Jin Sun Park

South Korea, Class of 2018

Why did you choose to study Government and International Affairs at MGIMO?

I was interested in international politics in general and Russian foreign policy in particular. Although I was fluent in Russian at the time of joining MGIMO, I was attracted to the SGIA program because it was taught entirely in English. It was also important to me to learn a new foreign language (in my case, French) and to continue studying Russian.

I chose MGIMO because it is inarguably the best school of international relations in Russia. While at MGIMO, you learn a lot about Russia — its history, politics, economy — and come to better understand Russia’s perspective on international affairs. During my stay in Moscow, I had a great time exploring the country that was new to me, and after four years, I could know more about Russia in general. Indeed, my Russian language skill enriched my Russia experience.

What do you think of your academic experience at MGIMO?

MGIMO provided me with a strong background in international affairs. It also allowed me to meet with inspiring Russian and international experts, interact with students from various countries, and understand Russia and its position on key international issues and trends.

What kind of challenges did you face at MGIMO?

There are plenty of spanerse subjects to study in each semester, so the workload could be heavy. Sometimes I was under a lot of stress.

What is your life after MGIMO like?

Currently, I continue studying International Affairs at Sciences Po in Paris, France. Building on what I learned at MGIMO, I am developing specialized knowledge in the field of Human Rights and Humanitarian Action.

Jin Sun Park was interviewed by Deborah Samuel (Class of 2019) in March 2019