Promoting intercultural and academic student exchanges has always been an important part of school life at International School Savremena.  

This summer, three very successful and ambitious students from International School Savremena participated in the Kingdom Education (KE) Summer School project. Ana Jeremić, Matija Šarenac and Elena Ćuća went to the United States and Great Britain, where they experienced the academic life of students from the most prestigious colleges in the world, and immensely enjoyed the experience of meeting new people and discovering new cultures.

Strong competition

Although it was a challenge to become part of this summer programme, the procedure for visiting such renowned global universities was no easy task.

The principal of Savremena, Svetlana Belić Malinić, explained that the application procedure was very selective because Kingdom Education recruits top students from all over the world. The interview with the principal of Kingdom Education, Peter Chapple, was another great challenge for Savremena’s students, one which Ana, Matija and Elena responded to perfectly.

“I am very proud that Savremena has students who have had the opportunity to promote true educational values. In the world we live in, education has become marginal, but our students have shown that they are beyond average”, added Ms Belić Malinić.

Elena and Matija visit Cambridge, St Andrews University and London School of Economics

KE’s Summer Programmes promote both the exploration of the subjects and lively debates which proved to be challenging as well as valuable for our students.

Year 11 student Elena and Year 12 student Matija went to Great Britain where they visited Cambridge University and St Andrews University in Edinburgh. During the two weeks they spent there, they attended courses on leadership, and one course of their choice.

While Matija chose law, Elena went with natural sciences and chose a medical course.

Both of them made such choices because of their future career wishes – Matija would like to study law, while Elena is entertaining the idea of going to medical school. Matija believes that this summer school has been a most extraordinary experience, listening to exceptional educators and dedicated student mentors.

“Meeting interesting and very successful people from other countries kept me grounded and modest,” says Matija.

Furthermore, the participation in this programme allowed our students to make contacts paramount for their future academic development.

Matija and Elena also went on to visit London School of Economics, UCL and University of Sheffield.

According to Elena, the visit was beneficial, ”I really liked some of the universities that we visited, so even though I still have a lot of time before applying to university, I already have a few choices in mind.”

Apart from the courses they attended, the students also participated in numerous seminars on public speaking, the process of applying to a university, writing a personal statement, and interviews. Perhaps the most interesting encounter was the meeting with the scouting agency, with which Matija is planning to stay in contact and hopefully cooperate upon obtaining his A levels.

Meanwhile, Ana visits New York, Harvard, Yale, Umass and Columbia universities in USA

We believe that diverse experiences are vital for an all-encompassing scholarly insight.

While Matija and Elena stayed in Europe, Ana flew across the pond, and her home for two weeks was Umass University, in Amherst. Just like Matija, Ana attended a leadership course during her second week, but for the core subject she chose Business.

The lecturer who made every lesson a game made an extraordinary impression on Ana, with his innovative and approachable style of teaching. She spent the second week in New York visiting universities such as Columbia and NYU. She also visited Harvard, University of Boston and Yale.

In addition to the educational activities she participated in, Ana points out that the time she spent with her new friends was essential to her overall experience. Spending time with young people of different backgrounds was eye-opening and heartwarming.

”Half of my heart stayed in Umass with all of my friends. This is an experience I will carry with me for the rest of my life. My thanks go to my school as well as the Kingdom Education Foundation for all the beautiful memories and given opportunities”, said Ana.

Kingdom Education – learning about studying abroad

This year, the nonprofit Kingdom Education Foundation once again organised study programmes for all the students who speak English and wish to continue their education abroad.

During the two-week and three-week programmes, the students learnt about university life at numerous colleges, and acquired useful skills and knowledge in the areas of their interest.

Ana, Matija and Elena, representatives of International School Savremena, learnt the most useful skills necessary for a successful learning process, thus gaining invaluable experience. They met their peers from all over the world, discovered the beauty of various cultures and opened the door to a bright future.

Congratulations to Elena, Ana and Matija for receiving the scholarships this year. We are looking forward to seeing other recipients from our school next year!