First-year master’s students Vitaly Zyryanov and Alexey Kharitonov from the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology at St. Petersburg State Electrotechnical University (LETI) spent the first semester studying at Lovely Professional University—one of India’s leading private universities, located in Phagwara.
“The curriculum was structured in such a way that we could focus specifically on the disciplines that directly fall within the scope of our future professional competencies. As our final academic project, we developed a program at the request of our partner university that simplifies the process of creating class schedules at the institution. The developed application automatically considers the availability and preferences of each instructor, their workload, and the optimal use of classroom resources.”
First-year master’s student at the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technologies, St. Petersburg State Electrotechnical University (LETI), Alexey Kharitonov
Vitaly Zyryanov emphasized that the implementation of the academic mobility program had been very well planned by both sides. The international office at the Indian university, led by coordinator Rupal Ray, supported them throughout the entire semester with everything from paperwork to practical matters. This made not only studying but also their overall stay in India much easier. The student believes that academic mobility programs are an excellent opportunity that LETI offers its students.
“When I applied to LETI’s bachelor’s program, I clearly weighed all the prospects, including the opportunity to gain international experience, since the university collaborates with many foreign universities. Due to objective reasons, I was unable to participate in this program during my bachelor’s studies: my workload got in the way. Therefore, one of the key reasons for choosing to pursue my master’s degree at LETI was the effective implementation of the academic mobility program. The offer to go to India piqued my interest: English is spoken there, and knowledge of the language significantly enhances the effectiveness of learning and accelerates adaptation to the country and immersion in its culture.”
Vitaly Zyryanov, first-year master’s student at the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics, and Informatics (FKTI), St. Petersburg State Electrotechnical University (LETI)
Vitaly Zyryanov noted that, after living in India, his perception of the country—which had previously been shaped by stereotypes found online and in the media—had changed completely. He saw a completely different—and amazing—country. He was struck by the openness and kindness of the people: here, everyone is ready to help and, putting their own affairs aside, will take you to your destination or act as a Hindi interpreter. Lovely Professional University—the host university in India—impressed him with its scale and infrastructure. It is a massive campus that, in addition to well-equipped laboratories, features a shopping center, several gyms, a swimming pool, numerous cafes, a food court, a hospital, and a police station. The structure of the educational process and the methods of working with students in the classroom are fundamentally different. Students believe this is an important component of the exchange program.
“Studying at a foreign university develops not only professional skills but, just as importantly, soft skills; it broadens knowledge of international industry markets, the ability to communicate with different people, and the ability to adapt quickly to an unfamiliar environment. This is important in professional life,” the master’s students said.
The students also had the opportunity to travel around the country. They believe they gained valuable experience interacting with the local population and representatives from different countries, and learned a great deal about the traditions, culture, and customs of India.
Faculty members at Professional University describe our students as capable and creative professionals, while also highlighting their valuable personal qualities.
Source
