In 2020 13 winners of All-Russian Olympiad in mathematics and economics were admitted to ICEF. All of them receive 100% discount for their full undergraduate degree course and a VTB Bank scholarship. These students have successfully finished their first module, passed the exams, and chosen the elective courses in addition to the main programme. Many of them have already started studying on ICEF Academia programme. They told us why they chose HSE-ICEF and the programme and why it is important for them to study here. They also told us what current school graduates expect from higher education and what they hope to do in the future.
Miroslav Jurchuk, All-Russian Olympiad in economics prize-winner and ICEF Olympiad winner.
Two years ago, I decided for myself that my ideal job would be in the sphere of consulting. In the job of a consultant it is important not only to be good in one and only sphere, but also to be an all-round man in different life spheres. You never know what will be on trend in this quickly developing world. That is why I have determined a direction for myself and I have chosen economics. But also I am interested in many things – from astronomy to programming. I am sure that all my hobbies will come in handy sooner or later.
The whole year before the admission I tried to understand what programme would be better. In the long run I arrived at the conclusion that ICEF will give me more practical skills, I will study business English and will establish more useful contacts in the future. When I started studying, the programme seemed very easy for an Olympiad prize-winner. But then it became clear to me that such a wide range of disciplines with a little focus on special subjects is a question of time. In the beginning of studies it is important to get an understanding of different disciplines and encourage students to self-identify.
At ICEF there is nothing needless or useless from a student’s point of view; the programme is application oriented. Even in sense of communication and interesting contacts it is very good to study here. For example, as I am not from Moscow, I live in the dormitory. This year they have accommodated us in the campus for international students.
In my course we have students from different countries, we have English speaking professors, and even in the dormitory I am in an international environment.
I like the teaching methods in my studying most of all. First, they give us structured theory in lectures, then we discuss its practical usage in seminars. If something is unclear, we can discuss all the questions with the teacher in private or attend extra classes. When you do your homework, you consolidate the material covered. It is very convenient.
From the first weeks it was clear for me which subjects are interesting to learn. I want to point out Dominic Rubin, the teacher of World and intellectual history. He is the best teacher I have ever met. I could not even imagine that one can teach in such an interesting way, especially history which I unfortunately barely know. I also like the way Mark Dunnett teaches English; it is very interesting to discuss different topics with him.
Alisa Vahitova, All-Russian Olympiad in economics prize-winner
ICEF appeared in my life when I was 6 years old. That summer I attended the LSE MSc Graduation Ceremony in London. My brother, Eldar Vahitov graduated from there. I have a photo from that event with Vladimir Mukharlyamov – he is now an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University. When I started my 1st year in junior school I already knew where I wanted to go after I finished high school. During my studies I was carried away sometimes with music, sometimes with figure skating, sometimes with literature and chemistry, but in the end economics won.
A number of times I participated in ICEF Evening Summer School, where ICEF graduates visited our lessons and told us what they do in this or that company, how they made their choice, what opportunities the ICEF Double Degree programme opens. We were also offered tours of the Moscow offices of such companies as PWC, Gett, Skolkovo and so on. After my 9th year I entered HSE Lyceum and thanks to my first teacher in economics, Dmitry Mikhaylov, I became a prize-winner of All-Russian Olympiad in economics.
120000 roubles a year
is the VTB Bank scholarship for the best ICEF students
I came to ICEF for two things – for an applied programme and studying in English. At first you are shocked – lectures, exams, reading materials – everything is in English, many teachers are foreigners. But in a couple of months you adapt to the new format. I find such immersion in an international environment very useful, as in the future I am considering enrolling in an MSc programme in Great Britain.
After my first mid-term exams I became even more certain that I was right in choosing ICEF. It has the feel of healthy competition that motivates one to develop, and you have а world of possibilities for that: apart from in-depth studies of main subjects you can choose optional courses – from foreign languages to basic trading and personal investment.
ICEF has managed to become a real brand for applicants. It has formed its unique community of students and graduates who work in leading international companies, continue their studies on the best MSc and MBA programmes around the world, receive PhDs. It is great that the ICEF Career Centre supports this succession and holds events with graduates and companies representatives, so even during your studies you form networks with the professional environment and understanding where to go after graduation.
Igor Melnikov, All-Russian Olympiad in mathematics and economics prize-winner.
I really appreciate the fact that ICEF builds a fundamental background. For example, in English classes, apart from learning the language itself, we discuss economics and economic theories. While choosing the university I had a clear understanding of the programme, of the study format, and especially of the English speaking environment which in my case boosts the material perception.
Although I am a technical-minded person, I am fond of English and history. The approach of teaching here differs from the approach in different universities. In the classes they focus mostly on developing the ability to do critical thinking and analyze information, rather than learn the material by heart. It develops not only special skills, but also personal qualities.
I have not decided yet what to do exactly after the graduation. Most likely I will combine research and a career. But now in my first studying years I plan to focus on research. It is easy at ICEF – they have everything to help a student to combine studying and different academic activities.
Daniil Serdyuk, twice prize-winner of All-Russian Olympiad in mathematics and economics
After I received a prize at the All-Russian Olympiad in economics of 2020, I had a wide choice of universities. But despite my success in mathematics I was not particularly interested in natural and computer science, as they are too detached from human needs. But economics is some sort of a compromise between mathematics and the humanities, which I was very interested in on a simple level. I read and listen to various lectures on the humanities a lot.
After I made up my mind on the subject, I understood that I needed to study at the HSE – the leading economics university in the country. I chose ICEF as it offers an international degree and other options that are important to me. For example, I am interested in many spheres of life and it is difficult to choose a profession now. This is why I want to receive a wide and prestigious and applied education.
After ICEF I am sure I will be able to find a job that I will like as there are many spheres where I can apply my knowledge.
I am very attracted by the fact that ICEF makes it possible to study disciplines and do research from the first year of studies, so that I can build an academic career in the future. I have already visited two ICEF online conferences and signed up to ICEF Academia programme. I would love to visit the LSE summer school and immerse in the research environment more deeply. The breadth of such education as at ICEF is nowadays very important for science as we all study the same disciplines. The market in different countries equally needs professionals. There are great opportunities around the world for an academic career.
The social environment at ICEF is very interesting. I like the faculty; each member of it has office hours when we can communicate with them face to face. I have become close with my fellow students and tutors, which helps us a lot. I am still more attracted to the mathematical disciplines, as I am used to them and do well, but I also really enjoyed Philosophy by Krister Sairsingh. Thanks to my interest in Philosophy I chose German as a second language, I would also love to study Korean or Japanese. I also started attending Personal investments and finance course to get a sense of financial news and learn to diversify my expenses. I must concentrate a lot this module due to the elective courses, but I passed the first session easily.
