Both public universities are located in an urban environment— even if Moscow's population of 11.5 million more than doubles metro Atlanta's five million residents.
Founded in 1755, Moscow State was one of the many sites visited by GSU softball player Cassie Boese on her recent study abroad trip to Russia this past August.
Despite their apparent similarities, there also exist several noticeable differences between Moscow State and Georgia State— differences which underlay a deeper contrast in their respective nations.
“For one, it's free,” said Boese in reference to Moscow State. “It's very difficult to get into, but most students have their full tuition covered.”
About 85 percent of the total student body enjoys a free education. Most of the remaining 15 percent come from wealthy families who can afford to pay tuition. The Russian capital city has a wide disparity between its rich elite and destitute lower class— an issue rampant across the nation as a whole.
Another significant difference: no intercollegiate sports at Moscow State.
“There aren't many other big colleges in Russia,” said Boese. “I don't know who they would play.”
The senior from Middlebury, Ind., plays second base and designated player on the defending CAA champion softball team. The accounting major boasts a stellar 4.13 GPA and has been on the President's List every semester since coming to Georgia State.
Along with a group of twelve other students and two GSU professors, Boese spent a week in Saint Petersburg and then a week in the capitol city of Moscow studying International Tax and Business Management in Transition Economies.
“It's hard to describe it,” said Boese. “It's something you have to see. We visited Saint Basil's Cathedral, the Red Square, the Kremlin and Lenin's tomb. I feel like I know almost everything about Russian history now.”
For a nation with origins dating back almost a thousand years, Russia has a lot of history to learn. Still, it remains a nation increasingly striving to embrace its future.
The Soviet Union gave way to the Russian Federation in December 1991. Boese was born in 1990. This major political and economic upheaval occurred during the lifetime of many current GSU students.
But even twenty years later, it is a change Russia is still adapting to.
“Russian businesses are starting to branch out internationally,” said Boese. “But they look at the United States as a model for how to conduct business. Privatization is still relatively new over there. For them, the biggest challenge is changing their mentality. For years, they just made products for the sake of keeping busy. Now they have to worry about actually making money.”
In addition to the well-known national landmarks, the GSU class toured a number of international businesses including Coca-Cola, McDonald's, two accounting firms, two insurance companies and a Russian brewery.
This gave the students a chance to study the structure and management of these corporations, especially in how they compared to their American counterparts.
“There is a huge potential there right now,” she said. “But it's hard to harness it. It's very risky to invest in their economy right now, because there is still a lot of corruption and instability. But there are also a number of success stories.”
Boese explained that the difference in business practices is a reflection of the larger differences in culture. She focused on learning how the makeup of a population affects the makeup of business.
“People drive business,” she said. “This was a great chance to see a different culture and get a feel for the people and the decisions they make. The trip was a good mixture of business and culture.”
This disparity our two cultures means that not many American tourists travel to the former communist country. For some of us, the Cold War wasn't that long ago.
However, the unique nature of the destination was the precise reason that Boese decided make the trip.
“You never hear about someone going to Russia,” she said. “It's not a place I would have thought to go on my own. That's why I wanted study there — to go someplace different, unexplored by most people.”
