Visiting students wrap up stay in Canton

CANTON — Max Myasnikov talks about the north country the same way he does about his home city in Russia.

"St. Petersburg is beautiful," he said. "But I like being here. Your nature is beautiful — the forests, the lakes. Very beautiful. It's an exciting place."

Mr. Myasnikov is one of 37 students who have traveled from their universities in Russia and Ukraine to SUNY Canton this summer. This is their final week studying English and business at the college.

"It's very nice. Everybody enjoys it. We are fond of the hospitality of the Americans," said Alla Bobyleva, a Lomonosov Moscow State University professor who is accompanying the students during their three-week stay. "Everybody specializes in finance management. We have studied very interesting topics about the economics of energy, Enron and investment basics."

The students' home universities include Moscow State; Kazan State Financial and Economic Institute, Tatarstan, Russia; and Kherson State University, Ukraine.

In addition to strengthening their English skills, the students attend special sessions on campus on alternative energy, financial services and health care management.

"The school here is different because they give presentations in PowerPoint. In Russia, it's mostly a lecture. Here, they're always asking you if you understand. You can have a good discussion," Mr. Myasnikov said.

They have also toured the Massena Alcoa plant and Eastman Kodak, Rochester, as well as the Partridge Cafe, Canton, to get an idea of how American businesses — large and small — work.

And even though things are different here, Mr. Myasnikov said he was prepared for American culture.

"In Russia, I think many people know about USA culture because of movies," he said. "So when we got here, it was not a shocking situation because we had watched it all on TV."

During their stay, the students have also attended the Potsdam Summerfest and traveled to the Adirondacks. Before they return home, they'll also see Niagara Falls and New York City.

"We have three times as many students visiting SUNY Canton than when we initiated the program last year," Associate Provost Pauline A. Graveline said in a statement. "Many of the students have never been to the north country or the United States before.

"They are all very excited to learn about U.S. culture and experience as much of it as they can."

Dina Urazmetova, an English professor at Kazan State, is also traveling with the group. She is joined by Olga Zinovieva, a State University of New York representative at Moscow State, who is developing an art history class during her stay through SUNY Canton OnLine.

"It is the first time we have come to SUNY Canton. We have enjoyed our first experience," Ms. Urazmetova said.

Ms. Bobyleva, who is chairwoman of the financial services department at Moscow State, is also using her time at the college to conduct research.

This is the second international student exchange formed through SUNY Canton's partnerships abroad. The college hopes to send its students to some of its partner universities in the future.

"Our students are interested in becoming investment bankers, entrepreneurs, business owners, and one is interested in developing her own energy company," Kathryn Del Guidice, director of extended studies, said in a statement. "We are emphasizing that they find ways to bring the world to them, rather than leaving their homes in search of opportunities."