Students of the Faculty of Marketing and Logistics visited Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University on a study visit from April 22 till 28. We would like to tell you how the second meeting of partner universities took place.
In 2023, FMK students and master’s students had a similar opportunity to feel like students of one of the top universities in the Russian Federation. You can find out information on the course of last year’s visit in our article.
But it’s time to move on! A new academic year, a new programme, new students. Here we would like to tell you in detail what surprised the Polytechnic University in 2024.
Curriculum
The main purpose of such visits is educational mobility and the exchange of useful experience. Therefore, the Polytechnic University organised a training course “Digital Marketing” especially for invited students. It included a number of practical classes and master classes that allowed our students to consolidate their existing knowledge and learn something new.
Thus, programme participants were able to learn more about Photoshop functions within the discipline “Branding and Advertising Design”. They learned new skills in colour correction and image editing in two practical classes.
The teacher of the discipline, Evgenia I. Tuchkevich, a member of the Union of Designers of the Russian Federation, presented the students with a book under her authorship “Adobe Photoshop CC Master Class”. A voluminous publication with detailed instructions will help our future specialists to master the software to the full extent.
Students were able to hone their communication and negotiation skills at the business game “There is a Contract”. The programme participants were divided into two teams along with the students of the Polytechnic University. They received a task: which country they are and which negotiation strategy they should follow. After much discussion, complying with the cultural characteristics of the selected countries, the participants of the game had to achieve the desired result – to sell or buy a certain product.
Negotiations are negotiations, but as they say at our faculty, “the marketer is a hard-working guy”, so the next master class was focused on the production process. The master class “Factory of Production Processes” is a team-building activity that helps participants to develop teamwork skills. Our students and 4th year students of the specialty “Management” shared responsibilities among themselves: logistician, worker, controller, manager, director and others. Everyone had a task: to produce 10 parts in 15 minutes. It seemed simple to the guys, but as soon as the countdown started, everyone understood that it was not so easy to be responsible for the work of the entire production. However, despite all the difficulties, the guys rallied so much at the end of the master class that they began to go beyond the designated roles to help their colleagues.
The final class of the programme was a master class “Business Promotion Based on Video Content.” Here the guys honed their video editing skills. The students filmed everything that happened to them in St. Petersburg during the whole week: classes, cultural programme, walks. All this content was collected in order to edit the final video about the trip during the class. You can watch the video at the link (do not forget to like it).
Cultural Programme
Despite the active curriculum, it is important to remember that St. Petersburg is the cultural capital of Russia. It is simply impossible to ignore its sights and informal events.
That is why the programme participants and the students of the Polytechnic University went to explore the palace and park ensemble in Peterhof. Despite the bad weather, this trip was a success. No one stole the famous fountains during the year of our absence, and the Gulf of Finland remained as fascinating as ever.
In addition, the students visited the Grand Peterhof Palace. This iconic place plunges into the tsarist era and delights with its amazing decoration.
Music allows you to relax after a long day. That is why our students were invited to the organ and vocal evening “Italian Arias”. We wish everyone to experience some impressions of live organ playing and the performance of a real opera singer in the White Hall of the Polytechnic University.
Let’s not forget that FMK students are famous for their activity. Therefore, even in their free time, the programme participants set off on their own to explore all the iconic churches of St. Petersburg. The march included the Kazan Cathedral, the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Saint Isaac’s Cathedral and the Lutheran church of Annenkirche.
Outcome
Such programmes are a unique opportunity for students to learn something new, exchanhe experiences with other students and be inspired for further studies. We would like to thank the Graduate School of Management represented by Olga S. Kalinina, director, and Natalia S. Alekseeva, coordinator of the meeting, for the warm welcome of our students.
