Vilhelmiina Vekkeli - IMESS Politics and Security

Vilhelmiina Vekkeli - IMESS Politics and Security 2012-14

I reflect on my time in the IMESS programme with great warmth and sense of accomplishment. For the two years we spent together, our group of students and professors felt like a family, and it was a joy to experience the East European cultures and learn together. I still remain friends with many of my classmates.

We have found employment in many different fields from NGOs to finance, and political risk consulting to journalism. Professionally IMESS gave me the subject field knowledge needed in my career, as well as general knowledge on many disciplines from statistics to international relations.

Perhaps the most useful contribution of IMESS was the wide network of professionals that I was able to cultivate through the programme. Without the NGO internship during my study, as well as the professional level Russian i reached in Moscow, I doubt I would have been employed in the position I am now. 

Current occupation: Specialist on Economic Development, United Nations Development Programme, Dushanbe, Tajikistan