I'm Santeri Leinonen, a master's student in international politics at Tampere University, originally from Hyvinkää. I completed my bachelor's degree at the University of Helsinki, majoring in Russian language and literature, and I still dream of completing my master's degree in that field as well.
I was already quite familiar with ExpREES through my Russian language and literature studies at the University of Helsinki. Many of my friends had attended courses at the Aleksanteri Institute or participated in the programme. My student organization also had a lot of collaboration with ExpREES students, so the threshold for applying to the expert studies was low. Also, during the summer school, it was great to see that ExpREES is so much more than just about Russia. I would encourage anyone to apply, even from diverse backgrounds, even if they are not yet very familiar with the topics covered in the programme.
The best part for me has been getting to know a bunch of wonderful people who share the same interests and with whom I can have long discussions about Hungary, Central Asia, or the latest developments in Finland’s neighbouring regions. Some of these friendships have extended beyond the courses, and we keep in touch regularly. It has also been great to connect with professors and receive career advice from them. ExpREES offers small group sizes, allowing for more personal interaction with all the lecturers. Aside from networking, the greatest asset of the programme for me has been the opportunities to explore the regions of the Western Balkans and Central Asia.
Due to my academic background, Russia was already familiar to me, so I have intentionally directed my specialization toward other regions in courses specializing to them. ExpREES has provided a unique way to gain in-depth country-specific knowledge on these areas, which are hardly covered in any other university courses.
My master’s thesis focuses on "Chinese Russia Studies," aiming to map potential Chinese source materials for Western Russia research and explore artificial intelligence as a tool for qualitative analysis.
I’ve been busy with some other commitments lately, so I have only been able to attend a few ExpREES seminars so far, but the discussions have been very valuable and provided useful perspectives supporting the work on my thesis. ExpREES seminars also offer a great opportunity to learn from other participants' work, reading and discussing their papers.
There are many variables in my life, but I believe I will be working in roles where I can utilize my command of Russian language. I also dream of starting PhD studies next fall, most likely on a topic related to Russian foreign policy.
Go for it! It’s a unique opportunity that you won’t get later in life. And if it turns out not to be your thing, the study module is optional and makes it easy to step away. There’s no reason not to give it a try!
ExpREES is a master's-level study program coordinated by the Aleksanteri Institute at the University of Helsinki. The ExpREES specialist studies are designed to strengthen multidisciplinary expertise and knowledge related to Russia, Eurasia, and Eastern Europe.
As a ExpREES student, you will receive support for your master's thesis process through in-person or online ExpREES thesis seminars and have a choice of courses from the ExpREES network of universities. The unique nationwide university network enables a diverse selection of courses, with more than 60 courses from various disciplines available each year. Additionally, you have the opportunity to take part in a field trip abroad.