More and more foreign students choose to study at St Petersburg University
In the last academic year, almost two thousand foreign citizens from more than 45 countries of the world became students of St Petersburg University. Their number has increased in comparison with 2016.
Students from Vietnam and Colombia, Singapore and Tunisia, Serbia and Zambia, and many other countries joined the friendly university family. The largest number of students, as in past years, came from China, Kazakhstan and Ukraine — 773, 207 and 102, respectively. 60% of foreign citizens enrolled in St Petersburg University became students of a state-funded form of education. The opportunity to receive higher education at St Petersburg University also attracts numerous participants of students exchange programmes: last year, according to the academic mobility programmes, 733 foreign students visited St Petersburg University. Almost 96% of them came upon exchange programmes between the University and partner universities. The greatest interest in studying at the oldest university of Russia was shown by students from Germany, France and Italy.
9.99%
of the total number of students of St Petersburg University is foreign citizens.
The additional educational programmes of St Petersburg University are no less popular among foreign students: in the last academic year they were mastered by 2 399 students from 56 countries. Most of the students came from China, the United States, Britain, Italy and Japan, and the most popular training areas were «Russian as a Foreign Language», «Political Science» and «Philology».
Foreign students along with Russian students are members of student councils and scientific societies of St Petersburg University, become volunteers and members of creative teams.
The student association «Student Union» helps them adapt to the new environment. Its volunteers, participants in the buddy-programme, meet incoming students at the airport, find solutions to domestic and administrative issues and conduct for them a variety of activities to get to know the University and the city. During the information meetings, excursions, quests and evenings of international cuisine, foreign students learn about the history and culture of the country in which they are to live and study, overcome barriers in communication and find new friends. In the 2017/2018 academic year, every foreigner who applied for the programme in time received a mentor from among the students of the University.
Students arriving for permanent studies are automatically included in the Club of Foreign Students of St Petersburg University. This gives them the opportunity to attend meetings, consultations on language practice, seek advice, and organise their own cultural and sports events. One of the biggest events was the XII photo exhibition «Petersburg in the World, the World in Petersburg». And in the autumn of 2017, members of the club as volunteer translators took part in the 137th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, as well as in the VI St Petersburg International Cultural Forum.