Andrii LIUTYI is a 5th year student of the Medicine program at SumDU. He shared his experience of studying, participating in international academic mobility programs, and plans for the future.

Choosing profession and university

“My aspiration to become a doctor appeared quite early, somewhere in the 6th or 7th grade of school when we started studying human beings in biology classes. The amazing complexity and organ systems fascinated me as a child, and combined with the desire to help people that my parents instilled in me. In the 9th grade, I had no doubt about my future profession,” – says Andrii.

Regarding the choice of university, the student notes: “First of all, I really like the city of Sumy. It is small, so you can easily get around it in a few hours. Its residents, especially the active youth, create a lot of events. But the main criterion for me was the quality of education. I researched university rankings and saw that SumDU is consistently in the Ukrainian TOP 3”.

Participation in academic mobility programs

Andrii took part in two academic mobility programs - at the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany) and the Bellevue College (USA).

“I found out about both opportunities through the social media of the SumDU Office of International Cooperation. It publishes academic mobility programs for undergraduates, graduates, young researchers and teachers,” – he says.

Impressions of studying abroad

“Before I go somewhere, I always like to read something about the place and its people, so everything I saw was not unexpected for me. However, the feeling of something new and unknown still arose even after six months of studying in Germany,” – shares the student his impressions.

“In the United States, I was impressed by wide roads: when you walk through the suburbs of Bellevue, a small city east of Seattle by American standards, it seems that you are somewhere in the center of the Kyiv-Boryspil highway,” – he adds.

Highlights of academic mobility

“In Germany, I remember the hospitality of my host professor the most: almost every week he organized trips for us to the sights of the region, invited us to his home for conversations over a cup of tea, and helped us with all our questions,” – says Andrii.

“In the United States, my friends and I organized a Ukrainian club. I remember our first meeting the most, when we watched the documentary Winter on Fire. For many foreigners, Ukraine looks like just a piece of land somewhere on the edge of Europe. However, when they see the events that are happening here, you can see something changing in their eyes,” – recalls the student.

Advice for students planning academic mobility

“The first thing that everyone who wants to apply for an academic mobility program should understand is that you cannot go anywhere without knowing the language. English is the base, but you should also pay attention to learning other languages,” – advises Andrii.

“The second thing is academic performance. Although the grade is not the determining factor of individual’s knowledge, a student still has a better chance of getting into an academic mobility program if he or she has high grades,” – he adds.

“The third thing is additional activities. An important factor in selection of students for academic mobility programs is extracurricular activity: science, participation in student government, social activities, volunteering, sports,” – emphasizes the student.

Working on an international research project

The knowledge gained during his academic mobility helped Andrii start working as a researcher at the Center for Biomedical Research at SumDU. “Now, I am working on the project “Biomedical Properties and Biosafety of MXenes, New Graphene-Like 2D Nanomaterials”. It is supported by the European Commission through the project #3050 H2020 871072 EURIZON, for which my team and I express our sincere gratitude,” – says Andrii.

SumDU creates all opportunities for students’ professional development and helps them realize their ambitions both in Ukraine and abroad!