First visiting Russia in 2000 after completing a BA in sociology at the University of British Columbia near his hometown in Vancouver, Canada, Gregory Sandstrom is currently a PhD Candidate at St. Petersburg State University (SPbGU) in the Faculty of Sociology. His academic background includes economics (BA) and philosophy (MA). He has written as a guest correspondent for the St. Petersburg Times newspaper since 2005. Mr. Sandstrom is also a part-time teacher at the SPbGU Faculty of Journalism. In 2005 he founded the Russian and International Student Education Network (RISEN), which brings together university students and recent graduates in a forum-like atmosphere at the Mayakovskaya Library in St. Petersburg. Mr. Sandstrom has lived in 5 countries, in Western Europe, Northwest Asia, Eastern Europe and North America in the past 12 years. His main interests in Russia include culture, religion and sport, rather than politics and business.