‘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
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