‘I Have Always Respected the University’s Comprehensiveness and Inclusiveness’
Throughout July, students of the HSE International Summer University are studying Russian History and Behavioural Economics. The courses will take place in an online format—something that seemed unthinkable for a summer programme before the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent years have shown that online learning is a unique opportunity for students from all over the world to study with leading HSE University professors from the comfort of their own homes.
This summer, the course ‘A Glimpse of Russian History’ brought together a group of budding history scholars to look at Russian history from a new perspective with their lecturer Oleg Morozov from HSE Faculty of Humanities. This course introduces students to the social, cultural, and political history of Russia from the Muscovite Tsardom in the sixteenth century to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Since its launch at the Summer University, the course ‘A Glimpse of Russian History’ has enjoyed great popularity among history buffs, not least because studying the specifics of the Russian nation's historical development is an integral part of analysing the current socio-political situation not only in Russia, but on the entire Eurasian continent.
Rong Yuan, Leiden University, the Netherlands
‘HSE University has long been my dream university for many academic and personal reasons. I have always respected the university’s comprehensiveness and inclusiveness, and I have long admired the works of HSE University scholars. The course ‘A Glimpse of Russian History’ relates closely to my ongoing and past research experiences and interests. I enjoy the sincere and open-minded conversations in class and find all the reading materials Professor Morozov provided thought-provoking. The course design fits perfectly with my expectations to learn Russian history from a local perspective, and I’m genuinely grateful for this tremendously wonderful study experience at the Summer University.’
Oleg Morozov, Senior Lecturer of the course ‘A Glimpse of Russian History’
‘I am happy that the course "A Glimpse of Russian History" took place this year. As part of this course, foreign students study the political, social and cultural history of Russia in English, from the emerging ancient Slavic state to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. I have been teaching at the HSE International Summer University since 2018 and I always discover a lot of new things working with students from other countries. When planning the course, I try to maintain a reasonable balance between texts, music and films, making lectures and seminars as informative as possible and at the same time easy to learn, because for many students, these classes are their first introduction to Russian history. I like how as part of our discussions, they naturally compare historical events in Russia with those in their respective countries. During such discussions, I myself learn a lot. I like to complete my course with educational walks around Moscow or a visit to a museum, but this has been third time we’ve had to work online without being able to meet in person. Despite this, I am glad that our work continues and that students from different universities from all over the world come to HSE University to gain new knowledge.’
‘Behavioural Economics’ is another course that will take place at this year’s the Summer University. Having a deep and broad understanding of behavioural patterns, improving one’s decision-making approaches, and making better decisions are essential skills in modern life whether you are a consumer, a producer, or a politician. This is why ‘Behavioural Economics’ classes are consistently popular with students from all over the world regardless of their academic programme track at their home university. This year, the course will be taken by students in regional and global studies, economics and business.
Nadezhda Shilova, Associate Professor of the course ‘Behavioural Economics’
‘It's such a pleasure to restart summer lectures. Summer students are usually the ones who are the most willing to study and work, so it's always inspiring to work with them. They are active, they are "present", they are interested in the topic, they do all the homework, and they offer good ideas and answers that let me think over some topics again. I'm glad we are back, and I'm already thinking of possible new courses for next year!’
Oleg Morozov
Senior Lecturer, School of History
Nadezhda Shilova
Associate Professor, Vysokovsky Graduate School of Urbanism
See also:
‘We Have Always Loved You, Sakhalin’: Research Expedition Studies Sociocultural Anthropology of Miners' Working Life in the USSR
Researchers from the School of Foreign Languages and the Group for Historical Research, together with students of the History programme at the HSE University campus in Perm, have come back from an expedition to Sakhalin Island, where they studied Soviet industrial culture and the working life of miners. The expedition participants shared their impressions of their ‘immersion into the past’ and the extraordinary landscapes of the island with the HSE News Service.
Funny Pictures of Difficult Era
The first major Soviet publisher of children's literature, Raduga, was established a century ago and featured the debuts of many authors who would later go on to become famous, as well as illustrations by prominent artists. Based on a research paper by Marina Sazonenko, graduate of the HSE Doctoral School of Art and Design, IQ.HSE examines how — and why — the illustrations in Soviet periodicals for children changed over time.
‘There Is Something Inherently Interesting in People Who Break the Mainstream Norm’
This December, HSE University’s Poletayev Institute for Theoretical and Historical Studies in the Humanities hosted Professor Juliane Fürst, from Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History, who gave a lecture about Soviet hippies and the Soviet Flower Power. In an interview with HSE News Service, Professor Fürst spoke about her interest in Soviet subcultures and her research plans.
‘Boundaries of History’ Seminar Starts New Season of Meetings
On September 30, Stephen Riegg, Assistant Professor of History of the Texas A&M University, presented his book Russia’s Entangled Embrace: The Tsarist Empire and the Armenians, 1801-1914 at the first seminar of this year’s Boundaries of History series.We spoke with Professor Alexander Semyonov, the seminar chair and the Director of the HSE Centre for Historical Research, about the goals of the seminar and to Stephen Riegg about his research.
European Values: From the Discovery of America to the First World War
The English-language course ‘Europe and the World, ca. 1500 to 1914’ has launched on Coursera. Its author, Andrey Iserov, Deputy Dean for International Affairs at the HSE Faculty of Humanities, examines a historical span of four centuries during which European states reached the peak of their economic, military, and political power. Students of the course will learn how the independence of Hispanic America by the mid-1820s influenced China, what caused the religious schism in Western Christianity in the 16th century, and how European colonial policy developed.
‘The Past Is Never Dead. It's Not Even Past’
This summer, the HSE Centre for the History and Sociology of World War II and Its Consequences was reorganized to become the HSE Institute for Advanced Soviet and Post-Soviet Studies. Oleg Budnitskii, Doctor of Historical Sciences, head of the Centre and director of the Institute, talked to the HSE News Service about the new division.
HSE International Summer University to Offer Lectures in Partnership with Pompeu Fabra University
As a part of long-standing cooperation between HSE University and the Pompeu Fabra University, this summer, International Summer University in collaboration with Barcelona International Summer School (BISS) will organize a series of open lectures for participants of both summer programmes. Some of HSE Summer University courses are still open for registration.
Summer University to Be Held Online Second Year in a Row
International students from all over the world can enroll in HSE University’s summer programme, choosing from a wide range of courses that will be delivered via Zoom from June 20 till August 20, 2021. This year, Summer University is offering new courses, tuition fee discounts, and networking opportunities. Application deadline is May 20, 2021.
Exploring the History of Places and Environment in Russia
The collective volume Place and Nature: Essays in Russian Environmental History, co-edited by David Moon, Nicholas B. Breyfogle, and HSE researcher Alexandra Bekasova, was recently presented at a seminar of the Laboratory for the Environmental and Technological History of the Centre for Historical Research at HSE – St. Petersburg. The book is one of the fruits of a networking project carried out in 2013-2016 with active participation of HSE researchers.
Conference Brings Together New Perspectives on the Russian Far East
On March 28-31, 2021, the HSE International Laboratory ‘Russia’s Regions in Historical Perspective’ held an international conference ‘The Russian Far East: Regional and Transnational Perspectives (19th -21st cent.)’. The event was jointly organized by the Laboratory with the German Historical Institute Moscow, Indiana University Bloomington (USA), and the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Peoples of the Far East FEB RAS (Vladivostok).