Last year, MCI Management Center Innsbruck, Austria, launched a scholarship program for Belarusians under Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya’s patronage, allowing Belarusian students to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in over 10 majors. Read more about the scholarship here.
One of the first recipients of the scholarship, media manager Aliaksandra Pushkina, shared her impressions of her first month of study.
- Differences from education in Belarus:
“I’m studying for a master’s degree in Management, Communication & IT. I’m not really looking for differences from my bachelor’s studies in Belarus as I graduated from the Journalism Department at BSU [Belarusian State University] back in 2013 with a different focus. I didn’t have enough credits in IT-related subjects so I started studying a month early to make up for them. Last week, I had my first exam at MCI. It felt weird getting a ‘2’ in programming – here, that’s something like an ‘8’ back home, while a ‘1’ is the highest score”.
- Life changes:
“If someone asked me whether I regretted daring to change everything – country, major, daily routine, social circle – I wouldn’t have a simple answer. It’s not easy but I already feel that these sweeping changes are transforming me, both personally and professionally. Of course, it would definitely be the best student experience if I didn’t have to work alongside my studies as everything here is incredibly well-organized. My key lesson in Austria seems to be that studies require commitment and organization but no one expects rote memorization. All that’s required is understanding”.
- Approach to learning:
“The approach here is, ‘If everyone around me is doing well, then I’m doing well too’. Everyone tries to help; everyone is sincere, kind, and polite. It’s even a bit intimidating. At first, because of my background, I was looking for a catch but there actually wasn’t one. This is simply how people live when they value human life. This is how happy and relaxed people live”.
- Role of the scholarship in education:
“If you’re considering applying to a European university, I recommend MCI. The scholarship not only helps financially but also simplifies the application process. For instance, I can’t travel to Belarus to get my diploma apostilled – but for scholarship recipients, a notarized translation is enough. I hope to meet even more Belarusians here next year”.
