Innovative Development is Impossible without new Standards
In early June, educational standards of the HSE were approved at a session of the University’s Academic Council. Sergey Roshchin, HSE Vice Rector, told us about the core of the innovation.
—Sergey, the session of the HSE Academic Council has approved the new educational standards. Why does the university need these new standards?
—This is a very important step for our university. We got this opportunity only when we received the status of a national research university. But it's not only about our status:the introduction of these new educational standards is in line with all the directions of development we have been consistently implementing throughout the HSE's existence.
In our country there are state educational standards. I should say that such a practice is not common internationally, where each university develops and approves its own standards, and on the results of the education, a diploma from the university is issued, and it is the responsibility of each university to give the appropriate education. This doesn't mean that universities in Europe and the USA are not audited in terms of the quality of their education, there are such checks, but they do not have a fixed unified standard, as we do in Russia. Of course, a unified standard can only be of a level below the average, since is it the same for every educational institution in the country. And speaking of the leading universities, certainly, de facto they are implementing their own standards, since without them, innovative development would be impossible, and they could not be leaders in terms of the quality of their education. From this point of view, it is normal that such an opportunity is given to national research universities, and this policy has legalised the situation that already existed. And although the HSE actively participated in the development of some state educational standards which now include our ideas, we tried to create our own original standards in each area.
—What is the difference between these new standards and the state ones?
—Our standards include a number of essential provisions. The first is a limited number of disciplines included in the 4-year undergraduate course, since it is impossible to deliver knowledge and competencies over a very broad range of subjects. We should be realistic. Our aim was to limit the number of disciplines in the basic curricula to about 30 - 35 during the 4-year period. And since the number of the disciplines is limited, we split them into a core of basic subjects and a large variable block which will let a student build his own educational trajectory in line with his interests.
The other important thing is to provide comprehensive, social and human knowledge and competencies. This relates to those disciplines which are not included in the subject core of a certain area of education. For example, according to our standards, the curriculum involves such disciplines as philosophy, psychology, sociology and history. What we tried to avoid is a small number of hours allocated for a certain subject. For example, when a course consists of 100 hours, and only 36 of them are class hours, this cannot be called studying philosophy, this is just a simulation. So, the standard includes longer courses, but with the principle of choice. In these new standards we have emphasised what we have today:serious basic training in economic and managerial disciplines.
In our new standards we have also kept fundamental foreign language training. It includes English classes up to the 4th year of study. Another important component is the development of analytic skills. That's why starting from the 1st year we have introduced a research seminar for undergraduate students of all specializations. During the 1st year such seminars can be methodological and aim to work with information in a professional subject field. But as early as the second year such research seminars are aimed to develop analytic competencies.
—Do these standards apply to all areas of education?
—Yes, they apply absolutely to all areas of education at the Higher School of Economics.
—In terms of language training, how the state examination and the issuing of international certificates will be organized?
—There is already a state examination in English language during the 4th year of study. At the sessions of the Academic Council we have also discussed the question of changing the concept of English teaching. This concept involves training in line with international standards and passing appropriate examinations to obtain certificates. We shall keep what has proved to be efficient - the viva voce process of the graduation thesis project in English.
—Will you enlarge the number of disciplines taught in English?
—Over the last years we have tried to increase the number of subjects taught in English, and each year this number is growing. There are several dozen such disciplines in different areas of education. And the range of the disciplines taught in English at the Higher School of Economics will continue to grow.
Andrey Shcherbakov, HSE News Service