Making the right choice about a foreign university is not easy at all. At Masaryk University, there is a group of of the elders – so called ambassadors – that can help you make up your mind. “A student-ambassador advises those who are only just considering to study at MU as well as those who have already started their studies; but from his or her – i.e. a student's – point of view. They are your student fellows who have recently been through the same life phase as you, so their viewpoint is pretty much alike,” describes its major asset Eliška Vinklerová from the Centre for International Cooperation of Masaryk University.
“Individual ambassadors are selected by the faculties, but they are all people who have applied themselves, which means they really want to help their junior colleagues,” she says and adds that the help is wide-ranging: from the initial stage when the applicant is still deciding about where to study, up to the situation when he or she already deals with practical issues connected with living in the Czech Republic and in Brno. “People often turn to them with questions concerning routine, day-to-day life; they wonder how hard the studies are, ask for specific tips related to the application procedure, etc.”
Irina Serdyukova is one of the ambassadors from the Faculty of Informatics; she studies a programme focused on innovations and services. “The ambassador's job consist mainly in replying to e-mails. I get queries from those who are about to study at the Faculty of Informatics or are already enrolled, but also from many people from Russia and surrounding countries, because they deal with the same problems as I did and as a Russian by birth I am closest to them,” says Irina who also gives advice about visa issues. And she is happy about it. I was in a similar situation myself, so it's nice to be able to help others.”