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Vladimir Sergunin from St Petersburg has the Russian President to thank for helping him to secure a place at Luton. He received an important accolade from him – the Russian Federation President’s Scholarship for studying abroad.
The 22-year-old won the award partly because of his academic achievements – he’s an A grade student – and also because of his high-profile involvement with local issues.
Vladimir was President of the Student Union at the State University of Engineering and Economics for three years, and for the last two years he was Vice President of the Student Council for the Government of Saint-Petersburg. He had also contributed more than 10 articles to national science journals.
Despite his busy lifestyle, Vladimir still found time to enjoy St Petersburg’s nightlife. He says you can party all night until breakfast in St Petersburg! “Luton has plenty of pubs and clubs but they close quite early. Maybe this is better for my studies,” he said.
Vladimir finds his subjects both interesting and challenging. He particularly enjoys the tranquillity of the grounds of the University’s Putteridge Bury campus, where he is based.
He said: “I love the grounds at Putteridge Bury and the building itself is really beautiful. I also enjoy studying at the Learning Resources Centre at Park Square. The whole environment is designed to help you get the most from your course.
“The town centre is compact, so you often get to see the same people every week. There are almost six million people living in St Petersburg, so it’s a big change for me. People are very friendly in Luton.”
Vladimir has also met a number of people from Baltic countries who are studying at Luton. This has made it easy for him to make friends. He added: “There are a lot of Russian speaking students in Luton, and that is part of the reason I chose to study here. A friend recommended the University to me, so I decided to try it for myself.
“I’m enjoying the experience so far and the staff are very helpful. The team at the International Office are very friendly and have helped me with a range of things including helping me to find suitable accommodation.”
Vladimir hopes to return to Russia after his Master’s degree to study a PhD. He would like to run his own small marketing or finance business, or work for an international company in Russia.
He is a keen sportsman and enjoys freestyle wrestling. He visits the gym regularly and has recently joined the Kick-boxing team at the Student Union.
International» Your country» Central Asia & Europe (Non-EU)» Russia» Student Profile: Vladimir Sergunin
