‘Be ambitious!’
Gao Song from China, master student at HSE Financial Engineering Program, applied and was successfully admitted to study for a masters in Quantitative Economics and Finance at the University of Luxembourg during his second year of masters studies at HSE. Upon successful completion of both programs, he will be awarded a masters degree from both institutions. From the Fall 2023, Gao Song will start his PhD program as a Doctoral Researcher at the Parallel Computing and Optimization Group (PCOG) in the Computer Science Department at the University of Luxembourg
As an international student with a multicultural education background, I am honored to be a graduate student at the University of Luxembourg, pursuing a second masters degree under the frame of academic mobility individual study plan from the Financial Engineering masters program at HSE University. At the University of Luxembourg, during 2022-23 I pursued a Master's degree in Quantitative Finance and Economics. This program aims to provide cutting-edge research in economics and finance, preparing students for academic careers and PhD studies. Many of the program's participants aspire to enter the academic field, including myself, as I will be working as a PhD Researcher at PCOG in the fall.
At the University of Luxembourg, you will have the opportunity to engage in academic research at the forefront of finance and economics. The economics and finance departments at the University of Luxembourg are renowned in Europe. Of course, my other classmates from HSE are well-prepared for this rigorous academic training, as studying at the University of Luxembourg will reveal the excellent training and international perspective that HSE prepares students for. Most HSE students are able to find jobs or engage in academic research in Luxembourg/Europe, or even in Canada. I have gained extensive knowledge in programming and cutting-edge theories in financial engineering at HSE, which is the main reason why I am able to work in the Computer Science Department.
The University of Luxembourg provides a wealth of resources, such as two high-performance computers at the Belval campus, which offer powerful computing resources to tackle cutting-edge issues in financial engineering and economics. The relationship between professors and students at the university is also excellent, as the department regularly holds seminars to guide students towards academic life.
However, I can tell that I miss my Chinese and Russian friends! The only drawback is that compared to China and Russia, life in Luxembourg, being a small country, may not always be so exciting. Luxembourg is centrally located in Europe, so flying to most other countries only requires symbolic costs. Scholarships not only cover the cost of living in one of the most expensive countries in Europe but also allow students to travel during their free time. If there are financial difficulties, the university can provide student jobs to meet their daily expenses.
It is worth mentioning that academic life is not always smooth sailing. This program is designed for those who are ready to work hard and discover new knowledge. But when you look back and reflect on your master's stage after completing your studies, the experiences at HSE and the University of Luxembourg will undoubtedly become your most valuable asset.
Finally, I would like to quote the words of the first president of Hokkaido University in Japan, which is also the university motto:
"Boys, be ambitious!"