Ansgar Sasse: "It is a great experience, and I think other students should come here!"

October 17, 2023

Ansgar Sasse, an exchange student from Germany, has embarked on an exciting educational journey at AUCA. He is a third-year student in Germany at Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, pursuing a degree in International Business and Economics. Ansgar shared his experiences, aspirations, and cultural encounters during his exchange semester at AUCA.

Ansgar explained his motivation for choosing AUCA as a combination of intellectual curiosity, a desire to see the beauty of Kyrgyzstan, and an eagerness to learn the Russian language. During the summer, Ansgar traveled around Kyrgyzstan with his family, visiting the Issyk-Kul region and Osh City. He highlighted the breathtaking nature and delicious food during his travels, saying, "It's very beautiful! Many people don't know about Kyrgyzstan, but I think it's very interesting historically, culturally, and especially the food, like Kyrgyz plov!"

Discussing his educational experience, Ansgar noted significant differences in the educational systems between AUCA and universities in Germany, saying, "In Germany, for all lectures, we have just one final exam, and attendance is not required. However, at AUCA, attendance is mandatory, and there are quizzes on each material. I would say such an approach has more structure. Also, AUCA has much smaller classes, which allow you to interact directly with your professor."

Ansgar highlighted the open and friendly atmosphere at AUCA, as he has already made friends among the locals, allowing him to practice Russian even more. He said, "AUCA is a much smaller university. In Germany, universities have around 13,000 students. I like that at AUCA, it's much more like a family. I think it's cool." He also emphasized all the extracurricular activities and events held at AUCA, adding, "I have joined the debate club, and I am also planning on attending a lecture by Won-Jae Lee, the ambassador of South Korea in Kyrgyzstan, which will take place at the university this week."

When asked about his Russian language proficiency, Ansgar mentioned his interest in the Russian language, driven by its uniqueness compared to many European languages. Throughout his life, Ansgar lived in India, Azerbaijan, and Russia. He also revealed that his father speaks Russian, but his personal motivation came from a genuine interest in the language. He also expressed his admiration for the Kyrgyz language; however, he thinks that for him, it would be too difficult to learn.

Although Ansgar had previously studied Russian during his childhood in Moscow and Azerbaijan, he has forgotten most of it. Nevertheless, he foresees further improvement during his time at AUCA, as he has already taken some steps toward it, saying, "I have Russian classes two hours a week at AUCA in the WARC. It was really important to me, and I really enjoy my classes there."

Ansgar believes that his exchange program at AUCA will be a valuable and exciting experience. He encourages other students to consider the opportunity to study at AUCA and explore Kyrgyzstan, saying, "It is a great experience, and I think other students should come here!"

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