In December, the Indie Go space hosted a meeting with representatives of Indonesia’s game development industry. Colleagues from the ‘Game Engineering and Interactive Systems’ workshop of the HSE Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (MIEM) and the HSE Art and Design School learned about the intricacies of the Indonesian game industry and told the visitors about their own projects.
HSE University Opens Educational Hub in APAC
On November 7, a representative office of HSE University opened in Indonesia. It is a new educational hub for students from the Asia-Pacific (APAC) who are planning to study in Russia, as well as for other Russian universities looking to establish ties with Indonesia. The representative office is based at Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) in the city of Surabaya. Its operations are supervised by the HSE University campus in St Petersburg.
‘I Am an Insider Who Can Help New Students in an Unfamiliar Country’
HSE University boasts a variety of student clubs and societies: sports clubs, charity organisations, cultural clubs, and many more. Azzahra Afidah Faizah, one of the founders of the HSE Indonesian Club, talks about its activities, objectives, and plans.
Orientation Sessions for International Students: ‘Being at HSE University Today is a Dream Come True’
HSE University’s Support and Career Centre for International Students and Alumni has held orientation sessions for incoming international students. During the meetings, the centre’s experts explained the visa and migration support available, talked about extracurricular student life, and gave tours of the campus and the city.
Okro Soup, Bubble Tea, and Relleno: International Students Share Their New Year's Traditions
HSE University is home to international students from all over the world, many of whom will be celebrating the New Year in Russia for the first time. They shared their plans for the festive season with the HSE News Service and spoke about holiday traditions and dishes in their home countries of China, Ecuador, Pakistan, Ghana, Indonesia, Nigeria, Guatemala, and India.
‘As a Family, We Will Always Be Together’
On November 25th, the HSE Pokrovka building hosted the ‘The Whole World in HSE’ festival, which brought together HSE students from Indonesia, Korea, China and Armenia, as well as Europe, Latin America, and various Russian regions, to celebrate the university’s 30th anniversary.
Where Languages and Cultures Meet
The Bachelor’s in Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication combines traditional approaches to foreign language teaching with innovative educational practices. The programme has attracted a lot of international students thanks to the opportunity to enrol in the English track and study all its courses in English. Farangiz Djuraeva from Uzbekistan and Adila Ulfia Maula Tontowi from Indonesia shared their impressions with the HSE News Service.
‘I Can't Wait to Learn and to Meet Great People at HSE University’
International students are beginning to arrive at HSE University for the new academic year. Among them are students from Indonesia. Some of them even had a chance to take their parents on a tour of the campus. How does one become an HSE University student? What do the university’s venues have to offer? What is it like to live in Moscow? The new arrivals shared their first impressions with the HSE News Service.
HSE Hosts International Symposium for Indonesian Students
The 10th International Symposium of Overseas Indonesian Students Association Alliance (OISAA) will take place from July 23–26 at HSE’s Moscow campus. The event has brought together opinion leaders, experts and students from Russia and Southeast Asia to discuss the role of young Indonesians in the development of Indonesia in the fields of education, culture, tourism and healthcare.