Exchange semester in Russia: underrated

Magdalena Cheptene, a Bachelor student at ESB Business School, Reutlingen University (Germany), spent her exchange semester at the HSE Graduate School of Business and shared with us her most vivid memories of her time in Russia.

Magdalena's exchange programme happened in the midst of yet another wave of the pandemic, meaning there was a transition to online studies, a partial lockdown in Moscow and nearly empty HSE campuses. Still, these circumstances did not affect Magdalena's overall impression of the university, Moscow and Russia. Here's what she told us,

After spending four months at HSE in Russia, I can honestly say that Russia is underrated as an exchange semester location.
The past few months have been filled with incredible adventures and an array of opportunities to meet new and exciting people from all over the world.
Living in a Russian dorm, exploring the nooks and crannies of Moscow, getting to meet Russian classmates even with online classes have been highlights of my time at HSE.
Traveling to idyllic cities in Russia is another perk of being in Moscow which was so well connected and made it very easy to travel. Places like Saint Peterburg, Kazan and Sochi hold precious memories for me now and I can only be grateful for the privilege of having visited cities with so much historical and cultural significance.

The above paragraph does not do justice to the experience I had at HSE and is one of the most significant experiences for me so far. Thankful also to the buddies and staff of GSB International Office for their guidance and support. It has been my absolute pleasure being a part of this exchange programme.

For us, it has also been a pleasure to have Magdalena as an exchange student at HSE GSB!