This is yet another presentation by the participants of the online project "Same or Different: Topical Social and Cultural Problems of Youth in Russia and Germany", which is meant to support the student exchanges between Volgograd and Cologne.

What was your inspiration for taking part in the project – and why did you choose to do it together?

Elvek Gabunshin:

"We were inspired to take part in the project by the fact that:

- firstly, it is an opportunity to share with a large audience our worldview and our opinion on this issue;

- secondly, it is, of course, an opportunity to gain new experience and new knowledge.

Despite the fact that each person is unique in their own way, we are more than just a team, we are a union in which all members complement each other".

Julia Kurochkina:

"There comes a moment, sometime between doing your homework, writing qualification papers or academic articles, when you just want to 'take a break'. This competition became a kind of the creative break that we had been looking for. Almost three years ago, we found in each other the people who share similar thoughts, plans and ideas. We felt comfortable discussing our ideas and later bringing them to life, and so we became a great team".

Anna Rykova:

"Participation in the project is, first of all, an opportunity to prove oneself through interaction with the team in the creation of a new idea, as well as to put one's talents to a good use and uncover one's artistic potential. Each of our team members has an incredibly interesting personality. We have a similar attitude to work and a similar idea of what makes for a universally acceptable approach to the process, so working on such a project was nothing but pleasure, with zero difficulties".

What are the most fundamental values in your own lives? What was it that helped you shape them – the education process or something else?

Elvek Gabunshin:

"In my life, the main values are, most likely, perseverance and diligence. In more ways than one, I owe this to dancing, which used to be my childhood hobby. Dancing opened to me a new and exciting world where one can simply enjoy everything that's happening. And I wish you to find in your life something that you, too, will truly cherish, something that will support you even when it feels like 'there is no way out'".

Julia Kurochkina:

"To me, the fundamental value has always been my family, my relatives and friends, who always believe in me and are proud of me and my achievements. They are always by my side and ready to give me their support. Whatever I'm doing, whatever I'm working hard upon, I'm doing it, first and foremost, for them, for our future. And it is to my family that I owe everything I have."

Anna Rykova:

"To me, one of the important values is maintaining a balance: managing your own decisions and being able to make the most rational choice in each particular life sphere. One of the key factors influencing a person's life balance is how exactly one comes to develop into the person one currently is. The process of socialization plays an important role in it, and it is largely realized through education."

How did the new digital changes in the educational process affect your student life and attitude towards it?

Elvek Gabunshin:

"In my opinion, digital changes have had a positive impact on my student life. After all, digitalization offers us:

- firstly, an unlimited amount of knowledge freely available to everyone;

- secondly, the opportunity to study any information independently;

- thirdly, the way for people to integrate into any social group based on its members' skills, abilities, principles, etc., which, subsequently, makes it possible for them to communicate and share their knowledge with each other."

Julia Kurochkina:

"Student life has become more fulfilling and advanced in all its manifestations. Thanks to digitalization, we now have the opportunity to educate ourselves in any area and, more importantly, to express ourselves likewise. At our age, it's not just a cool thing to do, it's a necessity – being not afraid, for example, to express your opinion or suggest something new and exciting, something that everyone will find interesting.

Anna Rykova:

"Digital technologies and their integration into the educational process, in my opinion, make up a unique opportunity to further one's knowledge in specific life spheres, as well as the opportunity to not educate ourselves academically, but also discover new methods for comprehensive personal development, to broaden one's horizons and shape one's worldview, as well as to obtain the skills and knowledge we need to become true professionals."