From April 8–11, 2026, the Senezh Management Workshop hosted an educational program for 93 student bloggers representing 32 countries. Participants were winners of WOW!RUSSIA!, a special project organized by the National Priorities Autonomous Non-Profit Organization. The competition invited international students enrolled at Russian universities to create the most engaging social media posts about student life and academics in Russia—published in their native languages.
Nariman Bazarov from Turkmenistan, a third-year full-time Management student at Financial University's Penza Branch, was recognized as a prize winner of the WOW!RUSSIA! competition.
"The WOW!Russia! Media Workshop was one of the most memorable highlights not just of this year, but of my entire time studying in Russia—in Penza specifically. Those few days were filled with creativity, meaningful connections, an inspiring atmosphere, and, of course, encounters with incredible people. One of the most significant moments was meeting Olga Petrova, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. Our open dialogue about supporting international student initiatives and the relevance of media communication projects helped shape my future direction and sparked fresh ideas.
Another key speaker was Pablo Iturralde, Director of the Advanced Engineering School for Technological Leadership at FDR, who shared his personal journey from Ecuador to Russia, his passion for engineering, insights on higher engineering education in Russia, and the sources that fuel his professional and personal growth.
The program was packed with value: immersive sessions on Russia's visual identity with Vyacheslav Pravdzinsky, storytelling techniques from Maria Sharova, deep dives into content tools and AI's impact with the National Priorities team, and a personal branding masterclass by Roman Levshin.
Huge thanks to Senezh, WOW!Russia!, and Financial University for this amazing opportunity. Taking part in the project gave me a wealth of ideas and the motivation to keep moving forward," shared Nariman.
Financial University congratulates Nariman on his success in this nationwide project and thanks him for proudly representing our university within the international student community!
