An Indian graduate Aakash Ranjan: "I am grateful for positive transformations in my life"

How did you know about SPbU?

I like to watch travel bloggers on YouTube, because it brings me a great pleasure to virtually explore new places. One day I watched the video of an Indian YouTube blogger travelled to Russia who met an Indian student of the SPbU Graduate School of management (GSOM). That was the first time I heard about St Petersburg University and GSOM. Before that, I knew almost nothing about Russian universities and culture, but after I heard how good GSOM was, I decided to find more information about it. In the meantime, Covid-19 hit the world, and I had more time and opportunities to look for other universities abroad. I passed entrance exams and interviews at chosen European colleges and got into some. I was so confused about which university to choose, so I had a conversation with a GSOM alumni, and my family members. After that, I decided to explore Russia, as I had no prior knowledge of Russian culture before.

Why did you choose the SPbU educational programme?

I choose SPbU because of the diverse background of professors and students from all over the world. I remember the first lecture at GSOM. It was a Russian Language Course (I took a screenshot of the lecture as memento). I remember how proud I was to be a part one of the top university in the world and meet a wide range of students from around the world with different backgrounds.

What was your first impression of the educational process in SPbU?

My first impression was very positive. I was excited to be part of a cohort of talented students, and it was the first time I had a chance to communicate with lots of people from abroad. It was not easy journey to study abroad because the education system, study approaches, projects and grades in India are different from the European ones. I was struggling in the first semester, but after some time, I got used to difficulties.

What was the most memorable during the study?

As to me, the most memorable moments were when I met some super friendly professors, made a few new good friends. I remember many projects that were given to us. It was a challenging, but fun experience.

What skills and knowledge do you consider the most important?

Before joining SPbU, I was depressed and demotivated because of career issues and some personal reasons, but studying at the University boosted my motivation. It made me so confident that I felt that could tackle any challenges in my life.

What discoveries did you make, with what difficulties did you have to face?

In the first semester, it was difficult for me to adapt to completely new environment. In addition, I remember that Managerial Economics course was really tough, and I had no background in the subject. That is why I did not pass exam on the first attempt, but I worked hard and passed it on the second attempt with a good grade.

Also, writing a master’s thesis was new for me because Indian students write thesis only during the PhD studies. Somehow, I managed to pass and completed the MIM programme with pride and honours. I am grateful to professors, office staff and fellow students of GSOM SPbU for positive transformations in my life. Today I can say that I am full of confidence in my abilities to handle any situation in my professional and personal life.

Do you remember something of the extracurricular life of SPbU?

As I have not visited the campus in person, I do not remember anything of the student’s activities. Nevertheless, in the beginning, I joined the GSOM Charity Club to help people and make them happy. It was a pleasant experience.

Myths and Reality: Tell us about your experience of life in St. Petersburg

As I said, I have never been to St. Petersburg. Day by day, I started to learn more about Russia and its culture. It was a shocking experience for me because everything I knew about Russia I had learned from Hollywood movies. For that reason, I was expecting to see the Russian mafia and agents everywhere, and dark, cold weather. I was shocked at how different Russia was from what I saw in the movies.

As of today, I find Russia to be incredibly beautiful and full of opportunities. As an Indian, I had a very good and friendly perception of Russia, but when I met Russian people, I found them quite arrogant. Surely not everyone were like this. Based on personal observations, I can say that people in small towns or villages are friendlier than in big cities. I think that around the world, people in big cities are only concerned with money, but citizens of small towns and villages see us as human beings, they are so polite and friendly. I watch many travel bloggers, and it is amazing to see how inhabitants of small cities help other people, it seems that citizens of big cities do not care about anybody.

What do you want to do in the future? How do you see your career trajectory?

I cannot work for someone else. I am an entrepreneur, passionate about start-ups and business. Recently I have found a new interest in writing novels and stories. I am sure I will publish my novel someday. In addition, I am a very spiritual person, and think that life is not just about earning money, parties, etc. When I get enough money and experience, then maybe I will become a monk. I am so fortunate to understand life at a young age and experience many challenging situations that made me incredibly strong.

What would you wish for those who only plan to enrol in SPbU?

Honestly, I recommend to choose SPbU for knowledge and experience I gained while studying. I am not sure that it is easy to find a job in Russia because of a language barrier (most companies want to hire native speakers). I think this is a little negative aspect of studying there.

What opportunities has the University opened for you?

I had established good contacts with some Russian companies, mostly with their CEOs. It gave me a business opportunity to start working together with one of these CEOs in other countries.