Bioinformatics and Systems Biology / Биоинформатика и системная биология

I completed my bachelor's degree in molecular biology at the University of Novi Sad (Serbia), in my hometown. After graduating I decided that I wanted to expand my skillset and learn more about programming and data science. This program would combine these skills with my previous education perfectly. The Bioinformatics and Systems Biology Master's program at ITMO University seemed the best choice, since it offers a comprehensive two year education in the field of bioinformatics, focusing firstly on grasping basics in programming and elementary bioinformatics data analysis before applying these basics to real-world data analyses in the second year, all while being set in an international environment in Russia's cultural capital, St. Petersburg. What I've enjoyed most while studying at ITMO is the emphasis on practical knowledge and hands-on teaching methods, which differs greatly from my previous education in Serbia, where the emphasis is placed mostly on theoretical knowledge. The teaching staff are very professional and dedicated. I was impressed by how important students' feedback was to directors of the program, not hesitating to immediately resolve any issues that would rarely arise. For instance, they did not hesitate to hire mentors for students, including myself, who felt a bit overwhelmed by math-heavy subjects in the first semester. Thanks to these mentors we managed to pass these subjects with good grades and learn a lot more than we could just with regular classes. Apart from the study process, my favorite perks of ITMO is its unique buddy system! Buddies are students of ITMO who volunteer to help international students get through their first weeks in Russia, helping with intimidating amounts of paperwork, health check-ups, and other hurdles before your student life begins. I would definitely recommend ITMO University to anyone who wants to study at one of the best universities for information technologies in Russia while experiencing student life in its most beautiful city, St. Petersburg!