Anna Mishchenko
Bachelor’s in Global Challenges, graduated in 2025
Coming from Ukraine, currently studying in Italy
interviewed by Michaela Nespěchalová, November 2025
1. What was your most memorable course in the Global Challenges program, and how did it change your perspective on global issues?
It’s very hard to choose only one course that changed my perspective on global issues, because the curriculum is developed to guide you thoroughly through literally ALL global challenges that our world is currently exposed to. However, I would like to outline “Globalization and its challenges”. Since this course is divided into three blocks, which guide you through political, social, and environmental aspects of global processes, you gain a multidimensional perspective on how our world is interconnected and what guides this interconnection. Additionally, each week, we wrote learning diaries that linked the knowledge to our personal reflections. I wanted to highlight this course because, first and foremost, it sheds light on the global processes that we are daily exposed to without even realizing it. Secondly, once you are able to critically reflect on it, the course transforms your worldview, or at least it happened in my case.
2. How did the combination of political science, sociology, and environmental studies prepare you for understanding complex global challenges?
This background gave me a lot of advantages, and right now, instead of just seeing “global” as an abstract concept, I actually understand how complicated these processes are in fact. From transnational motherhood, panoptican and power dynamics, Karl Marx and his vision of capitalism, to gender display, from social movements to fake news and disinformation, from environmental degradation to global migration and refugee crisis. And this is only a small part of what I have learned.
3. Which skills from the Global Challenges program do you use most in your current career or further studies?
Simply to say: theoretical knowledge, ability to write analytical essays/research by properly applying social science methodology, analyze scientific, sociological & political texts. I can also better engage with the audience during presentations, and my public speaking skills have improved significantly
4. What advice would you give to incoming international students about making friends and building a community at FSS?
Firstly, do not be afraid to live in a dormitory! Since I was renting a flat, most of the time I felt too comfortable to get out of my comfort zone and engage with others. Experience of living with other students and interacting with them in a nonformal environment daily is SO useful to feel part of a student community.
Secondly, to diversify your study experience and make it more enjoyable, I would highly suggest applying for ambassadorship. Since my friend was an ambassador of our program, I know that there are a lot of fun initiatives, dinner parties, and informational meetings for those who are ready to represent a degree program (as well as a monetary reward ).
Additionally, I would recommend attending events organized for ESN students, joining hiking to explore the surrounding nature with others, and supporting such local initiatives as the one developed by my colleagues, “World Bridge Initiatives”. It makes you closer not only to the FSS but to the Masaryk community in general and students from diverse disciplines.
Looking back, the degree of your participation and engagement within FSS and MUNI opens up a lot of networking opportunities, so don’t take it for granted.
5. How has your Global Challenges degree opened doors professionally or academically?
Right now, I am pursuing my studies at the University of Padova in European and Global Studies, with a focus on European politics. During the first month, I noticed how much knowledge I actually gained to be able to study in my 20s hand in hand with people who are at least 6 years older than me and who already worked in their respective fields. For example, during the “Global Policy-Making” class, we cover a lot of what I already know, which allows me not to get lost. I literally refer to my notes and state exam preparatory materials during some of the lectures, which helps a lot. Also, I hoped that I wouldn’t encounter Social Methodology courses in my life again, because I found them harder than others. But! We do have Social Methodology in my Master’s degree, and it builds on the knowledge that I (through struggling) gained, and right now I feel the most confident about this practical course than in some of the theoretical ones.
I am not overexaggerating by saying that our degree is structured perfectly, regarding the books and literature, as well as the disciplines that we are encountering. For now, a degree with a title “Global Challenges: Society, Politics and Environment” in my CV allowed me to join not only global student assemblies and associations, but also to be flexible and critical in regards to the topics that we discuss and assignments that we have to deliver. I feel that this multidimensional approach brought me to where I am now, and I already have some plans on how to move forward in my professional path (which is much harder to imagine when you are in the middle of social anthropology class, but it’s useful! I promise).
6. If you could go back, what would you tell yourself on your first day of the program?
I would have said: It’s worth it. I was afraid that this degree would be too general, but in the end, it was what made it special for me. You get a chance to learn so many things from not only one or two disciplines as in most programmes. Social anthropology, sociology, environmental issues, politics & security provide you with a necessary foundation to pursue your future studies in any field, and by “Any” I literally mean it. Looking back, I would just encourage myself to do what I actually did. Study at your own tempo, don’t compare your journey to others, and explore your interests together with the GlCb.