Business Administration alumna story

Anna Pobedova, alumna of Business Administration

The programme, Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), felt like a key that could open any door. I knew that the people here were always ready to answer complex questions, address challenges and help to adapt to changes. I wanted to be that kind of person, and I was sure that the BBA programme would give me the necessary knowledge and skills. The programme is well-rounded and offers students many opportunities, including internships, group projects and exchange studies, which help to pick the right path and build the future.

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The subjects were very diverse, as were the approaches to teaching them, which created a very dynamic learning environment and helped to break the routine. Readings were combined with group work and discussions with creative tasks.

I was taking Estonian language courses at the university up until the B1 level. The classes were always fun, classmates were friendly, and lecturers were very engaged and supportive. Overall, it was a great experience, which helped me integrate into the Estonian culture.

During the studies, I was a teaching assistant, where I supported the studies of my fellow students. It deepened my knowledge of the subject, and I gained skills in teaching, which has always been exciting to me. I was also a member of the Student Council and represented the student community in discussions of the future of the BBA programme.

I had the honour of representing the University of Tartu in the Global Engagement Module (GEM). It is a one-week online course at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. With a group of students from all over Europe, we tackled the challenges of public health by developing a project and had to come up with feasible solutions.

Life in Tartu, how should I describe it… It’s a perfect infrastructure, a sense of safety and comfort, a vivid academic environment and a vibrant social life. I appreciated the sense of community of the programme. Relatively small classes and the approachable lecturers made the study experience feel especially personalised and meaningful.

I shared my time between studies and work. I was working full-time at Hitachi Energy as a Procurement and Logistics Specialist, successfully combining work and studies, and fully providing for myself. Probably, this self-sufficiency was the most important and valuable aspect for me.

The head of the programme, Diana Eerma, is very student-oriented and is actively engaged in the programme’s constant enhancement.

The BBA programme gave me the relevant tools and knowledge, provided a lot of opportunities, and it was up to me to seize them. The programme gave me a better understanding of what I want to do in life and how to achieve it.

The experience with the BBA programme was very positive, so I decided to obtain a master’s degree in Quantitative Economics and consider a PhD at the University of Tartu. The double degree programme is part of my studies in my master's, which allows me to study for one year in Belgium at the University of Ghent.