Stanford + HSE: Endless Possibilities for Co-operation
On July 28th a meeting between HSE and the U.S. Department of Education representatives took place, dedicated to the ongoing collaborative project between the Higher School of Economics and Stanford University.
The 2-year programme started in August 2008 when the HSE received a grant from the Russian Ministry of Education and Science for the development of a joint Russian-American educational programme in the field of global economics. Three departments of Stanford University have become partners of the HSE:the School of Education, the Center for International Development and the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies.
On the American side, the programme is funded by the U.S. Department of Education Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), and the Foundation's Director Ralf Hines and the project curator Krish Mathur came to Moscow to see the first results of the collaboration.
At the HSE, the American delegation held meetings with the HSE First Pro-Rector Vadim Radayev, the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs Dean Sergey Karaganov, and the Russian curators of the project. According to Mr. Hines, the experience of this collaboration will be extended to other American institutes. He also emphasized that the money FIPSE spends on educational programmes in Russia and other countries is not viewed as charity, but investment. "The experience acquired during the implementation of these programmes will be used for the improvement of the U.S. educational system and the development of educational programmes targeted at scientific research, technology, engineering, mathematics and teachers'training"- Hines said. "Such steps aim to stimulate new ideas and projects in U.S. universities and their subsequent spread and implementation throughout the country".
In January 2009 a group of HSE experts visited Stanford, and this September a "Stanford University Week"will be held in Moscow. As part of this, several American professors will give lectures and master-classes at the HSE;and Stephen Krasner, one of the leading American experts in international relations will visit.
Management of Stanford University have also suggested that the Russian side can benefit from the American universities'and Economic Faculties'experience in terms of enrollment and the training of students in economic studies and their further employment. Ralf Hines mentioned that a mutual expertise in curricula and educational programmes should improve the competitive ability of the graduates in Russia as well as in the USA.
The Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies has confirmed its intention to organize a series of workshops for Stanford students in order to stimulate American students'interest in studying both the Russian language and economy.
Another major stage of the HSE and Stanford University collaboration will be the creation of joint online courses, available to users from other Russian universities, as well as the development of distance education in general. American partners have expressed a major interest in these projects.
According to the programme's curator, Associate Professor of the HSE Department of International Economic Organizations and European Integration, Natalia Vinokurova, since the beginning of the collaboration a year ago, the main focus has been on the development of the master's programme in world economics at the HSE, development of new courses on the economics of education, human capital and resources, and environmental economics.
Krish Mathur and Ralf Hines expressed their hope that the HSE and the Stanford University collaboration will extend beyond the duration of the government grants. Sergey Karaganov confirmed that the HSE is actively building its own connections with Stanford. "I hope that we shall exchange not only students, but young experts and teachers as well"- Karaganov said. Oleg Seregin, HSE Web News Service