03.07.2020Due to the on-line format not only Moscow schoolchildren but also those all over Russia and the world could participate in the International Relations Summer School. The IBDA media office interviewed participants and curators asking them to share their opinions with the readers of this article.
When did you realize that you have been into International Relations? Why have you decided to be an International Relations specialist?
Liza Petrova, Moscow: While determining my profession I’ve been very much into International relations. International Relations mean multitasking and include various spheres like: economics, political science, history, foreign languages etc. That’s why I got interested in it most of all.
Fedya Fadeev, Beijing: I made up my mind rather long ago. My father influenced me to make that choice.
Kristina Kozlova, Kamchatka Territory, Vilyuchinsk: I don’t remember when it came into my head. I like history very much, I always enjoyed tracing relationships between countries at a certain period, comparing them and analyzing in terms of :why it is like this? Why we are on friendly terms with this country and at war with that one? Afterwards I got interested in languages in addition.
Emilia Ashmarina, Kolomna: I have wanted to deal with IR and cross cultural communication since the 7th grade. Even back then I wanted to speak foreign languages, travel a lot and get acquainted with hew cultures.
Dasha Gus’kova, Moscow: I’ve never thought that I want to be an IR specialist. Now I’ve got interested. This profession attracts me because I will communicate a lot, talk, make speeches and work in a team with absolutely different people using English.
Bogdan Taranyuk, St. Petersburg: I decided to become an IR specialist a year ago because I like to travel and learn other cultures.
Pasha Popov, St. Petersburg: I’ve decided to become an IR specialist only this year. I have always been supposed to make a good IR specialist as I ‘m comprehensively developed (it sounds quite self-confident). Now I’m really considering this perspective.
Liza Petrova
How did you learn about IBDA and International Relations Summer School?
Liza: I learned about IBDA an International Relations Summer School at the RANEPA official site. After I have read about the Summer School enrollment I decided to try and sent my essay. That’s how I happened to be here and I’m very happy with that!
Fedya: I found out about IBDA IR Summer School from my friends who told me about that.
Kristina: I may say that it happened by chance. Somebody sent me a post with a brief about IR Summer School and a link to the Google blank with a requirement to write an essay in English.
Emilia: I found IBDA surfing the RANEPA site. I happened to see an open doors day announcement at IBDA and I read about the Institute and decided to go.
Dasha: One day I came across the RANEPA announcement in Facebook. It read that one could participate in International Relations Summer School. It was necessary only to write a motivation essay in English. I surfed the sites of the UNO, UNESCO, Word Bank and sent my application. In 2 weeks I received an invitation. You can’t imagine how happy I was!
Bogdan: I found out about this event from VK advertising.
Pasha: I started looking for a good University to enter after finishing school and while surfing the Internet I came across an announcement about International Relations Summer School.
Fedya Fadeev
What did you expect from International Relations Summer School? Did it meet your expectations?
Liza: In IR Summer School I hoped to meet my associates and friends, to learn more about this profession, to get new knowledge and experience of project work and get charged with positive emotions! Of cause, all my expectations came true!
Fedya: I expected IR Summer School to be a cognitive experience and , of cause, it met my expectations!
Kristina: Frankly speaking, I did not expect anything. When I saw the timetable I realized that I had to forget about sleeping as the time gap between my residence and Moscow is 9 hours and the lectures lasted until 16:00-17:00 p.m. Moscow time. It was 2-3 a. m .Kamchatka time. However, I knew that it would be something interesting and I enjoyed that drive.
Emilia: Summer School met all my expectations. I improved my skills and got new ones. Besides interesting lectures I was able to get acquainted with professors and students. I’m glad to have new friends all over Russia. In addition, IBDA has mega-positive and funny students.
Dasha: I was intrigued, but I didn’t expect much. However, then I understood how wrong I was. It was so interesting to attend lectures and work with guys in a team. Every day was full with something new, topical, interesting and fascinating: thank all for these 5 days. It was clear that every professor loved his profession so much that material seemed to play different colors.
Bogdan: I wanted to practice English and learn something new. I got all I wanted.
Pasha: At school I wanted to find out more about the way I’ve chosen and all that surpassed my expectations.
Kristina Kozlova
Speak about the most useful skill/insight you‘ve got in Summer School. What has Summer School taught you?
Liza: During this fruitful week spent in IR Summer School I upgraded any different skills , heard a lecture course and I could work on the real case about increasing accessibility of education in Nigeria. However the most useful insight was public speaking and team working. I believe that in the modern world these skills matter very much, especially to an IR specialist.
Fedya: The most important skill that I got in the IR Summer School is that of coherent work in a team.
Kristina: The main insight is that my English needs to be worked but what I really mean is that I realized again how big and diverse this world is , how people’s lives in other countries differ . I got motivated to learn and study all that surrounds and shares this planet with me.
Emilia: At IR Summer School I managed to upgrade all flexible skills. The most useful was the ability to work in a team and project presentation.
Dasha: I received so many useful skills that I lack fingers to count, but, perhaps, the most important insight was presentation: how to present information in English correctly in order to sound decent and fluent.
Bogdan: At the sessions I got the skills of analyzing and processing information.
Pasha: The most important skill for me was team work. It was, perhaps, the first time when I was working on equal terms with people interested in what they were doing.
Emilia Ashmarina
Pasha Popov
What will you remember most from IR Summer School?
Liza: It’s very difficult to highlight one particular activity. I’d rather remember project presentation and team building!
Yes, and more! I‘d like to thank all professors and organizers of the program and also our best curators for their help, support and excellent mood! I’m awfully glad that due to IR Summer School I made friends with so many motivated and target oriented young people! During this week we got closer and became one big team and I sincerely hope that we will keep in touch! Thank you!
Fedya: I enjoyed everything very much. Most of all I will remember team building with our curators and project preparation.
Kristina: I enjoyed the process. It was great to get acquainted and communicate with different young people and wonderful lectures were informative almost not diluted and to the point. Project presentation is a special part. of IR Summer School. To prepare a presentation speech two minutes before the presentation? Easyyyyy…
Emilia: The most exciting part was project presentation. I will remember it for sure. and, of course, communication with new guys!
Dasha: Undoubtedly, I will remember how we made our project presentation. I want to say that I was lucky with the team. During preparation we came closer and everyone took it seriously, put a particle of his soul into our joint work. Despite different time zones we managed because everyone was eager to win! We were very happy to get the Panel’s feedback and laurels of the winner! I want to thank this project very much. I will never forget IR Summer School.
Bogdan: Project presentation was the most memorable. I would like the projects to be even more, not one!
Pasha: I’m sure that I will keep all activities in my memory as everything was perfect: curators’ work and interesting lectures, really high qualified professors and ,of course, the project presentation. I won’t forget friendly guys I was lucky to work with.
Dasha Gus’kova
And for last-curators’ opinions!
Nastya Kudryavtseva, 1 yeat RS: International Relations Summer School is a great event where I met many friendly and open guys! I followed their progress and was happy with them! I give a “like”
Anton Marchenko, 1 year IR: I’d like to thank guys who took part in IR Summer School and those who worked as curators with me. All showed themselves from the positive side and I was pleased to see how curators and guys worked their best . I hope we will all meet in the Academy not before the monitors’ screens!
Kirill Kostarev, 1 year RS: I wanted to relax from the exams, make new friends and try myself as a curator. Guys made contact easily and it was funny. I think that IR Summer School met my expectations!
Kristina-Malena Genne, 1 year IR: Before meeting guys from the IR Summer School I thought 5th grade school children will smile at me on the screen. I really don’t know why I thought that way but it seemed to me that students would be very young. On the appointed day I saw grown young people and felt relieved. We got on well instantly. IR Summer School gave guys and curators an incredible chance to hear interesting lectures and solve a remarkable case.
Yulia Ovchinnikova, 1 year RS: International Relations Summer school is a rather interesting project that helps school students to understand whether they want to deal with international relations. It was very interesting to communicate with school students, to see their interest in the School, to watch how they make effort, do their best to create a project. It is very inspiring! I hope this experience will help them in the future.
Polina Kondratyeva, 1 year RS: I enjoyed working with guys! Their desire to work, to learn something new, their eagerness to reach the top made me motivated for a final push in exams taking. I was their curator-It’s not only useful experience but also good memories, that’s why I’m very happy to have participated.
Angelina Kolentarova, 1 year IR МО: I won’t repeat other curators’ words, I will simply say that guys did great job. I got fond of them all very much, I love them and looking forward to seeing them at our Department.
Author: Angelina Kolentarova
