Testimonial Emma Caals & Sara De Bruyn

The minor on Borders, Europe and Russia (BEAR) was an incredibly enriching academic experience. Not only did we have the chance to gain insights into the Finnish academic world and society, we also spent an entire semester learning about the dynamics of EU-Russia relations from highly experienced professors and lecturers. The unique geographical location of The University of Eastern Finland (UEF) clearly enables them to develop significant expertise on Russia and the post-Soviet world, offering a highly versatile and in-depth programme. Thanks to the flexible structure of YUFE, there was a good balance between compulsory and elective courses – though it was hard to choose since everything looked so interesting! The programme also allowed us to delve deeper into topics that are only briefly touched upon in our master programme at UAntwerp due to time constraints, such as border dynamics, Russia and Europe, and the region that once formed the Soviet Union. It was the perfect “specialisation” within our broader international relations and diplomacy programme! Highly recommended.