The new video begins in Tokyo, where the 24-year-old medical graduate grew up. Always tempted to study abroad, she faced a difficult decision in her final year of secondary school: Where do I study? And in keeping with the video’s motto – “choose your own path” – she then decided which university in Europe or America she would choose.
In the end, she chose Masaryk University thanks to its good international reputation, positive reviews from international students and easier recognition of her degree in Japan. “I certainly have no regrets; I made a very good choice. I say this despite the fact that the Simulation Centre (SIMU) at the Faculty of Medicine, where students can try out more complex medical procedures on advanced simulators and manikins before performing them in a real hospital, was not even open when I started. Thanks to SIMU, my studies at Masaryk University took on a different dimension. For me, it is one of the best places in Europe to study medicine,” says Tuhina.
The six years of her studies in Brno went by very quickly. After her state final examination, she received an unexpected offer she just couldn’t refuse. As part of MU’s work with graduates, she was approached by the Centre for International Cooperation and asked if she would like to be the face of a new promotional video for international applicants.
“I couldn’t have wished for a better way to finish my studies. In June, I spent three busy days with the film crew. We filmed in various locations – in the city centre, at Špilberk Castle, in cafés, in the library, in lecture halls, in the corridors of the University Campus and in the Simulation Centre, where I also showed a surgical procedure in the operating theatre. Although it was a very challenging three days, I enjoyed the shoot from start to finish. It’s been an amazing experience – I didn’t expect to meet so many new people and visit other faculties and interesting places at the end of my studies,” says Tuhina.
Video showcases Brno and the diversity of studies at MU
The one-and-a-half minute video promotes not only the Faculty of Medicine, but also other faculties and programmes. In addition to Tuhina, the video features 11 other student ambassadors from other MU faculties with different majors – from Business, Social Sciences and Humanities, to Media and Computer Science, to Science and Pharmacy. The video gradually introduces the variety of subjects that international students can choose from.
But the video also shows Brno as a colourful student city full of culture, sports, cafés and restaurants. In one of them, Tuhina orders her favourite Czech dish, beef sirloin with cream sauce and four dumplings, which she then shares on her Instagram food blog @judgemental_tuna.
“I love food and cooking, so five years ago I started a food blog on Instagram, where I review dishes I’ve had in Brno restaurants. For me it was a break from my demanding studies, and I ended up enjoying it a lot. Not only was it a great opportunity to catch up with friends and discover new restaurants in the city, but it was also a perfect way to meet the locals. Thanks to the food blog, I discovered a great sushi restaurant where the sushi is made by a Czech chef who returned to the Czech Republic after living in the UK for over 30 years. It’s my favourite place, and I go there so often that the owner and I have become good friends. And his sushi is probably even better than the sushi I know from Japan,” says Tuhina, laughing.
The promotional video ends in the same way that Tuhina used to get together with her friends – over a good meal in one of the local restaurants. All the student ambassadors in the video meet for a barbecue in the Špilberk Castle park, but Tuhina is missing. One of her friends texts her asking where she is. The camera cuts back to the beginning of the video – to Japan and to the moment when Tuhina decided to study at Masaryk University. Tuhina takes out her mobile phone and replies to her friend: “I’m on my way.”
The crew and Tuhina also filmed in Tokyo
“I liked the idea behind the video from the start. It was brilliant to take the viewer from my home to the place where I wanted to study, and at the end to return to the moment when I decided to study at Masaryk University. I don’t think there will be many promotional videos out there with a similar idea,” says Tuhina with a smile.
After filming in Brno, Tuhina had a three-day shoot in Tokyo, where a two-person camera crew visited her in August. They were joined for the day by Tuhina’s brother Adi, who has just finished his first year of film school in Los Angeles. Like her parents, he was very excited about Tuhina being the star of the video and didn’t want to miss the opportunity to watch the professionals at work. “Filming in Tokyo was also a great experience for me. I was happy to be able to show them around the city, and that we went to shoot at my favourite place, Mount Takao. One day there was a big thunderstorm in the area, so the crew got to experience all that Japan is known for – as well as the hustle and bustle of the big city and the heat, we had two small earthquakes that led to a tsunami warning,” says Tuhina.
And while the crew returned to Brno after the shoot, Tuhina stayed in Tokyo. Her plans are to do an internship in a cancer clinic and to prepare for the exams to get a licence to practise medicine in Japan. However, she does not rule out the possibility of moving to Brno for work one day, as she already misses the city very much.
Choose your own path
- The new video intended for international promotion was filmed at MU faculties and at several locations in Brno. It is unique in that for three days the crew filmed also in Tokyo. The cameramen even experienced a weak earthquake there.
- The main face of the video is Tuhina Mishra, a medical graduate from Japan. Of the international students from outside Europe, Japanese students are the largest group. So MU intentionally chose Tuhina, who has long been involved in various activities of the university, as an ambassador of the Faculty of Medicine. Tuhina was also just about to take her final exams, which enabled MU to smoothly establish cooperation with her in the alumni programme.
- In addition, the video features 11 other student ambassadors who are studying economics, humanities, natural sciences, pharmacy or computer science at Masaryk. They come from Italy, India, Cameroon, Myanmar, Germany, Norway, Portugal and Zimbabwe.
- In the upcoming years, MU plans to use the video clip in social media and search engine campaigns, as well as at international study fairs around the world.
“It’s hard to believe the difference between how I felt when I moved to Brno six years ago and how I feel now. The first year in Brno was a big culture shock for me. I wasn’t used to trams in the streets or the fact that shops aren’t open 24 hours a day. There was also the language barrier, the lack of Asian shops and restaurants, and very demanding studies. At the time, I even considered dropping out, but fortunately I didn’t. Today, I can imagine moving to Brno for work. The city has changed in an amazing way; there are many foreigners and great and warm people. It’s just a great place to study and live,” concludes Tuhina Mishra.
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