Julie Jojo Nielen (ENERPO, 2015)

International programs

My time at ENERPO was an experience unlike any other. It was not my first time living in St. Petersburg, so I already knew that any time spent in that ever so gorgeous city would be wonderful. However, after my arrival, I quickly realised that no previous visit could have properly prepared me for the year I spent at EUSP.

My time at ENERPO was most rewarding, both culturally and socially as academically. My studies were consistently interesting, and allowed me not only to gain a comprehensive understanding of Russian energy and the energy field as a whole, but also to engage in topics that might not seem the most logical when studying energy in Russia, namely renewable energy. Renewables (or RES in jargon) have always been my personal passion and although it was a somewhat uphill battle in the beginning, I was eventually able to make this the main focus of my studies, even publishing an article in the ENERPO journal on Indian RES and writing my MA thesis on the German energy transition (Energiewende). This just goes to show how diverse and broad ENERPO can be.

Of course (and the faculty would be the first to underline this I think) academics are only one part of life at EUSP. The social life at the university is truly extraordinary, and Gagarinskaya 3 soon started to feel like a second home, the people there like my family. I met some of my best friends there and made so many lasting connections with people from all over the world and all walks of life that sometimes I can hardly believe it myself. And yes, we attended amazing parties (some of the best by and at EUSP), had great dinners, made road trips, boat trips, sang bad karaoke and were even worse at bowling, went for groceries at 4 AM, got kicked out of bars, celebrated every holiday from every represented country and obviously enjoyed a drink or three here and there. Either way it all adds up to one thing: we. had. fun.

And all of that, how great it may be, is dwarfed by that most amazing and incredible thing of all: the city of St. Petersburg. Despite my love for this city, I feel deeply unqualified to describe its beauty; the greatest authors of Russia preceded me in this and did so much better. What I can say though is that although you might feel like a character in a Russian novel once in a while, SPB is also an amazingly vibrant city. Between the museums, the theatres, the banya’s (Russian sauna, much recommended!), and the history that is tangible on every corner, the city is also crawling with countlessly nice bars (filled with pretty, hipster Russians), hidden restaurants, rowdy nightlife venues and designer shops. In short, there’s something for everyone!

Since I’ve left SPB and returned to Western Europe, I have thought back to it often and with nothing but the most positive of emotions. It is truly a once in a lifetime experience and I envy anyone and all who still gets to embark on their EUSP adventure.