“My Priority was Quality of Education, so I Chose Moscow Polytech” – International Student Waseem Bacha

Waseem Bacha comes fr om Pakistan, a place wh ere the three largest mountain ridges in the world are located. He chose the Russian capital for his studies because he fell in love fr om the first sight. For his post-graduate studies, he applied to Moscow Polytech. In a big interview Waseem shared why he chose the Faculty of Information Technologies, what Russian football team Pakistani citizens support, and also gave a piece of advice to international students on how to start learning Russian.

Tell us about yourself, where are you from?

I am from Swat, Pakistan. This city is located in the north of Pakistan. It`s an unusual place wh ere the three largest mountain ranges in the world – Western Himalayans, Hindu Kush and the Karakoram Range– meet each other.

Why did you decide to move to Russia?

I`ve always wanted to become a professional in the field. Some of my family members visited Moscow before, and they found themselves there. Fr om my childhood, I`ve always believed that I`d move here.

I stopped on Moscow because it`s a beautiful city. I`ve always loved looking through the pictures in our family albums with the landmarks. So one can say I fell in love from the first sight.

Why did you choose Moscow Polytech specifically?

My priority was the quality of education, so I chose Moscow Polytech. Moscow Polytech is in the top best technical universities of the country. Everybody is very friendly and communicative here.

Why did you choose such a specialization?

I`ve always deemed myself a person of science. I decided to study AI as admire the countless number of opportunities it provides. In this field area, everything is still at the beginning stage of development. There is a lot to explore.

I know your uncle moved from Pakistan to Russia. What did he tell you about the country?

It was exactly him moving to Russia that inspired me to apply. He supported me and said that studying in Russia is the best decision.

What stereotypes about Russia did you hear?

I only heard that it`s cold. I think coming to a place wh ere snow falls a lot everybody thinks about how to live through it. However, I know now that after such a hot summer, it`s not a reason for concerns.

Do you participate in extracurricular activity?

I`m a football fan, so I attend games. By the way, some people in Pakistan watch Russian football and even support CSKA. Apart fr om that, in my free time I like walking around the city.

What advice can you give to those who only start learning Russian. What was the most difficult thing for you?

I think it`s a wonderful language. There is a certain methodology, like in other languages. My advice – take interest, learn things and practice. I hope there`ll be a day when I`ll speak it.

What was the first impression of Moscow?

I was impressed by the beautiful architecture and friendly people. I`ve always thought that people in Pakistan drink a lot of tea but having visited Russia I realized that Russians are ahead of us in this sense.

Do you have a favorite dish?

I really like plov. We have something similar but it`s much more tasty in Russia. I also like shaurma and olivie.

What about Pakistani food, what dishes are your favorites?

We have unusual rice – basmati. I like the way we cook beef. We also have “murthaba” – it`s something similar to bliny (pancakes).

Can you name three interesting facts about your Motherland?

The youngest Nobel prize laureate is from Pakistan. An interesting fact is that he is from my street, the street wh ere I grew up. People in Pakistan love football. 5 of 14 highest mountain peaks are in Pakistan.

And three interesting facts about Russia that you learnt after moving here?

The culture here is very rich and diverse. There are really many nationalities here. Thanks to that, there is an opportunity to find out how other people live. The major part of the territory is taken by Siberia. There are 11 time zones in Russia. The holidays are celebrated merrily in Moscow. It`s cool!