Penza State University is known far beyond the borders of Russia. Every year, international students from different parts of the world enter the region's leading university. Today we want to share with you the stories of our students who travelled thousands of kilometers from their homeland for the sake of knowledge.

On October 31, PSU completed the admission campaign of international students. The geopolitical situation did not prevent the organization and admission of foreign citizens to our university: more than 800 first-year students from 30 countries of the world joined the ranks of students of the largest university in the Penza region.

The proportion of enrolled international students from far abroad was 56% (451 people), from neighboring countries - 44% (359 people). Within the framework of the quota of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, 27 foreign applicants were sent to our university, which is 65% more than last year. Thus, 2,500 international students from 46 countries of the world are currently studying at PSU.

As in the previous year, foreign applicants applied to all faculties of the university. Some trends have also persisted.

Traditionally, representatives of the Arab countries and India apply for medical study fields implemented with the help of an intermediary language - "General Medicine", "Pharmacy", "Dentistry". Representatives from Central Asia - Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan - choose mainly technical study fields: "Engineering and Technologies of Electronic Equipment", "Electronics and Nanoelectronics", "Radioelectronic Systems and Complexes" (Faculty of Information Technologies and Electronics); "Chemical Technology", "Instrument Engineering", "Power and Electrical Engineering" (Faculty of Industrial Technologies, Power Engineering and Transport), "Applied Mathematics" (Faculty of Computer Engineering).

Students from China strive to receive music education at the Institute of Teacher Education at the Department of Music and Methods of Teaching Music, the Faculty of Pedagogy, Psychology and Social Sciences. In addition, representatives of the People's Republic of China are interested in studying the Russian language in the study field "Philology" (Department "Russian as a Foreign Language", the Institute of International Cooperation). However, there are also new developments: this year representatives of Sudan and Tajikistan were especially interested in the study field "Psychology", part-time mode of training.

The specific feature of the admission campaign for international students is in the format of conducting entrance examinations: they are held both within the walls of the university and abroad: staff members of Penza State University traveled to Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Lebanon, and Egypt in order to conduct entrance examinations at partner organizations.

The interest of applicants from other countries in Russian education is still high. Every year, the geography of PSU students is expanding: in 2022, students from Somalia, Zambia, Angola, Panama and Ecuador entered the university for the first time. The first thing that attracts them is the quality of education. Guaman Yungan Ruth Estefanni from Ecuador has already been living in Penza for a year: in 2021 she entered the pre-university training department, and now she is a first-year student at the Medical Institute, PSU. The future doctor admits that she has chosen Penza State University not by chance: it provides a good education and high-quality knowledge.

“PSU helped me to master the Russian language and offered many opportunities to realize my potential. Here, at the University, there are excellent teachers and an excellent system for adapting international students to a new socio-cultural environment,” Ruth emphasized.

The student admits that in two months’ time of training she managed to plunge headlong into an active student life: she became a participant in the Miss World Beauty Contest. Folk Queen - 2022" and made new friends.

Enrollment to the pre-university training department is still going on: this year, citizens of Afghanistan, China, Somalia, Zambia and Egypt are among those wishing to get enrolled.

Namalongo Ezekiel came to cold Russia from hot Zambia. Ahead of him is one year of study at the pre-university training department, and then - entering the Medical Institute.

“I have chosen Penza State University for two main reasons. Firstly, the curriculum: I studied it in detail and realized that it gives students all the necessary knowledge and skills, and in some ways even surpasses other competing universities in Russia. Secondly, I liked the city itself: it is small, quiet and very cozy,” Ezekiel shared his impressions.

Professor Gleb Sintsov, Vice-Rector for International Affairs, summed up the results of the admission campaign for international students in 2022:
“The recruitment plan has been fully implemented, despite the unstable international situation. I would like to express special gratitude for the organizational support to the general partners of Penza State University: the National Arab-Russian Association represented by the General Director Bashir Samaha and the Chevalier Group company represented by the General Director Yuvraaj Solanki”.