Siberian Federal University

I love the School for the cool atmosphere and the opportunity to combine study and active student life. We have wonderful lecturers who come up with many interesting learning formats for students and are always ready to cooperate.

When I was just choosing where I would study, I looked through the top universities in Russia. Information about SibFU was not yet widely disseminated. I was attracted by the fact that there are many different majors here, I can learn and develop here, and I also really liked the photos of the campus. In many ways, my expectations were true, and my student life was vivid, bright and cheerful.

Active studentship

Once I got to the World Festival of Youth and Students in Sochi, where I met student activists and was inspired by the idea to engage in social activities at the university. For me it was the work in Altyn – the youth community of Kazakh students – and in the Peoples Friendship Centre at SibFU. I had even been holding the position of the head of Altyn for almost three years.

We officially registered it, gathered a large friendly team, bridged social relations with other student unions of the Peoples Friendship Centre. At the moment, Altyn includes not only Kazakh students, but also children whose parents or older relatives previously lived in Kazakhstan. In addition to official events, we arranged cinema evenings, cafe parties, outside-the-campus events, hiking trips, and organized charity events. Of the events from our list, the brightest for me were the Youth Commonwealth show-competition, the Miss International contest and the summer school from the Peoples Friendship Centre.

I like telling about the culture of my country. Kazakhstan and Russia are quite similar, my homeland has its own cultural features — national cuisine, costumes, dances — which I want to share with the guys from other countries.

Altyn means gold

I entered SibFU together with my friend Vladislava Grigorenko — it’s coming to a foreign city in another country is not so scaring if you go not alone. We studied together, helped each other and stood at the origins of the founding of Altyn — the Kazakhstan union of students. This name was chosen in the general vote, altyn means “gold”, and for us it is about the value of friendship and unity of Kazakh students.

It is similar with all the communities within the Peoples Friendship Centre. Tajiks, Kyrgyz, Uzbeks, Armenians — all the guys are very open to communication. The representation of each nationality, including cultural communities, is a necessary practice for international universities.

SibFU is an international university, students come here from various countries, both near and far abroad. A funny fact is that we became friends with the guys from Kyrgyzstan — a close neighbor of Kazakhstan — nowhere but here, in Siberia.

Home Krasnoyarsk

For 6 years of living in Krasnoyarsk, this city has become truly dear to me. I really like to walk around the city, go to Stolby Natural Park or the Mana River. One can say that I feel like a Siberian, but it is still very difficult for me to survive the Siberian winter and a minus-40-degree frost.

Over the years that I have been studying, awareness about SibFU in Kazakhstan has grown significantly. I personally participated in the career guidance program: we went to the schools of Alma-Ata and Kapchagai and told about our university. Now information is being broadcast in Kazakhstan that SibFU is one of the leading universities in Russia, where everyone can find a suitable area of study, and upon arrival in Krasnoyarsk, its International Department will help with adaptation.

My adaptation period in Russia was not as bright and fun as the guys have now. The Altyn organizes trips to Divnogorsk, to the hydroelectric power station, city tours and other interesting activities for them. Although, of course, there are those who like to feel like a foreigner and be on their own in adapting to the new environment.

About the future

After my coming graduation, I am going to stay in Krasnoyarsk, because during my studies I have made many friends and my lovey. I haven't decided yet if I'm going to continue my university career. Now my main goal is to defend my thesis and get a job suitable for my professional goals.

I am grateful to many for the fact that my student life went the way it did. Director of the School Zoya Vasilyeva — for help in writing theses, Evgenia Yershova — for the fact that she became a “mommy” for foreign students. And many thanks to my scientific adviser Vladimir Maslovsky.

My journey in Russia began in Belgorod, where I studied Russian for six months. There were many difficulties, sometimes it seemed to me that I was the worst student in the group, but then I looked around and realized that if I was here (at a university in another country!) I was already among the best. It motivated me; I remembered why I was here. I had a goal in front of me, and I sat over books from morning to evening.

Now I live in Siberia and I am finishing my master's degree at the Polytechnic School of Siberian Federal University and I am already working at Дары Малиновки (Lit.: Gifts of the village of Malinovka) company. I work in process automation, the Internet of things, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in agriculture. For example, we can automate watering or heating. The more I work, the more opportunities I have. Work and study now is a reward for all the difficulties that I have experienced.

Do it all

In the first semester, I just studied, but in the second I realized that I wanted to go in the field. I came to the director’s office of the School and said that I wanted to work in my major. They met me halfway, and now everything that I have learned, I use in my work. Mr. Golykh (Yuriy Golykh) and Katya from the International Department (Ekaterina Cherkasova), and director of the School Mikhail Pervukhin helped me a lot. They helped me find a job at Дары Малиновки. I want to sincerely thank them for everything.

At the department, I am treated with understanding if I am late for classes because of work. The language barrier affects the assimilation of information, but when I had questions about my studies, the teachers helped me, even stayed with me tête-à-tête to explain the material. For me it is very important and pleasant.

Automate the Russian village

I have been working at Дары Малиновки for about a year, at first I was only engaged in potato research. And now they involve me in working with people, and I can show my leadership qualities. Now I work in all fields of activity. I visited many villages: Malinovka, Minderla, Karymskaya, where the company has warehouses that I automate. I am glad that they trust me and appreciate my work.

Foreigners very scarcely come to Russian villages. Villagers are always very willing to talk to me: where I came from, what I do here. I tried a lot of Russian food because they always try to feed me. I love borsch. The people in the villages are very kind, they receive me very warmly, I am grateful for such hospitality.

At first it was difficult for me, but now I’m used to it, this is my job, my factory, my village. The first month of work was very hard for me, because I do not know many words — language barriers complicate our work. But an aid is that I hear Russian every day, get used to and am beginning to understand it.

Colleagues at Дары Малиновки treat me very well, everyone knows me and greets me. They even learned a few phrases in Spanish — they meet me at work and say ¿Hola, cómo estás? (Hi, how are you?) — this is so nice!

After graduating from my master’s program, I want to go to a PhD course and get a work visa in order to continue working at Дары Малиновки. I want to become an IoT specialist and continue my activities in this field. We have many plans in Дары Малиновки, we are preparing many projects. From a potato researcher, I grew into a generalist.

Non-Loneliness away from home

The first year, I got into the company of Latinos and did not miss home. I have some close Russian friends here, and I have a lot in common with these people. These people mean a lot to me — they're like a family. In Russia, I realized that friends are those who will always support you and come to your aid in a difficult moment. If in my home country friends are the ones you hang out and have fun with, then everything is different here. I am very grateful to the people around me, they are like a family, and they always help and do a lot for me. They ask me what I need and come to my aid. It’s a “wow” for me, I feel important.

Favorite place on campus

The soul of SibFU lives in the library. When I just entered SibFU, I always came to the library in my free time to study and read — there is a very pleasant atmosphere here. I like to walk in the forest listening to music.

I would recommend my friends to enroll in SibFU, there are many opportunities for development in the field of research. The Polytechnic School has a lot of different professional equipment on which we can practice. When I first came here, I was astonished, because there were no such things at my university in Peru. I am very glad that I can take part in events where different specialists from different fields of software development gather, with whom I can exchange experience. And I also like that even if you don’t know what to do here, you can ask for advice and find something to your liking.

When I said I wanted to be a research engineer, they laughed at me, and now I’m here. I am happy that I am doing the job I have always dreamed of, thanks to SibFU for this opportunity. I am grateful to all who are around me and help me, thanks to them I am in my place.

I passed my admission tests with the idea that I would like to do science, but I had no idea what scientific area I wanted to develop in. Valentina Kratasyuk, the head of our department, is a wonderful scientist. A magnificent, inspiring woman, she encouraged me to study biophysics and motivated me to work harder. I have a wonderful scientific supervisor — Irina Torgashina, looking at her, I feel a surge of strength and a desire to do science.

Scientific interest

In my 3rd year I was engaged in the mobilization of luminous bacteria for their further use as a biotest, in the 4th — started working on immobilization of enzymes isolated from these bacteria. Now, after biophysics, I am thrilled with genomics and would like to further develop in this field..

Now I am considering a master’s degree at our university, I follow my intuition. I like the approach to learning at our School. I already know some of the lecturers who work on the master’s program, I know how they teach, and I would like to continue working with them.

As a scientist in the laboratory of the School, I have enough of everything. There is equipment here that I used for my thesis. In winter, I had the opportunity to learn the method of protein isolation, for this we visited the laboratory of our School located in the School of Petroleum Engineering. The lab where I work has everything I need, if I need something beyond that, the university can provide it, and that’s great.

Homesick

To be honest, I didn't think it would be so hard when I came here. During the first six months of adaptation, I realized that I really miss my homeland. I feel good here, but I lack what has surrounded me since childhood. It can be hard for me at times, but when I think that I will return and work for the good of my country, it becomes easier. My family supports me greatly.

In the future, I would like to develop in science and teach, but in Kyrgyzstan, I want to develop science there, perhaps contribute to education, popularization of science among young people, because back home, we really do not have enough scientists.

Such a choice of a future profession is natural. There is a dynasty of teachers in my family. When you grow up in this environment, you feel the need to pass on what you know to others. I have two younger sisters, and part of my childhood was their upbringing and training. I’m used to living like this, sharing my knowledge and skills.

Adventures of a foreigner in Russia

In my first year, I got lost in the city centre, my battery was dead, and I had no idea where to go and what to do. Passers-by helped me, very friendly accompanied me to the dorm. It was a novelty for me, because I felt embarrassed about approaching strangers, but they treated me very kindly.

I am often asked what my name Azhar means — “beauty, charm” from Kyrgyz. And I am often mistaken for a Russian, very often for a Tatar, and they are surprised when they find out that I am a Kyrgyz.

And then there was the Student of the Year contest which I participated in this year and won. For me, this was an opportunity to tell about myself, to share my experience here. I didn’t believe until the last moment that I could win: all the participants in the Foreign Student nomination were very positive, talented, versatile guys, and the fact that I was chosen among them is a good result indicator and also means responsibility.

From Kyrgyzstan to Siberia

SibFU is known in Kyrgyzstan. We are told that there is such a university in Krasnoyarsk. In Kyrgyzstan, there is an association of SibFU alumni who help young people find their place. In the future, I would like to make acquaintances with these people, help them as much as possible, and they will probably help me in some way.

The main difference between my hometown and Krasnoyarsk is the climate. Our average winter temperature is -20, so when I turned out to get to -40, I was shocked. When I walked through the woods through the cold and snow to the School, I thought “why did I come to Siberia, couldn’t I have chosen a warmer place?” But you quickly get used to it – you buy a warmer down parka.

The terrain is also quite different. I used to get up and see the mountains outside the window, but here you see the forest. This has its own charm, I managed to fall in love with these picturesque landscapes and had got used to them very much over these 4 years.

I really like it here, on the “mountain”, as students call it – the air is clean here, you can look at the city, at the forest. The Gremyachaa Griva Eco-Park (lit.: rattling ridge) next to the dorm is a favorite place to walk, especially when you’re walking with biologists and you’re trying to identify the plants and birds you encounter.

Favorite place on campus

Most of all, I like our laboratory, I love it very much, there is always a friendly and working climate there. I also really like our library — it’s so beautiful! In my first year, I spent a lot of time here, because the way back to the dorm was long, and doing my homework here was much more comfortable. Well, the favorite place of all students is the cafeteria in the third “well”.