McMaster students return from summer study in Russia
[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/ESAP.jpg” caption=”ESAP students are pictured in front of the Kolomenskoye Estate in Moscow, which was used as a summer residence by Russian princes and tsars, including Peter the Great. Front row: Robert Larson (left) and Scott Durdle. Back row (left to right): Iranga Ratnayake, John Prinzen, Justin Myers, Christopher Agam, Victor Cheng, Sahar Kiani, Sangeetha Vigneswaran, Chaya Samarakkody, Kamala Sharma and Cherag Mehta. Photo courtesy of Faculty of Engineering.”]They left from Canada's Steel City and traveled to the industrial heartland of one of the most resource-rich countries in the world to learn about steel, structures, culture and many other subjects. After almost eight weeks of study and touring, 12 McMaster engineering students returned from Russia with course credits and memories that will last a life time.
“I saw it as a great opportunity to add to the places I've been, expanding my horizons, while gaining six credits toward my graduation,” said Sahar Kiani, from Dundas, who is entering her third year of civil engineering at McMaster this September. “I had the chance to live in a different country, interact with local people and lighten my course load.”
Sahar was a participant in the Engineering Study Abroad Program (ESAP) started by the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster in 2006. The program was developed to provide students with the opportunity to take credit-level courses during the summer semester while gaining the experience of a cross-cultural, interdisciplinary education.
“As the world's cultures, societies and economies are increasingly intertwined, it is necessary to build international linkages to facilitate global engagement and to prepare university graduates for the competitive worldwide job market,” explains Konstantin Kreyman, director of ESAP and professor of engineering at McMaster.
ESAP is offered in partnership with Michigan State University, State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering in Volgograd, and St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University. First-year through graduate courses are offered and taught in English by American, Canadian and Russian faculty members. A course in Russian language and engineering application is also offered.
“One of the best parts about the academic portion of the program was the small class sizes,” said Kamala Sharma from Burlington, who will be entering her third year of the five-year Civil Engineering and Society program at McMaster. “I had about 15 people in one class and five in the other. The relationship between professors and students was more like a friendship than a regular student-teacher relationship. To me, this personal way of teaching really made a big difference in how I performed in the classes.”
In addition to class work, extracurricular activities were planned for the students. This year, they visited the St. Petersburg State Mining Institute and traveled to Moscow to tour the city. Tickets were arranged for them to see a Russian opera, go to the circus, take in a folk show and go skating. The group also traveled to Cologne, Germany where they visited the University of Cologne and toured the construction site for a new television station.
“The visit to St. Petersburg was very advantageous since we had a chance to learn about the education system in Russia and see one of the largest geological museums,” said Chaya Samarakkody, who will be starting her fourth year in civil engineering. “In addition, the chance to see places like Red Square and the Kremlin in Moscow were great experiences.”
Several of the students took advantage of the MacAbroad program to offset some of the costs of participating in ESAP. MacAbroad, administered by the International Student Services Office, established the McMaster University Mobility Award (MUMA) to encourage students to take advantage of international study opportunities. The McMaster Engineering Society also provides support for ESAP participants.
