Alex Fedosseyev from Kazakhstan has arrived in Latvia for continuing education in history. For that, he has chosen Daugavpils University master programme of Arts in History. He has received Latvian state scholarship for study period 2018 – 2020.
After finishing my undergraduate studies in Kazakhstan, I have decided to proceed my continuing education in history. Since in Kazakhstan historical science is practically dead, I looked for the mixture of the Soviet fundamental and narrowly specialized “western” education. Of course, I had my eye on the countries of the Baltic region, but this was not the only reason. As an exchange student in Lithuania, I already had the opportunity to get acquainted with the Baltic states and the state of historical education in it, which also predetermined my choice. Later, I came across a Latvian State Scholarship on the Internet and immediately began to collect the necessary list of documents, because it was my chance to get a high-quality master's degree in history.
Quite a lot of time it took me to get used to Latvia. It concerned all the aspects of life - from the humidity level to the national cuisine, from signboards in a foreign language to architecture. At first it was surprising to me that the classes were in the nature of conversation and exchange of opinions. The most obvious difference between studying in Latvia and Kazakhstan is the incredible responsiveness of Latvian teachers with which you can easily contact them about learning issues. With great enthusiasm, teachers are always ready to help you, explain and set the right direction. What comes to mind next is that it is absolutely normal to have a debate with them while traditionalism is still alive in my country, which implies the untouchable rightness of the elder (in this case, the teacher). However, I would like to note that some local students sometimes do not see the boundaries in the relationship and allow themselves excessive familiarity, in my opinion. Also, in Kazakhstan, it is secretly considered obligatory to lay a table for teachers on holidays or before exams and graduation. Sometimes your assessment depends on this. In Daugavpils University your zeal and result is appreciated exclusively.
The Department of History of the Daugavpils University, to which I had the good fortune to enroll, provides all the conditions for a comfortable and productive process of work and study. All teachers are specialists in their field with a capital S, giants of thought, and great people. Perhaps, I can’t emphasize any particular day during my studies in Latvia: every day I spent at the university brought me genuine pleasure, especially considering my severe depression due to the lack of sun and edible fruits and nuts. We can say that I was “warmed up” with the knowledge and was saturated with the necessary “vitamins” at the department during classes.
I say “No doubts, You have to try to get it” to all those who are still thinking about the possibility to use the Latvian state scholarship. For all those who need financial support to get a high-quality education, this will be incredibly useful help.
More about Latvian state scholarships here.