The student exchange program operating between universities around the world is quite popular today
Today, the student exchange program operating between universities around the world has become very popular. It allows students to gain practical language skills, see the world, and learn how education is conducted abroad. Such programs operate between major Russian universities and those in Europe and North America. Currently, exchange programs with Asian countries are also gaining popularity. At present, the exchange procedure has been streamlined to the simplicity of ordinary correspondence. The relevant universities, for example, Saint Petersburg State University and Cambridge University, arrange student exchanges via email, and within a short time, young people go to study in another country.
Usually, for an exchange to take place, both sides must provide the student with accommodation in a family, but this is not a mandatory step. In practice, hotels in Saint Petersburg very often accept foreign students and accommodate them on favorable terms while they wait for more suitable housing. This practice also works in England, where many boarding houses agree to provide students with meals and accommodation at a discount. Student exchange programs are created primarily to enhance social communication, but they also serve to develop relations between universities, to solve various educational issues, and create a good foundation for preparing students to work in the country where they have had a kind of 'internship'.
Last year, conference halls in Saint Petersburg were full of scholars from all over Europe, who at the 5th international conference 'Education and Business – 2008' discussed many issues arising in the work of the student exchange program. Currently, the exchange program is a unique opportunity for students to study abroad, and thanks to the existing exchange scheme, many university students have been able to prepare for further work abroad and gain invaluable experience in the field of education.