Research Seminar and Projects
Training of practical skills
Students in the PA bachelor’s programme acquire practical skills through different forms of studythat are set down in the “Statute on the project and research activities and internships of students atHSE”
- The research seminar acquaints students with basic research skills, working with texts,searching for information, formatting papers according to specific standards, and designingresearch work (making a hypothesis, substantiating it and expounding an argument). Theresults obtained at research seminars are developed and tested in term papers.
In addition, students combine their studies with research (particularly, with the Institute of Public Administration and Solovyev Institute of Procurement and Sales Management), conferences,seminars, research project competitions and work in research labs (such as the Centre for Studies of theCivil Society and Non-Profit Sector and the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Research in the Non-ProfitSector), research and study groups (including the study and research group “Results-Based Management2.0”) and published in academic journals and proceedings.
- Specialization projects reinforce acquired knowledge and competencies throughspecialization in practical work. Student participation in real projects implemented at HSE research subdivisions and departments can count as a specialization project on the conditionthat the student makes an independent contribution to some aspect of the project. Theindependence of his contribution is evaluated by the project director. Project work issupported by the project seminar.
Project work has been one of main elements of study in HSE bachelor’s programmes since 2014. Project work consists of out-of-class activities in which students participate in study, research orprofessional projects implemented at or outside of the university. A project may be proposed by any HSE subdivision engaging in research, analytic, consulting, expert evaluation, administrative or other activity.
Each project is assigned a certain number of credits that students receive after projectcompletion. Service projects have the lowest number of credits (and students can earn at most 25% ofthe necessary number of credits in such projects) yet do not require detailed reports on project results.
Work on one or more projects is assigned 9 credits (342 hours). After completing it, students geta mark that is just as important as a mark on a pass/fail or graded examination. All of this sets projectwork apart from traditional student internships.
A key aspect of project work is the assessment of project results and of the student’scontribution.
In theoretical and applied research projects, the result can be assessed using external criteriasuch as the publication of an article, the confirmation of predicted results, changes in observedcharacteristics, etc. Nevertheless, the most effective and preferred method of project evaluation is itspublic defence before the client. For a service project, this is not required.
The assessment of a student’s contribution to the project may or may not coincide with theassessment of the project result. In the latter case, the number of earned credits depends on thestudent’s fulfillment of his project targets, respect of deadlines, etc.
The curriculum of the Public Administration programme promotes student research. Studentssign up for projects already during the 2016-2017 academic year through the Project Fair.
HSE student project work has two aims: introducing students to real employers and giving theman opportunity to apply acquired knowledge, skills and know-how for executing tasks aimed at concreteresults.
Project work is organized as follows:
- The client formulates a statement of work (SW), provides information and organizes theworking process at the organization/subdivision
- HSE publishes the SW on its information resource (“Project Fair”)
- Students select a project on the basis of the SW; at the same time, students are selectedaccording to SW requirements
- A team of students is created for project work under the supervision of a faculty member(curator)
- The project is implemented in cooperation with the client and with the participation of thecurator
- After the project’s completion, the project team reports the results to the client, who gives amark to project execution
- On the basis of the client’s evaluation, the project curator gives differentiated marks toparticipating students
The HSE School of Public Administration and the Ministry of Economic Development of theRussian Federation have launched partner projects that are opening new prospects for studentinternships. On October 6, 2016, the first meeting on project work with the participation of studentstook place at the Russian Ministry of Economic Development.