Admissions Story: First Class, Travel, and Student Opportunities at KBSU

Kabardino-Balkarian State University named after Kh.M. Berbekov is a place where students acquire not only professional skills but also the opportunity to explore their creative potential. This is precisely what happened to Stanislav Pak, a student majoring in Chemical Engineering at KBSU’s Institute of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Here, he rose from humble beginnings as a first-year student to the chairman of the Institute of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (IMiEN) trade union.

«My parents have always supported me in every endeavor,» Stanislav says. «As a child, I dreamed of sports: my mother immediately enrolled me in table tennis. I trained seriously for three years, but ultimately, that path didn’t work out. And you know, they never once said, ‘Why did you need that?’ They were just there for me.» Family support remains important to Stanislav today: he combines his studies at KBSU with amateur directing and music, and his family always encourages him in all his endeavors.

«My mother still tells me, ‘Don’t give up on creativity, try to pursue it professionally.’ And it means a lot to me to know that my passions are taken seriously,» he shares.
Stanislav was a good student at school. In high school, he became seriously interested in ecology. He realized that solving environmental problems was impossible without a deep knowledge of chemistry. After reviewing the programs offered, he chose Chemical Engineering—a major where engineering solutions meet environmental concerns. But the question of where to enroll remained open.

«I was deciding between the D. I. Mendeleyev University of Chemical Technology of Russia (RUCTU) in Moscow and KBSU. I weighed everything and decided to stay in my hometown. Before applying, I knew almost nothing about KBSU. But after just a couple of months, I realized it was the right move.»
Stanislav’s first days at university weren’t easy. He gradually adapted to the new environment, the new people, and the new learning format.

«My first class at KBSU was held under the motto: ‘How I long to go home,'» he recalls with a smile. «At school, I was on my own, didn’t really socialize, but at university, I was able to express myself in a different way. I discovered skills I never even knew I had: the ability to organize, lead, and speak in front of people.»
Stanislav’s greatest discovery was the student opportunities—the atmosphere and people who helped him believe in himself.

His public career at KBSU developed rapidly. He worked in the HARMOS psychology club and rose from deputy chairman of the student council for media to chairman of the IMIEN trade union bureau.

In his free time, Stanislav travels around his native Kabardino-Balkaria: Elbrus, the Blue Lakes, and the Chegem Falls. And in a few days, he’s going to the Kanzhal Plateau to observe the Perseid meteor shower.

«Our Kabardino-Balkaria is one big «It’s a landmark,» says Stanislav. «Wherever you go, especially outside the cities, amazing views open up everywhere. You don’t have to travel thousands of kilometers to see something incredible. You just have to step outside your door.»