Grenoble

In France, in Grenoble, I studied for a year - it was in 2002. Grenoble is a small city, the population of the municipality itself (administrative center) is only 160 thousand people, but with adjacent communes it is 450 thousand people, or one of the 10 largest French agglomerations. In addition, Grenoble is the largest of the Alpine agglomerations (larger than Innsbruck in Austria), which is why it is called the "capital of the Alps". Grenoble is a university city. When I studied there, there were three universities, but now universities in France are being consolidated: as a result, all three universities have now been merged into one, which has 45,000 students.

Before I ended up in Grenoble, I already knew this region and this city. It so happened that I started studying French at the age of seven. My mother was a French teacher in Russian University friendship of peoples, and I studied at a special school named after. Polenov on the Arbat. And in the 90s, our family was not only engaged in business, but rather had a small part-time job: we accepted French people into the family, they lived with us. Then the well-known French travel agency Nouvelles frontières offered French people who want to travel to Russia two options: either you go to a hotel and they take you in herds along Red Square, or they are looking for a family for you. The search for families was carried out with the help of certain mechanisms. For example, through the Society of Friends of France. And since my whole family is Francophone: dad, mom, sister - everyone spoke French, and we lived on the Arbat (opposite the Spaso House - the residence of the American ambassador), naturally, we received the French almost every week. They lived with us for three or four days, then were replaced by others. We had to feed them, it was not necessary to entertain them, but we tried our best. And I, including: I led excursions around the city, along the Moscow metro, around Moscow. In this way, I pulled up the French language very well, because grammar is taught well in a special school, but still, oral communication with native speakers is completely different. It so happened that among these French there were people from Grenoble, we became friends with them, and they invited me to visit them. Mom and dad agreed, understanding my interest in France and the French language. So I first visited Grenoble.

Then, when I was already studying at Moscow University, I once again went to visit friends in Grenoble. I liked it there, and to a greater extent I liked not Grenoble itself, but the city, which is located in the mountains, 40 kilometers from it. It so happened that I had a lot of friends: both in Grenoble itself and in the mountains. Therefore, when I graduated from Moscow University in 2000 and received a two-month internship in Paris, I thought it would be right to study in French along with Russian postgraduate studies. And I applied to two places: to Paris and to Grenoble. But Grenoble seemed preferable to me, because, firstly, the Grenoble communication school based on the GRESEC laboratory (University named after Stendhal "Grenoble-3") turned out to be even more famous than some Parisian ones. The Parisian CELSA seemed too industrial to me, and the Grenoble one seemed more academic, which was closer to me. Foucault, Bourdieu and many others are read there, and this seemed terribly interesting to me after the Moscow Faculty of Journalism, where modern humanitarian theory was not taught at such a high level. And I got there, and the first time. But I had to wait a year, because during the year the embassy did not issue scholarships - there was some kind of technical failure. A year later, I got myself a scholarship from the French government and went to Grenoble to study at the magistracy. By the time I left for Grenoble, I had already defended my Ph.D. thesis in journalism. I left Moscow a week after the defense. Since I had already been admitted to the university in Grenoble, I needed to finish my dissertation quickly, and I did it in two years. There was also a choice in Grenoble: there are one-year and two-year master's programs. It was a one-year program, and based on the results of the training, it was possible to enter graduate school, which I did after graduation. I had the second result on the course, and therefore I could probably apply for a temporary position at the university in order to write a dissertation. But I understood that it would be difficult for people who do not come from the European Union. The likelihood of getting a position because of my citizenship was not very high, even though I had such a high result. And so I returned.

Now about Grenoble. There, education was not built at all in the way I was used to at the Faculty of Journalism. The fundamental difference was that there were very few classes: we only went to the university a couple of times a week. But there were a lot research work either individual or group. We created mini-teams to develop specific topics, and then we worked together on them. For example, my colleague and I created a mini-team and dealt with mobile telephony as an industry. We spent a big scientific work, which included interviews and all sorts of other methods. For it, we received the best mark on the course - 19 points out of 20 possible. This is a very high score, the French never or almost never give such marks. In general, creating mini-groups with specific research tasks was a new experience for me. We had two or three projects of this kind that we did in these mini-groups. And the second, which is very clearly remembered. We had a teleconference workshop with two other universities led by my supervisor Bernard Miège. One of these universities was in Montreal, the other in Paris. We did joint projects with their students. Paris - Grenoble - Montreal - that's how we worked. At each regular seminar, a colleague from some university made a theoretical report, then we all discussed it, followed by questions from each of the parties - and all this in the format of a video conference. And sometimes students prepared joint reports: for example, Grenoble prepared a report with Paris, Paris with Montreal, and so on. There was nothing like this in Russia, and even now you rarely see such things in Russia. The benefit of such work also consisted in “cross-pollination”: to put it simply, the professor from Grenoble knew one topic better, the professor from Paris - another, from Montreal - the third, and this is how they were docked. It was such an interesting thing that, in principle, distinguished education in Grenoble from education in Moscow. Colleagues from these three universities were engaged in a common theme: the mediatization of education. By the way, the defense of my dissertation in Grenoble then took place in the form of a video conference, because one of the opponents was from Montreal. And in order not to take a person from Montreal to Grenoble, he was connected to a video conference. And it was not Skype as a technology, because Skype goes over Internet channels, and then it was much slower and less reliable. Videoconferences went on ISDN-channels. This is a different technology: the camera is placed on the TV and controlled by a separate remote control. This gives a higher resolution and, accordingly, quality. At the same time, the signal transmission speed is much higher than when using Skype. Now for the content points. The French approach is generally very peculiar. The American approach is either very empirical, or based on classical sociology, the Michigan School, and so on.

And the French and, to some extent, the Germans - this is what we call the critical approach. They come more from Bourdieu, they have leftist ideas, they have Foucault, they have many references to the work of colleagues, which we very often do not even attribute to sociology, or they simultaneously fall into the field of several sciences (for example, philosophy, sociology and political science). In general, a significant part of French communicativists profess such a critical approach. Many unique ideas and approaches were born from this, including the sociology of the use of media technologies. They are only French, there are no analogues to them in their pure form or almost none in other schools. So I was very interested. The study of the theory and practices of media communication in the form in which it existed in French universities greatly expanded the understanding of what we here in Russia called journalism or the media. In France, media studies were carried out in a broad interdisciplinary context and included a strong theoretical component that provided a conceptualization of all the knowledge about communication that had accumulated by that time. There, the sciences of communication emerged as a separate field around the 1970s. They constituted the so-called 71st section of the French universities.

France is one of the countries where the academy has lost the battle with officials.

What else was there that we didn't have? French universities have created a single professional council at the ministerial level. He approves the candidates of people who apply for a particular position in the university system. It includes representatives from all universities. The system is, of course, very bureaucratic. France is one of the countries where the academy has lost the battle with officials. It's set up like this. If you want to apply for a position at a French university, you must first qualify. That is, someone has to say that you are a qualified person. Therefore, French universities do not post information about their vacancies in the media, but on a special platform of the Ministry of Education and Science. And the Ministry of Education and Science conducts a qualification campaign once a year. The campaign goes like this. You are given a number, you must electronically send your dossier to two so-called speakers independent of you, which will be considered at a general session, usually held in January. It includes representatives of all major French universities, specialists in this particular field, and the French have about a hundred such fields. One can imagine the number of professional colleges that gather there. They consider these dossiers on formal grounds, put a tick, and then publish a list of those who have passed the qualification. If you have qualified, you are in this system, you can then submit your candidacy to different universities for positions that are announced as vacant. Naturally, under such a system it is difficult to invite foreign professors. The French almost do not invite them, the intensity of scientific exchange is reduced. By the way, one of the reasons why the French did very well is that only those who are well versed in this French model of education are taken to graduate school. If you have completed a French doctorate, you will easily master this thing, pass the qualification and be able to apply for a position at the university. And foreigners who sit on posts in French universities most often graduated from French doctoral studies - that's why they are familiar with this system. Or the second option: most often in France, foreign professors work in Sciences Po (institutes of political sciences, where future politicians often come from). Why? And Sciences Po is not included in the structure of universities. During my studies, as already noted, there were three universities in Grenoble. The first is the Joseph Fourier University, purely mathematical and natural sciences. It is located in the central square, directly opposite the prefecture. Another university is called the University. Pierre Mendes-France "Grenoble-2". It is a university that focuses mainly on the social sciences. And the third, the smallest, where I just studied, is called the University. Stendhal "Grenoble-3". This university numbering is a legacy of 1968. They took the big French universities, cut them into pieces, and each piece received its own specialization and number. Grenoble is known as science Center, this is one of the French cities where there is a hadron collider. A large number of scientists came there: physicists, naturalists and sociologists.

My university had not only a number, but also a name: the University. Stendhal "Grenoble-3". This university mainly specializes in communication sciences and philology. Studied there, in my opinion, 10 or 15 thousand students. Both "Stendal" and the second university of Grenoble were located on the same campus. This campus houses all the premises of the university, a large fundamental library shared by the two universities, plus all administrative services. I didn't study on campus, I lived on campus. I had a hostel, and it has a separate room with all amenities. But I studied in the new suburb of Grenoble, because there was the Institute of Communications and Media. It was a new building built around 1994. It received a special status and was separated from the main campus. It has a very specific architecture: glass and metal structures, many galleries inside, a courtyard - in general, it differs from classical university buildings. Why was it moved off campus? I have my suspicions about this. During the period when it was being built, the rector of this university was my supervisor Bernard Miege, who headed the laboratory that dealt with media and communications. And, apparently, a separate project was invented for the institute. In my opinion, there was also money from the local municipality invested in it, and this building was built in the center of the suburbs, opposite the city hall.

The laboratory in which I studied is one of the most famous in France. It so happened that, in fact, it was from Grenoble that the separation into an independent scientific field of the science of communication began. Even before it was singled out as a separate specialty, work in this area began in Grenoble. It was started by economists and sociologists, who began to study communicative phenomena and gradually brought it to the interuniversity level in order to create a separate direction in research. Therefore, Stendhal University is quite famous in this field. For a long time this laboratory was headed by my scientific director Bernard Miege, he is known by many specialists in the field of communication, he is also familiar with our Moscow colleagues. Unlike many French scientists, he was a member of international networks. But I can’t say with certainty that the University of Stendal “Grenoble-3” was known for something else besides communications - I can’t judge subject areas that lie outside my interests.

After graduating from a master's program in Grenoble, I entered a doctoral program, began to write a paper, and in four years I completed it. In the same place, in Grenoble, with the same leader. Once, in a conversation with me, he made it clear that he was interested in what I was doing. And he added that it would be great if I continued to work on my topic in doctoral studies. I did so. In general, I enrolled in doctoral studies in 2003 - defended in 2007. Remote work did not create any inconvenience. In France, in doctoral studies there are no classes as such: you just write a paper - and that's it. And this can be done anywhere, the main thing is to periodically show the text to the supervisor. Of course, I regularly went there, showed the work, we discussed something with him. Or I invited him to Moscow, if such an opportunity arose. And in 2013, I taught for three months in Grenoble, that is, ten years later, I returned there for a relatively long time. This time I was invited to Grenoble as a visiting professor at the UNESCO chair at the Institute of Communications and Media.

The X Winter Olympic Games were held in Grenoble in 1968. This, of course, affected the city itself. Part of the infrastructure was built for the Olympics, there are even houses there that are called "Olympic" because they were built for the Olympics.

Now about the city itself. Grenoble is a city that was the capital of the province of Dauphine. It bordered on French-speaking Italy, and the border was in the mountains above Grenoble. Literally like in the famous movie "The law is the law." It seems that this state was called Piedmont. In this state, they spoke a language that the French call Franco-Italian or Franco-Provençal. This language is borderline between French and Italian. Today, Franco-Provençal is only spoken in the Val d'Aosta in Italy. The capital of the next region, Savoy, which is located a little to the north, also belonged to Piedmont. The city of Chambery and everything to the right towards Turin belonged to this state. If you come to Turin, then it is somewhat reminiscent of Grenoble. Therefore, Grenoble has this charm that makes it different from other cities in France. This is a multi-colored city, there are even multi-colored houses. This greatly distinguishes it from Paris or even from Lyon - imperial cities.

Of course, Grenoble is very beautiful with its landscapes, because it is surrounded by three mountain ranges. One massif is called Beldon, the other Vercors: it is a plateau about a thousand meters high. You can climb this picturesque plateau and walk there. There cows graze in the meadows. By the way, in this place there were most partisans from the French resistance movement during the Second World War. There is even a museum dedicated to the history of the Resistance. And the third massif surrounding Grenoble is Chartreuse. Thus, the city is located in a basin, so there is a special microclimate. Grenoble is both the coldest city in France and its hottest city: it is hotter in summer than anywhere else, and colder in winter.

Now about the sights of Grenoble. Grenoble has an excellent museum of fine arts. It is new, it was built relatively recently, maybe in the 80-90s, but very good paintings by Italian masters are collected there. The city center is quite beautiful. There is an episcopal curia and a museum attached to it in the premises of the old episcopal palace, where the ruins of an ancient Roman city were found underground, which was located on this territory. The excavation was placed under glass, and now, walking along the street above it, you can admire the medieval architecture and frescoes of the old episcopal palace, and going downstairs - the ruins of the ancient Roman city. It turns out that the cultural layers of the city seem to open up to the viewer one after another. This is the concept of the new museum. The space of the city began to "cultivate" relatively recently - in the 80s or 90s of the last century. The city began to grow too not so long ago. In fact, the Grenoble agglomeration began to expand just at the time when I was studying in Grenoble. Then there were only two tram lines in the city, and now there are five. This is the main transport in the city - it is also very small. This is generally very typical for France, when in small towns the main transport is the tram. By the way, in Paris, the tram was launched quite recently, literally in the last decade. In other large cities (Toulouse, Nantes, even Bordeaux), trams have been around for a long time.

The development of Grenoble is largely due to the growth of universities in the city. Although they arose quite a long time ago, they began to grow, as far as I understand, after the X Winter Olympic Games, which were held in the city in 1968. This, of course, affected the city itself. Part of the infrastructure was built for the Olympics, there are even houses there that are called "Olympic" because they were built for the Olympics. Plus, a ski station called Chamrousse was built in Grenoble. It is 40 minutes from Grenoble by bus. This is the Olympic track, which later became a popular ski station. It is not as famous as the Three Valleys and other French resorts, but quite good. It is cheap, and therefore there are a lot of young people there. Unlike large ski resorts, where skiing is connected with the city or located inside the city, there is just a ski station built only for sports skiing. Students love it very much, I rode there almost every weekend. There is a very developed and convenient service associated with the ski station. When you come to the city bus station, you can buy a subscription for the day, which includes both skiing and travel to the ski station and back by bus. During the day you can ride there, and even ride a little.

Well, what else is there in Grenoble? There is a Bastille in Grenoble. In fact, these are the remains of a city fortress, which is located on a mountain. There are two ways to get up there. The first way, it is also called "eggs", is a funicular. It consists of three round cabins that go three - there, three - back directly from the center, from the river. There are two rivers in Grenoble, the Ysere and the Drach. The department centered on Grenoble is called Isère. Isère originates somewhere near the Italian border, in Haute-Savoie, in Grenoble it already becomes a full-flowing large river and flows further into the Rhone. If you don't feel like going up to the Bastille by funicular, you can go on foot. There is a park with winding paths along which people run very often.

It's not big enough to have a lot of museums. In addition to the art gallery, there are, of course, some new museums. For example, the museum of slot machines. There is an interesting local history museum of the Dauphine region, where you can come and see cool installations: houses of Alpine peasants the size of a matchbox, with all household utensils.

Sometimes it snows in Grenoble. In winter, when it is cold, it falls for a couple of days. And since the city is in a hollow, the snow does not immediately melt. Somewhere from November-December, the mountains around Grenoble are completely covered with snow, and it is very beautiful. And in the city itself at this time it can be about 0 or -2. But the history of Grenoble is not so rich that it is somehow very different from many other small cities in France. And its development was still going on mainly in the second half of the 20th century. The most remarkable thing about the city is not so much architecture or museums as views and landscapes. Grenoble and the valley in its immediate vicinity is the capital of walnuts. This is the largest French region where walnuts are grown. Moreover, Grenoble is known for the fact that they make wine there. This is purely Grenoble chip.

Grenoble is also interesting in that it is perfectly located: it is two hours from Geneva, one hour from Lyon and half an hour from Chambery. Proximity to Lyon - only 120 kilometers, an hour by train - Grenoble is especially convenient. There are people who work in Lyon but live in Grenoble. But there are a couple of interesting places that are in the immediate vicinity of Grenoble. One such place is a monastery called Chartreuse. This is a monastery founded by Saint Bruno of Cologne in the 11th century. It is located in the mountains. There is a museum there that you can visit. The main thing is that the monks of this monastery keep a recipe for a special alcohol tincture called Chartreuse. In the Grenoble region, this is a brand, there is even a separate shop for tasting and tours of the workshop where this liqueur is sold. There are two types of chartreuse. Chartreuse is a light consistency that can be added to tea. I understand that he insists on herbs, because he has a green color. And there is a highly concentrated chartreuse - 80-degree, which is sold specifically in small vials for medicinal purposes only. It is dripped onto a sugar cube and swallowed. I tried it really helps.

All the years after graduating from the magistracy, I regularly came to Grenoble. In fact, it became my second home, I always returned there and return. If I show up anywhere in the area of ​​Lyon, Geneva, and so on, I can't help but drop by.

I am a second-year master student at the University of Grenoble-Alpes, at the faculty foreign languages in the direction of "Russian studies". My French story began back in 2014, when I was a second-year student at PSNIU at the faculty of SIAL (linguist-translator of English). I started learning French in my first year, and before that I had no idea about it at all. In the spring of 2014, our faculty offered to go on a language internship in Grenoble to learn French. It was possible to choose the duration of the courses, and I decided to go for two weeks and combine my studies with little trip in Europe.

Already in the third year of social network of our faculty wrote that a group is being recruited for included education again in Grenoble. Since I was already there, I imagined how everything goes and how much it costs, I applied. It was necessary to pass a language proficiency test, have good academic performance and no academic debts, and write a motivation letter. So I ended up in Grenoble for the second time at the same university for a semester. We studied on an exchange basis, attended the equivalents of our Perm disciplines.

After graduating from the Perm University, I realized that I wanted to continue my studies in the magistracy. Since I wanted to have a European diploma, and I had the experience of studying in France, I decided to enter the master's program there. So I ended up in Grenoble for the third time.

The building is named after the French writer Stendhal, who was born in Grenoble. Photo: Veronika Araslanova

How much does it cost to live and study in France

In fact, France is much closer than we think, and living in France is not as expensive as it seems. There are many advantages here, for example, free education. Of the European countries, France is the most democratic in this regard. Of course, education is conditionally free, because you still need to pay a fee, insurance, but this comes out to a penny sum for Europe. For this year of study, I paid about 500 euros, of which 217 euros -   medical insurance, 183 euros -   cost master's program, 16 euros -  fees to the Foundation for Solidarity and the Development of Student Initiatives, 34 euros -  for the use of the library, 23 euros -  fee for processing documents and 5.1 euros  -  medical prevention. You can’t live without insurance, you simply won’t be accepted to the university. In addition, an unexpected appendicitis without insurance can result in thousands of euros. There are also additional insurances. For example, there is a so-called civil liability insurance that will cover the costs if, for example, you break a window at a university, or while skiing in the mountains, you collide with a skier and cause injury to him. If you don't have this insurance  -   all the costs are on you, and in a potential case with a skier, you may also need to call a helicopter, which can completely deprive you of your livelihood.

Account for the year of study at the university Photo: Veronika Araslanova

Life in Grenoble is, of course, different from life in Paris. In the regions you can rent relatively cheap housing. For example, we lived in a hostel for 150 euros a month  -   these are just fabulous prices. In Paris, prices for a room can reach up to a thousand euros per month. Even in the cheapest French dormitories, a person always lives in a room alone, there is no such thing as several students sharing a room. Of course, a shared shower is not the most pleasant, but, compared to Russian hostels, everything is not bad there.

As for food, I was recently in Russia, I saw the prices for food and was shocked. It seems to me that even a year ago there were no such prices. It is believed that France is one of the most expensive countries in Europe, it really is. But now in Russia and in France the prices for basic products are almost the same, although in Russia there is a completely different standard of living and other salaries. This, of course, does not apply to delicacies, but for example, mozzarella, ricotta, mascarpone in France are much cheaper. These cheeses can be bought here for one euro, you will not find such prices anywhere in Russia for a quality product. When my parents and I were counting the expenses, we realized that in France I spend not much more than I would spend in Russia, the prices do not differ dramatically.

This breakfast costs about four euros. Photo: Veronika Araslanova

About the French education system

Here, from the school level, everything is different. First, school starts at age three. It is not mandatory, but personally I do not know people who would refuse this step. From the age of three to seven, children attend a "mother's school" (école maternelle). The French educational system is divided into four levels: primary (5 years), secondary (4 years of college), high school (3 years of lyceum) and university (high school). Moreover, these are all completely different schools, they can be located in different buildings, districts and even cities. Many schools shuffle classes after each year. Previously, this was a controversial moment for me, but now I understand that for children this is probably better than studying for 11 years in one team. Since the students are constantly mixed up, there is no such tribalism as in Russian schools. This helps a lot for newcomers, because there are no established companies here, everyone just got to know each other, and next year the team will change again. At the same time, there is no close relationship between people, as we have a “friend for life”.

There is one more feature -  here children are not forced to learn what they do not like. As part of my thesis, I conducted interviews with Russian emigrants. One of them told me that her daughter is finishing school, and teachers just convince them: if you don’t like physics, then you don’t need to study it, then you are talented in something else. They even write letters to parents asking them not to scold their children for bad grades. On the one hand, this is good, because a person chooses his profession with his soul, but on the other hand, with this approach, he does not receive basic knowledge and cuts off other opportunities for himself.

Photo: Veronika Araslanova

At the university level, too, things are different. Unlike in Russia, higher education here is not for everyone. People do not have such a goal and need, many do not even think about it. Here people choose not the level of education, but the profession. For example, I know those who graduated from professional colleges and live and work very well. Higher education is received by those who want to work as engineers or teachers, for example. But receive a high degree education is not very profitable, because then you can simply not find a job. If I go to the store with a master's degree to get a job as a cashier, they will most likely refuse me. They will say: Madam, you are too qualified for our position, we need people with a more suitable level of education.

In France there are universities and high schools, they are not the same thing. University is a free education, it is not prestigious. This is for everyone who wanted and could. Higher schools are elitist education. It is difficult to get into higher schools, the competition is huge and education there reaches 30 thousand euros per year and more. These are unbearable amounts for ordinary citizens, not everyone can afford such an education. Of course, after high school, work and salary are on a completely different level. In Russia, there are ideas that the Sorbonne is “wow”. But in fact, the Sorbonne is a public university that anyone can enter if they have the required level of French and a sufficient level of education. Perhaps the selection is a little stricter there, but this is an ordinary university, not an elite one. educational institution.

Photo: Veronika Araslanova

About studying at the University of Grenoble-Alpes

My specialty is Russian studies, in every subject we draw a parallel between Russia and France. The whole educational process is divided into three parts: general subjects, specific (for example, translation) and optional (these are additional disciplines that have nothing to do with my specialty). Common subjects are taught by the French, they are read in streams. The teacher either sets checkpoints or simply administers the final exam. Checkpoints I have never had one yet. Usually the teacher gives lectures during the semester. By the way, the semester lasts 12 weeks, there are holidays in October and April, and at the end of May we take exams.

In the exam, students are given a specific topic on which they need to write an essay. Be sure to write your opinion, here they love it very much. Usually exams are in written form, I had only one exam with an oral part. There are few couples in the magistracy, because it is designed for people who are already working. We study geopolitics, translation, literature, history, economics. There is no strict control here, they ask a little, and no one will ask you why you didn’t do something. Bachelor's degree lasts three years, and bachelors have a lot of couples, you need to spend the whole day studying. Lots of homework.

Lecture hall Photo: Veronika Araslanova

In general, France is distinguished by scribbling at all levels. They say that Russia is a bureaucratic country. But in France there are always problems with papers, documents are regularly lost, and you have to send them ten times. This is a normal practice, no one freaks out because of this. Such specifics are French, they have a special relationship with documents.

If we compare my studies in Perm and Grenoble, then the volume of work and the quality of exams are not comparable. Teachers at Perm State National Research University simply lived by this: every time they gave a lesson, they seemed to try to give a part of themselves, their experience, they cared. We were taught translation as a fine art, instilled the feeling that translation is like writing a new book, and you need to be very careful, every word must be verified. We tried to translate texts of any level, arguing about every word. And here the translation  -   is word for word. If it is written like this, it means that we are translating into Russian with exactly the same words. When I saw this, I just had a shock, because I was trying to interpret the texts, and not translate with equivalents. And I got low grades. I then gave it up, began to work for evaluation, and not for translation. In Perm, we could arrange discussions, but here the teacher can say categorically: no, this is not so. Our teachers at SIYAL lived by this, but here many simply take these hours away.

Photo: Veronika Araslanova

I have never heard of any extracurricular activities at our university. There are no student springs here, but sports are very developed. It is included in elective subjects -  these are subjects that are not related to your specialty, but that interest you. You can practice fencing, swimming, Nordic walking, dancing, yoga, stretching, go to the gym. All this is free, for this they put an assessment in the diploma. There are different levels: for beginners, for continuing, for professionals. There are no university competitions between different faculties here. As for artistic activity, there are circles within the disciplines. For example, we have a Russian theatre, they put on plays, sing folk songs, and they also get grades for that.

If you want to do something outside the university, you need to join an association of interests, there are a lot of them here. In France, you can't just pick up mushrooms, you have to join an association of those who pick mushrooms, or create one. I'm not joking, there really is such an association. To play tennis, you must be a member of a tennis association. You pay a small membership fee and play tennis for free for a whole year. This is such a life. An association can be opened in one day, you just come to the city hall, submit your plans and register it. The mayor's office allocates free space, so creating associations is beneficial, it makes life easier.

Photo: Veronika Araslanova

About the attitude towards Russians

Here you will not surprise anyone with foreign students. At the university, I never met hostility on ethnic grounds. I know that many people study Russian, the groups are full, it is interesting for young people. When students find out that I am Russian, they try to say something in Russian. But I know that things are different in France. Russian emigrants said that in the nineties and the beginning of the 2000s in France there was a fear of “Russian wives”.
It was believed that Russian women come to France to "smart" men and take their money. Some emigrants said that sometimes the French hear a Russian accent and ask again many times, as if not understanding. This is how they show their attitude. I do not know what it is connected with, I have not had such cases. In general, it seems to me that Russian students are treated much better than Russian students of a different age and social status.

Literary Cafe Photo: Veronika Araslanova

Pros of living in France

1. Product variety. Now I am very well versed in French cheeses, I can distinguish them by smell. Parmesan used to be something special to me, but in France I just sprinkle it on pasta. This is a part of life that no longer evokes any special emotions. Products are available and varied.
2. Comfort of everyday life. For example, you can solve some questions by mail, you will most likely be answered by e-mail. No need to call and go somewhere. The post office works very quickly here, letters are delivered from one city to another in a maximum of three days. It impresses me a lot.
3. Nature. The place where I now live is the French Alps. Huge mountains, beautiful scenery.
   When you study history in Russia, and when you are told about Ancient Rome, it seems that it is very far away. When you come here and go to the south of France, Ancient Rome is here. You see it, you feel it, you feel this story, you breathe it.
4. Politeness. Wherever you go, you will be greeted with a smile, shake hands and wish have a good day. This approach is especially valuable in medical institutions. I like that the doctor can contact you by phone or email, discuss some problem, showing that he cares.

Photo: Veronika Araslanova

Cons of living in France

1. The biggest shock awaited me when I arrived at the magistracy. I always thought that Europe is cutting-edge technology. But upon arrival, I found that the Internet is still here through a landline phone! Cable Internet is just now developing, and when I arrived, only one out of four companies in my area provided it! I love telling the French that my grandmother lives in a remote Russian village, but even she has cable internet and Wi-Fi.
2. Banking system. Another minus that I could not get used to for a long time. There is no such thing here that you transferred money to the card, and they immediately came. Translation usually takes about three days, and even more on weekends. It is not very comfortable to live when you never know how much money you have on the card.
3. There are also things that shocked me a little less, but which are difficult to put up with - - these are manifestations, security and hypocrisy. Manifestations can happen for any reason and throw a cat down your whole day. For example, because the transport just stopped walking. As for safety, I can say that I felt safer walking even in the darkest nooks and crannies of my native Ordzhonikidzevsky district. Well, hypocrisy is very striking after honest Russian residents who will not fail to express their feelings towards you. And here at all levels curtsy.

Advantages of studying in France

1. Freedom of choice. You can always agree with the teachers to change the program. As such, there is no program written by the government. Maybe it exists, of course, but we obviously neglect it. You can ask the teacher to teach a lesson on a specific topic. For example, the entire first semester was devoted to the 1917 revolution, which was clearly not included in any program.

library building Photo: Veronika Araslanova

Cons of studying in France

1. Low quality of education. We [at PSNIU] still have a slightly different level. Everything here rests on the desire of the students themselves. In Russia, whether you like it or not, you still learn at least something. The quality of education, of course, is not comparable. In PSNIU teachers themselves are interested in the subject, but in Grenoble this is not always the case. It seems to me that sometimes teachers here are engaged in teaching only because they need it, for example, for doctoral studies.
2. At PSNIU, our faculty and, in particular, the Department of Linguistics and Translation by all possible ways helped us improve our language skills by offering various internships. We could go to the French universities of Grenoble and Pau, and even to the prestigious school of translators in Paris, every year students go to China. Here I do not observe such practice. If you want to go somewhere - find, negotiate, go, but don't expect help from the university.

Grenoble is a vibrant city with a history of innovation and entrepreneurship. Today, many global companies have settled here in order to implement research and innovation projects, including such companies as: Airstar, STMicroelectronics, Schneider Electric, EDF, HPE-HP INC, Caterpillar, BD, Atos-Bull, GE Renewable Energy, Capgemini / Sogeti, Air Liquide, Soitec, ARaymond, Calor, Trixell, Teisseire, Petzl, Rossignol, Vicat, Radiall, etc. In such conditions, the University of Grenoble Alpes (Université Grenoble Alpes, hereinafter - UGA) is a university of innovation. It is one of the leading French scientific venues and is currently being developed into an "integrated university" bringing together all the participants in higher education and research in and around Grenoble. CAA benefits from the location of large European instruments in Grenoble and proximity to CERN (CERN - European Organization for Nuclear Research). It is at the heart of the development of the Grenoble Alps metropolis and its dynamic ecosystem based on the close interaction between higher education, research and socio-economic structure. Grenoble is the 5th most innovative city in the world (Forbes, 2013), the second most innovative city in Europe (iCapitale, 2014), the first city in France in terms of R&D jobs, with 7.1% of the population. in R&D and 20% in Higher Education, Research and Development (AEPI), with more than 300 StartUps involved in public science projects and 7.7 patents per 10,000 inhabitants (the most high rate in France, AEPI). Surrounded by mountains, its campuses provide a decent quality of life and leading jobs. With over 9,000 international students and annual visits by over 8,000 researchers from around the world, UGA is undeniably international. UGA enjoys international renown in many scientific fields, as evidenced by international rankings, the number of highly cited scientists and European Research Council winners. The award of the IDEX (Initiative of Excellence) label to the University of Grenoble Alpes in 2016, as part of its investment for the future programs, positions UGA in the top ten (or so) of world-class French research universities. SPbSUE implements several educational programs at the bachelor's and master's levels with the University of Grenoble Alpes (see, in particular,) University Grenoble Alpes (UGA) Nestled in the heart of the Alps, The University Grenoble Alpes (UGA) is located in the city of Grenoble. Grenoble is the arrival point of the Napoleon Route, a historic route that runs up from Cannes on the National Road 85, and in the vicinity of the major ski resorts, but also of Switzerland and Italy. Grenoble is the 5th most innovative city in the world (Forbes 2013), 2nd most innovative city in Europe (iCapitale 2014), 1st city in France by number of jobs related to research; with 7.1% of the population working in R&D, and 20% in the higher education and research and R&D sectors (AEPI), with 300 startups stemming from public research, 7.7 patents for 10,000 inhabitants (highest ratio in France, AEPI). Grenoble is also the city of global corporations such as: Airstar STMicroelectronics, Schneider Electric, EDF, HPE-HP INC, Caterpillar, BD, Atos - Bull, GE Renewable Energy, Capgemini/Sogeti, Air Liquide, Soitec, ARaymond, Calor, Trixell , Teisseire, Petzl, Rossignol, Vicat, Radiall. Located in such an amazing environment, the Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA) is a multidisciplinary institution that hosts almost all higher education programs, and academic and applied research fields, and welcomes a large number of students and researchers from many countries around the world. The UGA is a hub for human and scientific cultures and offers specific tools for extraordinary people such as high-level sportswomen and men, high-level artists, student-entrepreneurs, disabled persons, etc. The Université Grenoble Alpes is a major player in higher education and research in France. As the world is becoming more and more competitive, the UGA aims to face the challenges the world poses universities today and in the future, and to be more visible and attractive internationally. The UGA houses numerous research laboratories linked to the major prestigious research institutions such as the CEA, CNRS, Inserm, Inria. The CEA 1 st and CNRS 5 th in the 2016 ranking of the most innovative research organizations worldwide (Reuters), and the UGA 84 th most innovative university in the world (Thomson Reuters 2015). The Univ. Grenoble Alpes already features in the top 100 and top 200 universities in major international rankings (Reuters, Shanghai, Times Higher Education and QS) for some of its scientific fields. The UGA rivals the best universities in the world thanks to the strength of its research and the numerous educational innovations it has implemented. The UGA in facts: - A budget of 450 million euros; - 500,000 m2 of buildings on 12 sites spread across 6 departments; - A landscaped campus of 175 hectares; - 45,000 students; - 9000 students from abroad; - 8000 researchers from abroad; - 5,800 staff including 3,000 lecturers and research professors and 2,500 administrative and technical staff; - 23 faculties, schools and institutes; - 80 Research centers and laboratories; - 14 Laboratories of Excellence (research projects backed as part of France's Investments for the Future program). UGA's research addresses key societal challenges. Research activities are divided into six centers: * Arts, Literature, Languages; * Humanities and Cognitive and Social Sciences; * Chemistry, Biology and Health; * Mathematics and Information & Communication Sciences and Technologies; * Physics, Engineering and Materials; * Particle Physics, Astrophysics, Geosciences, Environmental Studies and Ecology; * Legal, Political, Economic and Territorial Sciences, Sociology and Management.

In early April, the traditional study trip of students of the Russian-French Bachelor's program to the Grenoble partner university took place, during which students listen to lectures, visit enterprises, get acquainted with French students, discover such regions of France as Rhone Alpes, Savoy and Ile de France.

The results of the trip are presented by excerpts from the feedback of its participants, students of the Program.

Vladimir Azarov: There are cities that are not particularly well known, but having visited them once, I want to return there again and again. Grenoble turned out to be such a city for me. The biggest travel experience I've ever had was this study trip. A university campus that looks more like a country park and a botanical garden, the old city center, trams that seem to be floating through green meadows, +22 and a constantly clear sky, and mountains, mountains, mountains ... But the most important thing is the feeling that, at least and quite a bit, but we were still French students. The classes were very interesting, I especially remember the lectures on industrial and international economics, which were conducted by Faruk Ulgen; and, although I had already seen him at an open lecture when he came to St. Petersburg, I was pleasantly surprised by how he involves students in the discussion of the topic and how expressively he tells even simple statistics. We also had two meetings with representatives of enterprises, where we learned a lot of new things: about how a hotel business can be built in France and how the government helps school graduates who did not begin to receive higher education. In addition to staying in Grenoble, there were also Paris, Annecy, Lyon, Geneva and Montreux. And kilometers of landscapes outside the train window separating them. Undoubtedly, only the best memories of this training internship will be remembered.

Svetlana Vernigor: Two months before leaving for the internship, I did not even imagine that the double degree program would give me a chance to get into a little paradise on Earth: both in the field of social life and in the field of education. Having visited France and the University of Grenoble-Alpes, having worked with charismatic teachers, you realize that education has no boundaries and there is no limit to your possibilities in studying economics. The 12 days of the study tour seriously expanded my horizons in the field of sectoral economics, and in general in the field of European integration. The French professors we met have a special attitude to how to present information to a student and a special behavior during a lecture. Instructor Faruk Ulgen changed my traditional view of the flow of money in the world economy, saying only: “Now, listen to me attentively and remember that great phrase for the whole your life. Money creates from nothing. And this is not the only vivid example that I can give.

The cultural aspect of a trip is always important. The very word France brings to mind the smell of French perfume, the taste of the famous Camembert cheese, as well as thoughts of the Eiffel Tower and the famous Mona Lisa. It is not every day that you can see with your own eyes the great achievements of the whole world and try French delicacies. And I'm glad that I managed to combine business with pleasure.

Also, I would like to express my gratitude to the partner universities (St. Petersburg State University of Economics and Grenoble-Alpes) for the formation of the double degree program, for the financially affordable chance to see the world and fill your “knowledge box” with experience, wise thoughts and, of course, European knowledge in the field of economics and management!

Khodosova Evgenia: When I just entered the first year of the Russian-French bachelor's program (then, before the merger of Grenoble universities, together with the University of Pierre Mendes France), I knew for sure that I would go on a study trip in the 2nd year. For me, it was an opportunity not only to see the country as a tourist, but also to spend a useful trip, because the main purpose of the trip was to get acquainted with the university, of which I am also a student. It all started with our arrival at the Grenoble railway station, and immediately the city pleased with good weather and beautiful views, which immediately set a good mood for the rest of the days. Our acquaintance with the university began with the educational campus, which looked more like a cozy country house, which was very unusual compared to our multi-storey urban-type educational buildings. In addition to us, guys from other cities, such as Moscow, Kaliningrad, Nizhny Novgorod, who are also students of this program, took part in the study trip, it was very interesting to talk with them and share their experience of studying on this program. In addition to the usual lectures, we also had meetings with representatives of enterprises, which allowed us to get to know the system of doing business in France from the inside. I would also like to note the uniqueness of this experience, which allowed me to feel like a full-time European student for at least a week and listen to lectures by French teachers. A nice addition was visiting cities such as Annecy, Geneva and Paris.

Plotnikov Anton: The study trip to France made very good impressions. Grenoble is a nice town with a hint of provinciality, quiet and bright. Since the trip is still educational, most of the time in Grenoble we studied. The trip rallied our team, allowed us to make new acquaintances, because in addition to us, representatives of similar programs from other Russian cities came to Grenoble. In addition to Grenoble, we visited Annecy and Geneva, and the trip ended in Paris. Each city has its own charm, but I would like to study in Grenoble, because the teachers there are just excellent, the lectures I listened to were fascinating and interesting.

First, I would like to say about our University of Grenoble-Alpes and the lectures heard. Getting to know the French teachers was very helpful. Now, behind their names on textbooks, we see their faces and remember lectures. Of course, we already knew Faruk Ulgen, and Natasha Collet, and Alan Laurent, but this made it even more interesting to listen to them (and Faruk's lectures amazed us, and he will forever remain out of competition, he spoke so openly, simply and a little philosophically about the economy, money and much more). All this, together with the picturesque views of Grenoble, its mountains, small streets, les boulangeries (bakery) and the best la fromagerie (cheese factory) will remain in our hearts!

And, perhaps, the most important thing that we learned from this trip, we spoke French! And in one shop, the seller said that we have a very good pronunciation and that was the best of praise! A thousand times mentally thanked our French teacher - Marina Alexandrovna Kichatova.

And in conclusion, I would like to say a huge thank you to the leadership of the Program for the chances and opportunities that the Russian-French Bachelor's Program of St. Petersburg State University gives and which we do not intend to miss!

Grenoble Alpes University (UGA) is located in the city of Grenoble (southeast of France), which is a major industrial, scientific and university center of the French Alps region. The city has 54 thousand students, most of whom are students of the University of Grenoble Alpes.

The university was founded in January 2016 as a result of the merger of three Grenoble universities: the University of Pierre Mendes-France (University of Humanities and Social Sciences), the Joseph Fourier University (Technological and medical University), Stendhal University (language sciences). The university's roots go back to the University of Grenoble, founded in 1339 and one of the oldest universities in France.

Today, the university provides the broadest educational opportunities in four areas: Arts, Literature and Languages; Jurisprudence, Economics and Management; Humanities and Social Sciences; Natural Sciences, Technology and Medicine.

Key indicators of the university: 45,000 students, of which 6,000 are foreign students; 3,000 teachers and researchers; 24 faculties, educational schools and institutes; 80 scientific laboratories; 653 partner universities in 80 countries; 53 double degree programs. The budget of the university is 450 million Euros. The developed infrastructure of the university campus includes 8 libraries, a hostel system, 45 sports fields and a swimming pool.

Due to the location of the university in the historical center of the region, which also has a rich recreational potential, education at the University of Grenoble Alpes is accompanied by culture, sports, and tourism.

For the past ten years, the University of Grenoble Alpes has been actively cooperating with other European universities and universities of third countries on the implementation of the Bologna process, on projects in the field of scientific cooperation, attracting scientific personnel, student mobility within the framework of the Erasmus + program.

About the faculty

The Faculty of Economics provides training in economics and management at all levels of higher education: Bachelor, Master, Doctor. Implements distance learning in Economics and Business Administration. Availability of qualified teaching staff, programs that meet modern international standards, as well as contacts with various enterprises promotes the development of practical skills of work and theoretical thinking.