“Без труда не вытащишь и рыбку из пруда” (“You can’t even catch a fish from the pond without effort”) — this Russian proverb means that nothing can be achieved by simply waiting; one must put in effort to accomplish anything. Just like the proverb, there is an alumni association born out of effort and consideration: the Russia Alumni Association at Pusan National University (PNU), established in September 2024.

The Russia Alumni Association is currently composed of more than 30 Russian students and is actively engaged in various activities. To hear more about the founding process and plans of the association, “Channel PNU” conducted a written interview on February 14th with Mariia Trefilova (School of Global Studies, 23), President of the Russia Alumni Association, and Marianna Burdova (School of Global Studies, 22), Vice President.

Q. Please introduce yourselves.

A. Mariia Trefilova: Hello, I’m Mariia, president of the Russia Alumni Association at PNU. I’m responsible for official tasks such as event planning and management, budget management, and also serve as a liaison with the PNU International office.  I also share university information so our members don’t miss out on campus events and opportunities. The Russia Alumni Association was established for the first time in PNU’s history last semester, and I believe it’s meaningful as the first official Russian student community. I will do my best to further develop the association and help Russian students feel a greater sense of belonging.

Marianna Burdova: I’m Marianna, vice president of the Russia Alumni Association at PNU. Since the association was only recently founded, I’ve been working with President Maria on event planning, uploading content to the university’s alumni website, and communicating with members. I’ve studied at PNU for three years, and it was often lonely not to be able to meet other Russian students due to the lack of a community. Now that we have an alumni association, it feels great to have a space where everyone can come together and not feel isolated.

Q. What led to the creation of the alumni association?

A. In the second semester of last year, the PNU International suggested forming a Russia Alumni Association. I volunteered to take charge because I wanted to leave a meaningful mark in PNU’s history. But the process was quite complex. I contacted all the Russian students currently enrolled at PNU and gathered the necessary information for establishing the association. I also prepared the required documents to submit to PNU International. After putting in a lot of effort, we were able to unite over 30 Russian international students into a single community. Thankfully, all the members unanimously elected us as the executive team.

Q. What was the original vision when you started the association? And if you faced any challenges during the formation, how did you overcome them?

A. Since the association was established just last semester, the biggest challenge was bringing Russian students together. At first, we weren’t sure how active the members would be or how operations would unfold, so we had to proceed carefully. Every time we planned an event, we directly asked the students for their preferred time, place, and type of activity. By listening to their voices and incorporating their feedback, we made steady progress. Going forward, we plan to provide a list of activities to members in advance and organize events based on the most-voted option to better reflect their opinions.

Q. What kinds of events are held by the association? 

A. Studying abroad can be challenging, especially when you don’t have friends from your home country — it can feel lonely and difficult. That’s why last semester, we focused on strengthening bonds between members. We hosted a board game night and organized a group dinner before finals so students could relieve stress and spend quality time together. Many members told us it was a great opportunity to form new friendships.

More recently, we held an orientation and provided a guide for new students. The event introduced PNU and offered helpful tips and advice about student life. We plan to continue organizing more cultural events and networking activities to further strengthen our community.

Q. Do you have any upcoming plans for future activities?

A. When we first founded the Russia Alumni Association, our goal was to create a space where Russian students could support each other and share their experiences. We also wanted to build a long-term network that could benefit not just current students, but also future Russian alumni. At the beginning, we focused on organizing casual and fun gatherings like Korean BBQ and games such as pool, to help bring everyone together.

Starting this semester, as the community grows, we plan to hold larger-scale events. Based on member feedback, we’re planning various activities such as a cherry blossom picnic, a yacht trip, a biking event, a sports competition, and a drone show outing. As the community continues to expand, we also want to create opportunities for networking between current students and Russian alumni who have graduated from PNU.

Q. Lastly, what do you hope the Russia Alumni Association will look like in ten years?

A. I hope that in 10 years, the Russia Alumni Association will have grown into a vibrant community built on strong bonds and mutual support. I envision a network where Russian students — from the moment they step foot in Korea — can reach out to someone for advice or help whenever they need. I also hope the association will not only participate in local events but also take part in university-wide or even larger-scale activities. I hope this community will keep expanding each year and to provide a lasting environment of connection and support for all Russian students at PNU.

Reporter Thadar-Soe

Translated by Thadar-Soe