Stories from Abroad

I am very glad that I had the opportunity to study exchange at the Technological University in Bandung, Indonesia. Overall, the impressions from this experience remained positive.

Bandung is a unique city with a rich history, beautiful nature and friendly people. I visited various attractions and tasted the national cuisine, got acquainted with the local culture and traditions.

At the expense of my studies, the university offered me a wide range of subjects related to my specialty. I have studied new methods and approaches in the field of technology, which has had a positive impact on my knowledge and skills. The students and teachers at the university were very friendly and open, which helped me easily adapt to the new environment. I also had several different projects that allowed me to develop and improve my skills.

The exchange training was useful for me not only from an academic point of view, but also personally. I became more independent and adaptable, as I independently solved many everyday tasks related to living and studying in another country. I developed communication and cultural interaction skills as I met and communicated with people from different countries and cultures. In general, the exchange training helped me become more self-confident and independent.

What difficulties did you have during the preparation stages for the internship? What advice and recommendations can you give to future participants of the academic mobility program?

The difficulties were only in paying for a visa, the website through which it was necessary to pay for an entry visa did not work due to sanctions, but we found a person who helped us. My advice is to start collecting documents in advance, as there may be unforeseen circumstances with a passport or visa, so that there is time to solve problems.

Describe the visa application process. Your advice for future participants of the academic mobility program

To study, you will need 2 visas: an entry visa and a six-month stay visa (KITAS). The entry visa is done through ITB curators who help you. It is done for 2-3 months. KITAS is done for about a month, upon arrival you need to contact the immigration office to apply for it. I advise you to start preparing and collecting documents earlier.

What difficulties did you have upon arrival at the host foreign organization? Your advice to future participants of the academic mobility program

Upon arrival in Indonesia, there were no problems, there were a couple of problems during the flight. There are some unforeseen circumstances. At such moments, the main thing is not to panic and keep yourself in control.

Specify your expenses related to participation in an internship abroad (visa costs, cost of flight / travel to the place of internship, registration fees/ taxes/ deposits in the host organization, policy / medical services, if used, public transport, meals, accommodation. Your tips for cutting costs

Before leaving, I paid more than 18 thousand for a visa, after arriving I paid for ITAS (residence permit for 6 months) 10 thousand. The insurance came out at 28 thousand. Tickets there went out at 41 (I took the cheapest ones). I also paid about 24 thousand (six months) for accommodation. Tickets from Jakarta to Bandung cost about 1200-1500 rubles. It took me about 100 thousand to live, for six months. And the tickets went back to 40 thousand (also the cheapest).

I am very happy with my exchange program at Beijing Institute of Technology. During the time I spent there, I improved my Chinese language and gained knowledge in Economics. During my 4 months there, I lost 12 kilograms of weight because I had a very active lifestyle. In the future I would definitely like to go back to China for a Master's program.

What difficulties did you encounter at the stage of preparation for the internship? What tips and recommendations can you give to future participants of the academic mobility program?

At the stage of preparation for the internship, I and other students had difficulties with paying registration fees at the Chinese university, as the functionality of Russian payment systems is now limited. Check the expiration date of your passport in advance, you should have a few months to spare, my passport expired a few days before the day of departure from China. Because of this I had to change my passport and I got my visa, literally, on the day of departure from Russia.


Describe the process of obtaining a visa. Your advice to future participants of the academic mobility program

I got my visa under expedited mode, so I had to pay 5000 rubles for it instead of 3000. In general, the documents I needed were a visa application form, an original letter of enrollment from a Chinese university, and a few other small papers. The process was simple.

What difficulties were encountered upon arrival at the university? Your advice to future participants of the academic mobility program

We were very happy that we were picked up from the airport and helped with registration, SIM card and dorm check-in, getting to the university on our own could have been a huge hassle. Prepare before traveling, download useful apps like WeChat, Alipay and Baidu Maps for navigation, also install a VPN for Viber, Whats'App and Telegram to work. VK works without a VPN.

Indicate your expenses related to participation in an overseas internship (visa costs, flight/travel to the internship site, registration fees/taxes/taxes at the host organization, policy/medical services, if any, public transportation, meals, accommodation. Your tips for reducing costs.

Travel to the place of training back and forth = 150r; One meal = 150r; Airplane ticket = 15000-25000 one way; Registration fee = 5000, Medical insurance = 5000. SIM card = 4000. Most of the money was spent on buying things. In general, life in China is not expensive.

I am extremely glad and thankful to have been granted the opportunity to live and study in China for 4 months, get to know its unique culture and make unforgettable memories! Naturally, I managed to improve my Chinese skills, especially my ability to comprehend speech by ear. I also managed to overcome language barrier and started to be more confident about my Chinese. University life introduced me to the way subjects are taught and exams are organized in China.

What difficulties did you encounter during the stages of preparation for the internship? What advice and recommendations can you give to future participants of the academic mobility program?

Probably the biggest challenge for me was to find a bank which card would work in China, so that I could transfer money in rubles and withdraw yuan. Eventually, I’ve chosen Gazprombank’s UnionPay card and had no problems with card payments or money withdrawal in any of Beijing’s banks.

Describe the process of obtaining a visa. Your tips for future participants of the academic mobility program.

I’ve prepared all required documents, filled out the visa application form on the website of Chinese embassy. On the appointed day, I arrived one hour earlier than opening time of the embassy and queued. When my time came, I entered the building, submitted all documents, scanned my fingerprints. After that, I went to pay for visa in the bank Solidarnost and a week later I claimed my visa. No problems occurred at any of the stages.

The only useful advice I can get is to check twice whether the documents you prepared are in order.

What difficulties were encountered upon arrival at the host foreign organization? Your tips for future participants of the academic mobility program.

I do not recall encountering any difficulties upon arrival at the university: everything went quite smoothly, starting with a meeting at the airport and ending with a warm welcome at the university. It may be worth mentioning that at first I was somewhat scared off by the condition of the dormitory in which I was to live, but after spending a couple of days cleaning the room, and then ordering several decor items, my neighbors and I managed to create a quite cozy place.

Quite a valuable advice, in my opinion, is not to get upset straightaway if something disappoints you a little or doesn’t match your expectations. You can always try to solve the problem with the help of people fr om the organization you’ll be staying in, and sometimes even on your own (as we did).

Indicate your expenses related to participation in the foreign internship (visa expenses, flight/travel costs to the place of internship, registration fees/taxes/taxes in the host organization, policy/medical services, if used, public transport, meals, accommodation. Your tips for reducing costs.

An airplane ticket to and from Beijing cost me around 30 thousand rubles each. I don't remember exactly how much it cost to get a visa, but this amount did not exceed 3-4 thousand rubles. I did not use any medical services, but I paid for insurance for six months – 400 yuan.

I mainly used three means of transport: a one-time trip on a university bus from one campus to another cost 6-9 yuan; the cost of a subway ride is calculated depending on the number of stations, but on average it was 5-7 yuan; buying a card that allows you to rent a bicycle not limited number of times per month cost me about 15-20 yuan. I highly recommend that you figure out how to use the bike rental system and use this very means of transport as often as possible, because it is not only healthy and cheap, but also since it is much more interesting to explore the city by bike!

There are many different canteens on the territory of the campus in which a full meal costs around 15 yuan. You can also buy food and cook on your own, the price of some products is slightly higher than in Russia, but usually the prices are reasonable. In addition, you can order food in the app, and it will be delivered to special delivery lockers at the university. On average, one order amounted for 30-40 yuan, but it can be cheaper if you use discount coupons!

Accommodation in the dormitory was free: we only had to buy bedding sets (we did this on the first day on campus, and a set of a thin mattress, a blanket, a pillowcase, bedsheets and a pillow cost us 400 yuan). Later, my neighbors and I ordered a pillow on taobao for 10 yuan, and it was very comfortable to sleep on! Speaking of taobao, I strongly advise you to create an account there in the first days of your stay in China, and if you encounter any difficulties, do not hesitate to ask Chinese students for help. During all 4 months I spent there, everybody was friendly and ready to help. On this website you can order everything you may need for a comfortable life in a dormitory: bed linen, dishes, a dryer and a steamer for clothes and even a portable saucepan! The main thing is to control your spending and learn to lim it yourself, because Taobao offers almost everything one might need.

The impressions are mostly positive, a huge amount of experience as a result of the internship. The acquired skills in technical sciences and communication skills with people will help me in my future profession.

What difficulties did you encounter during the stages of preparation for the internship? What tips and recommendations can you give to future participants of the academic mobility program?

The deadlines for obtaining a foreign passport have been delayed, it is better to apply for a foreign passport in advance.

Describe the process of obtaining a visa. What are your tips for future participants of the academic mobility program?

You need to see in advance what documents are required, collect them and bring them to the consulate to obtain a visa. In advance, you need to sign up on their website and calculate the time of issuance so that you have time to submit it to the host organization.

What difficulties did you encounter upon arrival at the host foreign organization? What are your tips for future participants of the academic mobility program?

The only difficulty was finding non-spicy food and the fact that the other campus (Liang Xiang campus), where most of the classes took place, was a two-hour drive from where we were accommodated.

Indicate your expenses related to participation in the internship abroad (visa expenses, cost of flights/travel to the place of internship, registration fees/taxes/deposits in the host organization, policy/medical services, if used, travel in public transport, meals, accommodation.

The flight is at the expense of "Travel Grant" from INRTU. Dormitory - at the expense of BIT (host party), registration fees/taxes/deposits at the host organization, policy/medical services - at the expense of personal funds. Public transport, meals and accommodation are at the expense of personal funds.

Studying abroad is a great experience, not only in terms of gaining international knowledge, but also a great test for your emotional development. I can say with confidence that I am still overwhelmed with the most sincere feelings of joy and happiness for the opportunity to study in China. Since I was 14, I was sure that one day I would be able to study in this amazing country, and thanks to my university, my little dream came true.

Beijing University of Technology has offered us a wide range of courses and practical classes that are closely related to the latest technologies. We have mastered the practical skills of innovative thinking through professional entrepreneurship training and specialized courses. The university has an atmosphere of free choice of an individual learning system. The student chooses classes and courses based on his/her curriculum. The training took place at a high level of English, but our classmates, university students, and all the staff spoke Chinese, which gave us the opportunity to practice two foreign languages at the same time. I believe that my level of Chinese has increased many times, as well as my knowledge in the field of international communications and technology.

What difficulties did you have during the preparation stages for the internship? What tips and recommendations can you give to future participants of the academic mobility program?

There were no questions at the preparation stage, it is necessary to follow all the instructions of the university step by step. Curators always meet halfway if there are difficult moments.

Describe the visa application process. Your advice for future participants of the academic mobility program.

The process of obtaining a visa did not cause difficulties: the Chinese consulate quietly issues visas in an educational format. The Academic Mobility Department sent us all the necessary documents, which we had to fill out and later present to the consulate. It will take about a week to review the visa application, unless it is an accelerated format. The consulate issues a payment referral, with which you must come in a week and pick up your passport with a ready-made visa. Payment for the visa is made at Solidarity Bank. I advise you to make several copies of all documents in order to avoid questions, And also carefully monitor the filling in of personal information.

What difficulties did you have upon arrival at the host foreign organization? Your advice to future participants of the academic mobility program.

Moving to another country for six months is a big step. You are changing your life 180 degrees: starting with your daily routine and habits, ending with the climate and a completely different mentality of Chinese residents. One of the difficulties that I felt in the first days of my stay in China was, of course, the language barrier. Everyone has their own pronunciation peculiarities and even different dialects, so I had to put 2 times more effort into building communication. I urge you to be more tolerant of cultural differences, because they are really significant. But absolutely, the people of China are insanely good-natured, open to communication with foreign guests. I also advise you to change cash, as it takes time to open a bank account. You also need to be prepared for the fact that there will be no Internet and communication for the first time, but SIM cards are immediately issued on the territory of the University.

There were no difficulties in organizational matters, and if there were questions, we could safely contact our curators. Upon arrival, we received a travel guide in printed format, which spelled out all the points in which difficulties could arise: obtaining a SIM card and a bank card, registering in the system, university cards, movements and movements.

The only disadvantage, in my opinion, is the location of the educational university. The university itself is divided into two campuses, we lived close to the center of Beijing, which was as comfortable as possible. However, the training took place at another campus outside the city, 35 km from the university, and each time it was necessary to get at least an hour. The university provided charter buses (paid), but it was not easy to get into them, you need to buy tickets in advance (which were sorted very quickly). Therefore, the time to get there and back took at least 2 hours, and if you get to the university by metro, the road takes 2.5-3 hours.

Specify your expenses related to participation in an internship abroad (visa costs, cost of flight / travel to the place of internship, registration fees/ taxes/ deposits in the host organization, policy / medical services, if used, public transport, meals, accommodation. Your tips for cutting costs.

Visa -3.300rubles

Insurance ~400-500 yuan

One-way flight ~35,000rubles

Taxi from the airport to the university ~2,500rubles

Accommodation in the Hostel is free of charge

The fee for bed linen, mattress, pillows, etc. is 400 yuan

Communication -600-700 yuan for six months

Transfer between two campuses (academic and home) by charter bus - 1000 yuan

One-time public transport fare-7 yuan

Meals- 40,000 rubles/month

Additional expenses-20,000rubles/month

It is cheaper to eat in canteens: an average of 17 yuan for one full meal. There are about 12 canteens with different cuisines on the territory of the university, most of them, of course, Chinese. There was no kitchen in our dorm, but we ordered electric pans on Chinese websites and sometimes cooked in them. We mostly ordered food (delivery within 30min).