Before coming to Estonia, every previous intern I spoke to told me how special the Baltics are. After spending the summer in Tartu, I can confirm that they were absolutely right. When I wasn\u2019t in the office, I was taking long walks along the river, trying too many pastries in the cafes of Old Town, exploring museums and historical sites, and simply soaking up the long summer sun. At the Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies, I had the opportunity to pursue a wide range of interests under the mentorship of Piret Ehin and Dmytro Khutkyy. For my article in the political science column of the Estonian national newspaper\u00a0Rus.Postimees,\u00a0I interviewed China scholars from Stanford and the University of Tartu, examining how perceptions of China differ between Estonia and the United States, shaped by factors such as Taiwan, economic and technological competition, and Beijing\u2019s relationship with Moscow. I also analyzed Ukraine\u2019s proposed Civil Code and its implications for the nation\u2019s EU accession process for the\u00a0Ukrainian Analytical Digest, which gave me valuable insight into comparative politics, Ukrainian domestic reform, and EU integration. Above all, my experience over the past eight weeks has fostered an immense appreciation for the Baltic region\u2014its history, people, and identity. Thank you (or Ait\u00e4h!) to Kadri and VABAMU for organizing trips to Tallinn, Riga, and Vilnius, allowing me to immerse myself in the resilience, stories, and culture of this beautiful corner of the world. I will definitely be back soon!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Before coming to Estonia, every previous intern I spoke to told me how special the Baltics are. After spending the summer in Tartu, I can confirm that they were absolutely right. When I wasn\u2019t in the office, I was taking long walks along the river, trying too many pastries in the cafes of Old Town, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":15879,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-15878","testimonials","type-testimonials","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n