‘HSE Programme Is Special Because It Offers a Unique Teaching Style’
Lijia Lin is a first-year student in the English-taught Strategic Corporate Finance Master’s Programme at the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences. He was born and raised in Beijing and, after finishing high school, studied economics and mathematics at the University of Michigan in the United States. When Lijia Lin graduated in December 2015, his advisor suggested that he continued his education at the Higher School of Economics.
‘I believe the HSE programme is special because it offers a unique teaching style that is different from the Chinese and American schools I have previously attended. For example, at HSE, the academic year is divided into four quarters in contrast to two semesters in the U.S. I find this system to be academically challenging because students learn material at an accelerated pace, which encourages students to develop better time management and studying skills. Another distinctive aspect of the program is, of course, the faculty. Professors are always challenging you to be better! They ask questions that go beyond the course material with the expectation that students will take a greater interest in the subject matter and further their learning outside of the classroom.’
What Lijia likes most is the programme’s practice of assigning students to study teams. ‘In the U.S., I never studied in a group so I was accustomed to studying independently for the exam. However, here, students are assigned to study teams and if a student has questions about the course material, he/she is able to ask other teammates for answers. These teams often lead to great friendships outside the classroom and I really like these warm relations with my peers.’
During his free time Lijia likes to watch movies. He was initially concerned that he wouldn’t be able to watch movies in Russia because of the language barrier. However, he discovered that in Moscow, there are movie theaters that screen movies in the original language such as French, Italian, and English for those who don’t speak Russian.
‘Moscow is a big city that offers many opportunities for internationals to travel and explore its wonders. If students have an interest in Russian history as I do, they can explore Russia through student tours and international organizations at HSE. I’ve been to many places in Russia and I’ve learned so much from these great, memorable experiences!’