Liberal Arts of Humanities Means More Freedom and Possibilities

Jhonatann Calderon Segovia is a first-year Liberal Arts of Humanities BA programme student who has fallen in love with Estonia and would like to use the knowledge gained at Tallinn University to create a network between his home town in Italy and Estonia.

Jhonatann, student

How did you first learn about Estonia?

Before moving here, I did not know much about Estonia, only that it is situated very far north and is bordered by  Russia. My decision to move to Tallinn was destined by fate. I had to do an internship abroad and my options were Romania, Turkey and Estonia. In the end, I chose Tallinn and I do not regret it.

Please tell more about your life before moving to Estonia.

I moved to Tallinn because I had to do an internship after finishing a training course in Italy. I had a very quiet life. I lived in a small town in northern Italy and worked in a factory on European and municipal projects.

Why did you decide to apply to Liberal Arts of Humanities programme?

I decided to stay in Tallinn after living for almost two years in Estonia. I participated in a European volunteer project (EVS) for a year and then took part of an Italian project (Eures) for six months. I learnt that the Estonian higher education model was very different from the Italian one. It is more dynamic and offers more freedom. Therefore, I decided to take on this new adventure and I am very content with this study programme. I have a freedom to choose from a variety of courses, which would not be possible with other degree programmes. Also, I now have a support that I did not have before.

Which courses and lecturers have inspired you the most so far?

One of the courses that interested me the most was Estonian society course where I had the opportunity to get a better understanding of the country I live in, studying it from a sociopolitical point of view. Lecturer Nikolai Kunitson has a very fascinating way of talking about this topic and he made me more interested in the reality of this country. The other course I enjoyed was Chinese language by teacher Zhuoya Wu. I would like to continue with the module of Asian studies and that was one of my elective courses.

What has pleasantly surprised you while studying at Tallinn University?

Since I took the entrance exam, I have found that the academic staff here is always available and very nice. The faculty has created a special course "Studying at the University: Introduction to the Humanities," which helps students to understand how the university works and how to choose our elective modules. I think it is a great advantage. Also, Internationalisation Coordinator Maris Peters is always available to help you solve any problem.

What do you like about Tallinn/ Estonia?

Three years ago when I arrived in Tallinn, I fell in love with this fairytalelike city, which is not too big and where everything is close to you. I fell in love with the culture and also the strange language Estonians speak. Estonia is a country to be discovered gradually - it slowly makes you see what it can offer you.

What are your plans for the future?

In my near future, I would like to create my own association that will work with European projects and a network between my home town in Italy and Estonia. Exchange projects will help to bring here a piece of Italy and show the beauty of Estonia to the world.

To whom and why would you recommend this degree programme?

What does it mean to study Liberal Arts? It means freedom and dynamics, possibilities and support. I recommend this course to everybody! Really, you have so many options to choose from: anthropology, Estonian studies, Asian studies, Russian, history, literature, etc. If you cannot find something you are really passionate about, try mixing different courses.

Learn more about the Liberal Arts of Humanities programme here.

Jhonatann gave an interview to Estonian Public Broadcasting. Read here