Alumni’s success stories

My name is Buba Saidy, and I came to Izhevsk in 2019 from The Gambia, West Africa. Before that, I had worked for more than six years as an IT assistant at home. I wanted a strong engineering education, so I chose the BSc in Software Engineering at Kalashnikov Izhevsk State Technical University, where the program is taught fully in English.

Moving so far from home was a big step, but the university made it easier. ISTU has a great international department that is always ready to help international students with documents, visas and everyday questions. My favourite teachers were Dr. Michael, Dr. Aiman and Sergei Alexandrovich Babushkin. They explained complex topics clearly, pushed us to think like real engineers, and always found time for students. Programming and software design became my favourite subjects.
Izhevsk is a calm, green city with friendly people, and I quickly felt at home. My first Russian winter was a real adventure for someone from West Africa! Step by step, Izhevsk eventually gave me everything.
I graduated in 2022, and ISTU opened many doors for me. I went on to earn an MSc in IoT and Cyber-Physical Systems at HSE University in Moscow. I also worked as a technical support team lead at an international telecom company.

To future students: don’t be afraid to come. ISTU gives you strong knowledge, supportive teachers and friends from all over the world. Izhevsk is a great place to start your journey!

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My name is Youssef Hassan. I was an Egyptian student with big plans when it all began. I first arrived in the city of Kazan and lived there for about a year, but due to unfortunate circumstances, I had to leave. But the choice I made back then — to leave — was one of the best decisions of my life!

I moved to Izhevsk in August 2020. I tried to adapt to the local life and community as quickly as possible, and I don't mean just the community of international students. I was particularly interested in getting to know the locals, my Russian peers. And thanks to this, I was able to meet many wonderful people who made my adaptation to everyday life in Russia much more pleasant and interesting.

Because of this, as well as the wonderful staff of Kalashnikov Izhevsk State Technical University — contrary to many rumors that studying is hard, and that graduation is a nightmare for many — the entire four-year academic process felt easy to me. I won't say there were no difficult moments at all; that's not how reality works. But to my surprise, whatever question I asked at any department of the Institute of International Study Programs, it was somehow resolved very quickly. For a student, this is a great happiness, and I cannot help but be grateful for it.

Four years in Izhevsk passed like a whole lifetime. In this beautiful city, I met a very important person for me — my wife, to whom I am immensely grateful. Without her, I wouldn't be where I am now. She has played the biggest role in my current progress and continues to lead me forward every day. Thank you, K!

Now I live in another very beautiful city — Saint Petersburg. For me, it is the perfect balance between the opportunities of a big city and the beauty of Izhevsk. I couldn't ask for anything better! I work as an electronics and programming engineer at a biomedical firm, in the research, development, and maintenance department. The list of my responsibilities is long, but I don't think that for future students of ISTU it is something too distant and unattainable. You just need to put in the effort, believe in yourself, and seize the opportunities that appear on your path. Even if they sound more like fiction than reality — we can make fiction a reality through willpower and determination!

I want to emphasize once again that there is a special place in my heart, filled with gratitude for the staff, wonderful friends, and loved ones whom I had the honor to meet and with whom I was at ISTU. Without them, none of this would have happened!

And in conclusion, I want to say to the future generation of brilliant students of Kalashnikov Izhevsk State Technical University: the name and fame of a university do not determine the quality of education — its staff does! And ISTU has both!

I eagerly await what heights ISTU will reach with the new generation and the generations to follow. Good luck to everyone, and don't hesitate to reach out for advice or help when you need it.

We are our own limit!

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Hello all and sundry! My name is Saibo Kabba from the Gambia, West Africa. I completed my senior secondary school in 2011 and then proceeded to college to be a train teacher, and in 2015, I traveled to the Russian Federation to pursue my higher education. In my first year, I studied the Russian language, and upon completion, I started a four (4) years bachelor's degree program in economics which I completed in 2020. In 2020, I started my master’s degree in finance & credit, and got it in 2022. While I was pursuing my degree course, I was also working as an English teacher for school number 97 and other English centers. In 2020, I started working at «ООО AкваАргентум» as an economist. I resigned from my post in November 2024. Then I worked at Lada Izhevsk till March 2026, and then resigned. I am currently working as a sales manager for «OOO Profi-Park». I also did a second master’s degree in management, which I completed in 2024. My educational journey will forever be an experience I would never forget. I came across very good friends and lecturers who encouraged me to concentrate on my education despite the difficulties of the Russian language. My educational journey shaped me from a boy to a man whose thinking capacity changed drastically. With my education, I learned about the practical side of economics, finance, and management, and those practical experiences really help me to have an idea of starting my own business in the near future.