Anastasiia Tropnikova – Student of "M.A. Roads to Democracyies - Historical and Contemporary Perspectives on Politics and Culture"

Why did you choose Siegen for your studies?

I was looking for a programme that would have a comprehensive approach to the study of political processes, systems and institutions, with a specific focus on democracy. I was interested to know how democracies evolve in time, what their fundamental characteristics are (institutions, values, etc.), how and why democracies differ from country to country, and, finally, what current problems and challenges democratic theory has yet to overcome. Once I came across the M.A. Roads to Democracies, offered by the university of Siegen, I realised it was exactly what I was looking for — not only curriculum which seemed to fit my academic interests but also the fact that the programme is fully taught in English were the decisive factors that guided my choice.

What do you like about Siegen?

Siegen is, in my opinion, a great place for studying — it is not a big city where you can easily get tempted or distracted by the hustle and bustle of city life, but a very cozy town, with amazing landscape views and conveniently located university facilities. Siegen’s position on the map is also beneficial — if you feel like having “a change of scenery”, you can easily take a train to go and explore nearby cities, such as Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf and many others.

What is your final summary (so far)?

I have no regrets whatsoever for choosing to study at the University of Siegen. In terms of the educational programme, although it is extremely demanding (more so, since we have had online semesters because of the COVID-19 pandemic), I am satisfied with the cources’ content and the support that professors are willing to provide if students have questions or face difficulties throughout the classes. The pandemic has complicated a lot of things, and, of course, the lack of personal — offline — contacts is felt, but I think it’s a great achievement that the University has been able to maintain the high quality of education throughout these challenging times.