Ural State University of Railway Transport
USURT

Личный кабинет студента
и преподавателя

 First step...

    University is a remarkable stage in your life, because it influences all your life, your career choice, it changes your attitude towards life, opens new opportunities, you find friends there and you suddenly realize that your future depends only on you. I'm sure, many people would argue with this point of view. What can I say? It's up to them! We are all different, we have different interests, possibilities, but we all want one and the same thing - to find our own way, to achieve our life goals.

    Now I'm a fourth-year student of the Electro-technical Department ("Technologies of Information Security") and I notice so many changes since the time I've entered the university. I entered in 2001 (the time runs so fast:). My specialization "Technologies of Information Security" is quite new. Last year there were first graduates of our university, and two years ago there were first graduates in Russia. So, it's very promising and modern.

    During the first year it's important to leave all your time for studies. This period is a corner stone, because you need to adapt to new conditions, and to forget about usual school system.

    To be the BEST

    Student life is like a wave, it takes you and drags you to the ocean of discoveries, to the continent of unknown and unexplored.

    My real student life began 2 years ago when I came to BEST (Board of European Students of Technology) after finishing English courses in our university. I've heard something about BEST, but I could hardly formulate and realize what it meant to be in BEST and to take part in its activities.

    I'd like to interpret this unusual name BEST, what it means. Many people who speak English will say, "BEST means best". Well, that's right, but in our case the name is an abbreviation of student organization. Board of European Students of Technology (BEST) is non-profit, non-political European organization of students of technology. It is founded by students and for students. BEST was founded in March 1989 in Berlin. The aim was to satisfy society's requirements for student communication, cooperation and exchange among European technical universities. Since that time BEST enlarged a number of projects as well as a number of participants.

    67 universities in 26 countries build a network of common projects, interests and just friendship. The official language of BEST is English.

    BEST is trying to help European students to become more open-minded, to know better European cultures and to improve their work based on the international principles. It'll be possible if students have an opportunity to meet and teach each other. In order to achieve this aim we organize different academic events, for example 7-14 days academic courses, international seminars, trainings, cultural exchange, local events and etc.

    The local BEST representative in Ekaterinburg is BEST-Ekaterinburg USURT, which was founded in our university 7 years ago.

    These are some facts about BEST. And I can see clearly now that it's my organization. Here are my university friends, my European friends, it's my free time, my projects that are realized with my friends' help, it's a part of my life, it's my treasure.

    But what made me join BEST two years ago? A possibility to travel, to know world better, to get additional education, to improve my English, to meet people from different countries and to have fun. These were my motives that time. Now I would triple them. So, it was the beginning.

     In summer 2003 I went to Riga for the first time. It was an academic course "Design and Fashion" and it engaged me in BEST life completely and finally. I've got a lot after the years of participation in BEST, and now you realize all advantages of this organization.

    First of all they are:

  • New friends
  • Traveling. A chance to visit many European countries
  • Perfection of English, because it's an official BEST language
  • Improvement of your own personal skills (communication skills, leadership, planning, etc.)
  • You can improve your skills in different fields of science

    During two years in BEST-Ekaterinburg USURT I (Alexander Venedictov) took part and visited:

  • Academic course "Design and Fashion" (Riga, Latvia) - 2003
  • BEST JAM (Poland) - 2003
  • Regional BEST meeting (Riga, Latvia) - 2004
  • International Educational Symposium. Topics covered - Bologna Process. Improving Engineers Education. Innovation in European Education (Tallinn, Estonia) - 2004
  • Training "PR and WEB Technologies" (Romania) - 2004
  • United States - Russia Volunteer Initiative 2004-2005. Probation period in Charlottesville, Virginia, the USA

    During two years in BEST group my brother Alexei Venedictov visited the following events:

  • Cultural Exchange 2003 between BEST - Ekaterinburg USURT and BEST - Copenhagen
  • Academic course 2004 "Computer Security" (Warsaw, Poland)
  • Academic course 2004 "The Importance of Information and Communication" (Scopje, Macedonia)
  • United States - Russia Volunteer Initiative 2004-2005. Probation period in Spoken, Washington DC, the USA
  • International trainings for representatives of non-profit organizations "Youth for Development" 2005 (Odessa, Ukraine)