Tue, Jun 10, 2008

Feature Student Profiles From Sakha State University

Group Shot
Over the course of the next month, UArctic will feature many profiles of students from one of its most active members, Sakha State University. Sakha State has a number of students involved in BCS courses, and is also home to the Russian Information Centre. The Information Centre is responsible for Russian translation of UArctic documents and website information. The team, composed of students and staff from the Sakha University, are integral to breaking the language barrier between UArctic member institutions as well as UArctic students. In this first feature of Sakha students, meet two BCS students as well as their faculty coordinator Sargylana Kondakova!


Hi! My name is Daria, I am from Russia. I am the 3rd year student of Yakutsk State University, I study in the English Philology department. I believe that learning foreign languages is very interesting and exciting process, so I really enjoy studying! The interest in Arctic was imported by my mother, as she is ecologist; she had great influence on me. I have been involved, in the best sense of this word, in the world of nature since my early childhood. I used to observe natural processes, I followed my mother to expeditions, I was really delighted by all that. And even the book, titled “Species of Butterflies of Yakutia” was my favorite one in childhood! So, I can say that I am interested in Arctic, and moreover, I want to study it deeply. When I heard about the University of the Arctic, I thought that it is the very thing I needed.

Burnasheva DariaI have been taking BCS courses for 2 years. I participate in Online Courses, and I like it very much, I don’t only learn much about the Arctic, but experience a lot which is useful for me. There is a communication and discussion with others, improving my skills of writing and understanding; I learn to express my opinion, and even how to write references! BCS is very different from my experiences as a student. I feel more free, I am sure that my opinion will be heard, there is a great field for self-realization and much opportunities. And there is a greater responsibility, because I represent not only myself as a student, but my university, my republic and my country.

Last year I took part in an exchange program and studied one semester in Norway. It was the greatest experience in my life! I learnt so much useful and gained knowledge which I cannot get in my university. It was the real-life experience, which I will never forget.

I should advise students who were interested in BCS, to take them up, because it is the very thing we all need, as we live in the North. I believe that everyone who lives in the North should know about his environment, the history of the Arctic and contemporary issues and problems of it. It is necessary today.

I enjoyed studying the Arctic, I learnt a lot, and even I live in the North, I opened a new world – the world of Arctic. And this world is wonderful!

BCS made me determine myself as a part of one big community, one environment, one mentality, one Arctic! I wish that everyone who lives in the North could feel the same!



My name is Sergey Sivtsev. I’m from Namsky Ulus, Republic Sakha (Yakutia), Russia. I study at Faculty sergey_sivtsevof Biology and Geography of Yakutsk State University. I’m a prospect ecologist. I enjoy my studies very much. Especially I am interested in natural sciences. I like to study nature of the native place. As our republic is located in the Arctic region which unites many countries with a similar environment and problems, I started to be interested in Arctic. This semester I have had a chance to take courses BCS 100: Introduction to the Circumpolar World of the University of Arctic. I participate in Online Courses for the first time, and I like it very much. Such courses are absolutely different from usual study at the university. There is no direct contact to the teacher and to other students. I think that Online Courses are very useful, fascinating and interesting. It has given me much knowledge of Arctic regions. I am sure that it will be very useful for me in the future, as I am intending to take part in the exchange progra