My Study Abroad Placement: Nikolay Vorobyev

Considering doing a year abroad as part of your studies? We find out how one KBS International Business student is getting on during their study abroad placement so far. Read about their experience here.

My name is Nikolay Vorobyev. I’m originally from Russia, studying International Business with a Year Abroad at Kent Business School.

Studying at KBS

I chose Kent Business School because of the opportunities it offers, as well as the location of the university itself. Teaching at KBS is of a high standard and is both consistent and interesting. The best thing about KBS is the facilities it offers. The Sibson building is a very modern and cosy place and is equipped with the latest tech.

My year abroad

I chose to undertake my Year Abroad at Hong Kong SAR with City University of HK being my host university. I have been presented with the opportunity to choose all my modules and in addition to my business modules, I chose to study Mandarin. During my first semester at CityU, I have learnt a great deal about how people of Hong Kong do business, what they value, how to negotiate with them and also the chance to learn a new language. Support from Kent has been very good, especially because they were worried about the protests and my wellbeing during this experience.

Highlights

The highlights of my experience are travelling around Asia, which has definitely broadened my horizons and exploring Hong Kong as a megapolis.

Challenges

The biggest challenge so far has been social unrest in Hong Kong. Public transportation has been greatly affected. Some stations have been closing early and some were completely shut down because of the damage dealt by the protestors. So getting around HK has been a major issue so far. However, integrating into a new environment has been very easy for me, as most of the people from the exchange programme supported and helped each other along the way. CityU also organised an orienteering programme for the first week which also helped.

Expectations

On one hand, some of my expectations have been fulfilled because I got to experience the culture of HK but on the other hand I did not experience it to the full extent because half of the things I wanted to do were unavailable because of the protests that were happening each week. However, I now have a complete understanding of another city and culture. I understand their values and customs. It allows me to look at the world through a different lens.

Advice

Be open to experiencing something new. Most people chose to go to a different university in Europe, but I was led somewhere else, far away from Europe, to a totally different country and culture. Going out of your comfort zone can be beneficial for you.

Find out more about the University of Kent’s Study Abroad Placement scheme

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