"Definitely worth it" — Belgian PhD student Jerome Lambert on the value of studying at GSOM SPbU

How did you come to the decision to apply for a Master’s at GSOM?

The first time I came to this school was for an ERASMUS exchange semester during my last year of bachelor’s studies in Belgium. When choosing the exchange location, I thought, why not St Petersburg? Upon graduating, I realised that a one-year master’s programme in Belgium would not be sufficient for my goals, plus, it would have been fully online due to COVID restrictions. With an undergraduate degree in business strategy and some background in IT, I decided to return to GSOM as a full-time student. In the end, I was invited to stay for the PhD programme, an invitation I gladly accepted. 

Was the application process difficult?

In comparison to the exchange semester via the ERASMUS programme, the application process for the master’s was trickier. Admittedly, the COVID restrictions were still in force at the time and complicated the process, but I also got the invitation letter a bit late because I forgot to tick some box or other, so the paperwork is definitely something to keep an eye on. Because I applied late, I was not eligible for the government-funded scholarship and had to pay full tuition. The tuition was quite expensive, but as an investment I would say it was definitely worth it. If you missed the opportunity to apply for a government-funded quota, paying yourself is still a good option.

Since you were recommended for the PhD programme, you must have been a good student, right?

I don’t consider myself a very good student, although that depends on how you define it. Our MiBA programme attracts people from all backgrounds — you’ve got people from management, from IT (and the latter definitely crushed me in terms of IT skills). The curriculum wasn’t difficult per se, partly because we were like a big family, helping each other, sharing class notes — it was a good atmosphere. I wasn’t the best in the programme, but I was generally a good student, one of the requirements for the PhD, I guess.

The language of instruction for the programme is listed as English — was this true? Was English alone enough to succeed academically? 

It’s true that the programme is fully in English, but the moment you leave the campus grounds — welcome to the jungle. I remember in Belgium everyone’s English was so good that it didn’t matter where they were from — French or Dutch — they only spoke English. You might get a Bonjour! now and then, but that’s about it. Here, you will definitely be out of your comfort zone, but on the other hand you will quickly reach a good level of Russian. The environment is right for it, which is great — it’s an opportunity.

I studied Russian in Kiev for a few weeks before coming here. I wanted to learn some Russian before my visa was ready and I considered a number of options — Central Asia was a bit too far, the Caucasus, I didn’t want to catch the accent, in Belarus, I didn’t know anyone, but in Kiev, I had a few friends. That’s how it started. I found a good school that taught me the basics. Just being able to point a finger and say "this" with some amount of confidence was already of great help. The real progress came later, when I was immersed in the language environment for two years. 

How good do you think your Russian is at the moment?

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My Russian is good by now and I keep working on it. I’d say it’s around C1 — maybe a bit of a stretch when it comes to speaking, but definitely enough for comprehension. It took the four years of being here and a little conscious effort to learn. In the beginning we also had Russian language classes, which was a good way to build up the vocabulary. I tried reading the classics as well. There’s a series of books for foreigners with the Russian text and the translation side by side, so if you don’t understand a sentence, you can just take a look at the translation. A trap to avoid is that for many people here you are an opportunity to practise their English, so they will speak English to you whether you want them to or not. You have to constantly step off the comfortable path and seek out conversations in Russian. 

How are your PhD studies going? 

Last year I got to teach at GSOM, but this year I’m concentrating more on administrative activities. In the first year we also had regular classes, as students. The teaching aspect was very enjoyable, I’d say. It’s nice to pass on knowledge and see students go "a-ha, got it." I cannot say much about the administrative work — we sign an NDA that’s a bit strict on specifics, so I’m not sure what I’m allowed to say.

I’ve got the PhD topic down and I’m currently working on three papers: for one of them I’m helping with the data analysis, so it’s not a big involvement, and another paper I will be submitting for publication in the coming month or so. In terms of publishing prospects, I wouldn’t say it’s much harder than anywhere else in the world. In particular, as a matter of fairness, "pay to publish" is no longer allowed. And publication for free is a lengthy process that can take months. 

GSOM SPbU known as an international institution; how does that look from a student’s perspective? 

Well, we’ve got students from many countries, from Canada and France to South Korea. We’ve got about 50 international students on the International Management programme this year, including people from Africa, Asia, some from South America; that’s a record for us, beating our numbers last year. The exchange programmes have had to be reworked a bit, but we’re currently working on new partnerships with various countries — the sort of thing I’m not allowed to disclose before it’s finalized.

Do you think a prospective student in business management would find Russia an attractive place to study and build a career?

I would say that Russia has its draw at the moment. To start with, there’s no unemployment in the big cities, compared to around 10% back home in Brussels. If you are willing to integrate yourself into society and the system, etc., this will be a good opportunity for you. Most of my friends who are not Russian citizens work for international companies in sales; Turkey and China first come to mind. The change has created new opportunities — this is a perfect illustration of Schumpeter’s creative destruction, as new opportunities always emerge.

What difficulties did you encounter here? 

I encountered most difficulties with the administrative aspect — visa extensions, medical examinations, assorted paperwork — these things need to be handled very fast. For example, you may need to get a police clearance certificate before you arrive. I was lucky because Belgium allows you to do this online, including the apostille.

An overview of the legal requirements for international students can be found on the Visa Support page.

Registration with the migration service is difficult if you are renting. I would recommend staying at the dormitory until your provisional three-month visa is extended. Next you will receive a "temporary residence permit for educational purposes" (abbreviated as РВПО in Russian), which is valid until the end of your programme plus six extra months. These six months are very important because they give you time to look for a job, apply for further studies or go to the migration service with your passport and diploma to apply for permanent residence. It’s a long process, but it can be done. I believe there are paid consulting services on the third floor of the Migration Office on Krasnogo Tekstilshika Street that can help you collect the necessary paperwork and fill out the application. 

We’ve also heard international students mention difficulties with money transfers and flights.

For flights, Estonia border is still open for people with a student or tourist visa or a permit from an EU member; restrictions apply only to people from Russia and Belarus. It’s can take a while to cross the border though, I got a sunburn this summer, it was taking so long.

As for money transfers, you can first open a bank account in a country that is connected to SWIFT but continues to cooperate with Russia, as was recently the case with Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Armenia. Most of these countries also offer services to issue a card remotely. Cryptocurrency is also an option, but the Russian government’s position on cryptocurrency is not very clear, so I would always recommend regular transfers that are transparent and won’t get you into trouble.

The final question — what are your plans going forward?

The first objective is to wrap up the PhD. During that time, I plan to be totally focused on academia, so I will be combining my studies with the work at the university. In terms of work, the university is the best choice for a graduate because they have the same priorities as you and it’s much easier to negotiate working hours with them.

After that, I don’t know. I have an idea of maybe starting my own business or going into consulting, but it’s not set in stone yet; I’ve basically got two more years to go.

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