MSSM Student Elen Brutyan Shares Erasmus+ Experience in Belgium

2 min read

Elen Brutyan (MSSM ’19) spent the Fall semester at the University of Mons (UMONS) in Belgium, within the framework of the Erasmus+ project. She shared with us her expectations, experiences, and realizations during her mobility.

How did you benefit from the Erasmus+ exchange program?

The biggest benefit of the exchange program was the opportunity to experience the new culture. This completely changed my view about every aspect of life, broadened my horizons, and gave new perspectives. Due to this program I had a great opportunity to see the world from a new angle, to gain knowledge in very different fields, and have an unbelievable experience.

Why are such programs important for students?

As mentioned earlier, these kind of programs make students change their perspectives and views about almost every aspect of life. When living alone in a new culture and new environment, you get the opportunity of discovering yourself, finding new interests and revealing traits in you that you could not even imagine. Furthermore, living alone enables you to become a more independent and rely on yourself when solving different issues. Being out of your surroundings and “comfort zone” makes you more mature, as well as self-confident and self-reliable. And what is more important, these kind of programs make students more motivated and inspired both for their future career plans and for their personal goals.

What is one difference you noticed between education in Belgium and education in Armenia?

The most obvious difference is the attitude and the behavior of students in the classroom. Armenian students are much more interactive and tend to engage in all class discussions, while this was not the case in Belgium. Students there were hardly expressing their opinions or participating during the lectures.

What was the most important lesson you learned there?

The most important lesson that I have learned there is that no matter what kind of situation you are in, there is always a way out. Even if you are sure, that nothing is going to change and there is no solution to a certain problem or challenge, in fact, there is one, and you’ll come up with it once you believe.

What are your future plans?

For the near future, I am planning to stay in Armenia and continue my career path in the field of accounting and auditing. As regards my education, I am going to take the ACCA [the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants] exams and get the chartered analyst qualification. Most probably, I will come back to academic studies in the future when I decide to pursue another Masters degree abroad.