Ruslan Saleev
I’m from Kazan in Russia. I’m Tatar-Russian, the Tatars being one of the ethnicities present in Russia. I left my home country in 2015 to study at United World College of the Adriatic in Italy, when I was just 16 years old. After studying with people from more than 80 countries there, I began my journey with IE University.
“It was a challenging yet a very rewarding experience in all the possible spheres – personal, intellectual and professional.”
Ruslan is in his final year of the Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) at IE University, having been attracted to the program by the comparative law approach. He was keen to study multiple jurisdictions rather than focus on a single country, as he can analyze the similarities and differences between the different legal systems. In an increasingly globalized world, he says law firms are looking for people who can adapt quickly to fast-paced change and work beyond their own countries’ legal systems. IE University, he says, is doing a great job preparing him for just that.
What’s more, Ruslan was also struck by the unique opportunities the program provides to study dual degrees in collaboration with foreign institutions, and indeed obtained a second degree in English law from a university in the UK.
Having first heard about IE University through the scholarships they offer to UWC students—one of few European universities to do so—he set about discovering more about us. The case-based learning, the practicing lawyers on the faculty, and the great diversity on campus caught his attention. After the multicultural experience in Italy, the 140+ nationalities at IE University particularly appealed to him. IE University also offered Ruslan the chance to experience the different history and cultures of Segovia and Madrid.
Ruslan makes no secret of the fact that he would not have been able to come to Spain without a scholarship. He’s grateful for the “amazing” experiences he’s been able to enjoy as a result of that assistance, and in particular the support he received in his third year.
Nearing the end of his studies and able to look back and reflect on his IE experience, he describes it as challenging but rewarding in every possible sphere—personal, intellectual and professional. He says he has felt immense support from his peers, professors and staff members of the university. He points out that if you need help, whether academically, for advice during difficult times, or for career guidance, the community is there to back you up. This is not, he says, something you see in a typical university.
Comparing himself to how he was four years ago, he sees many differences. He has gained more friends, a wider network of connections, a lot of experience and fun, learned lessons, improved his soft skills and seen more doors open to him.
Certainly Ruslan has wasted little time, filling his spare hours with as much extracurricular activity as he could. In his first two years he participated in the Legal Clinic, gaining hands-on experience with real clients. He joined the IEU Theater Club in his second year, and even found time to set up his own club, the Cultural Diversity Club.
He also spent time exploring the history and cultural heritage of the Termantia or Tiermes area of Soria as part of the IEU Archaeological Camp, and has been a class representative and mentor with the IEU Mentorship Society. If all that’s not enough, Ruslan is also an IE Ambassador!
Professionally speaking, Ruslan says the great advantage of IE University is the number of opportunities to grow your network. In four years he says he has connected with people as far apart as Cuba, Jordan and Bulgaria, and met some outstanding legal professionals. He has helped some of those legal experts with their research and, being a member of the IE Honours Program, even worked in the Amazon as part of the Amazon Alexa Challenge 2021.
Ruslan threw himself into all these activities because, he says, he loves adventure and challenge, exploring the world and getting to know new people. IE University offered him all of that through the many extracurricular activities available, and Ruslan doesn’t hesitate to recommend them. If you’re willing to get involved in some interesting activity, try something new or improve some existing skills, IE University is sure to have something for you, he says. Believing that networking is the greatest force in the current labor market, Ruslan asserts that IE University is the place to grow your network and prepare yourself to be an outstanding professional.
Looking to the future, Ruslan is going to take some time out before he studies for a master’s degree. He’s looking for more practical experience first, to help him decide which direction he’ll take in future. He’s currently waiting on responses to applications he’s already made for traineeships. We wish him all the best.