The number of international applicants who wish to study at SUSU increases every year. To learn about new coming international students in 2019 and international student services at SUSU, we talked to Ekaterina Yurovskaya, the head of International Student Support.
What academic programs are the most popular among international students this year?
SUSU offers a great variety of graduate and postgraduate programs for international students, the instruction language can be either English or Russian. I would say that the most popular fields among international students are Mechatronics and Robotics, and Mechanical Engineering, which is not surprising as SUSU is well-known as the University of Digital Transformation. As for Social Sciences, majors in Economics and Management also attract a large number of international students.
Which new countries international students are coming from this year?
Our international students come from 52 countries but the majority of them are from China, Egypt, Iraq, Kazakstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. Every year we expand our geography and recruit international students from new countries. This year, we expect new coming students from Canada, Gaiti, Mali, and Burkino Faso.
Could you describe the admission process for international applicants?
Typically, before starting a bachelor’s or master’s degree at SUSU international students are recommended to complete the Foundation Program which can last from 1 to 1,5 years. To apply to the program, students need to send a copy of their passport to the International Student Support by August 1 or February 1. After completing the program and successfully passing all the required exams, students are awarded a state-approved Certificate, which gives the right to enter any Russian university. The next step is to bring this certificate and original copies of documents to the International Support Service by July 20 and our staff will be happy to advise students on their further steps.
If you choose not to complete the foundation program at SUSU, then you can take the online test which serves as an entry exam for bachelor’s or master’s program. In this case, applicants have to send their documents to the International Support Service by July 1. Once all required documents submitted, it takes one week to prepare an admission letter. Normally, students receive the admission letter within one week. After that, the Immigration Services prepare a visa invitation and this process typically takes one month. It is important to make traveling arrangements in advance and notify the International Support Service about your arrival. Our staff members are happy to provide all necessary support for our new coming international students to find the best way to get to Chelyabinsk. You need to arrive to Chelyabinsk no later than September 1.
What support services are available for international students at SUSU?
We do our best to make the sojourn of our international students at SUSU as comfortable as possible and try to provide a great variety of student services on campus. Our specialists are always ready to help international students with questions related to documents and make the process of application and adaptation much easier. For example, Immigration Services support international students with all visas and registration related issues and help to secure on-campus accommodation. The specialists in the office of Degree Recognition are happy to help students with foreign degree evaluation procedures. When students need to translate any official documentation, they can do this in the Office of Translation. However, we offer a range of services not only to support international students with their documents but also help them to go through their adaptation process as smoothly as possible. Since last year we have been successfully implementing the Tutor’s project aimed to help new coming students to settle in and support with their adaptation at SUSU. Tutors are those international and domestic students who have already studied here for a while and volunteered to support their new peers. We are also proud of the Association of International Students (AIS) aims to support international students to get familiar with rich Russian and foreign cultures. Annually, AIS organizes cultural events, such as Nawrus, the Day of an Arabic Culture and many more. The association helps both international and domestic students learn more about multicultural environment at SUSU. We constantly try to improve our services for international students and hope that students feel welcomed and supported at SUSU.