‘We feel responsible for shaping the urban environment’

The HSE's public lectures held in Gorky Park in summer are now continuing in Moscow museums.

This summer, in Moscow’s Gorky Park, members of the HSE faculty gave a series of free public lectures on a variety of subjects ranging from linguistics and literature to economics. The 'Open University' project has become so popular that since September the lectures have been continuing in Moscow’s museums. Valeria Kasamara, HSE Director for Corporate Projects, explains how the HSE benefits from the project and why it resonates with modern educational trends.

— Where did the idea of public lectures come from?

— We held our first HSE Day in Gorky Park in the autumn of 2012 to celebrate the HSE's 20th anniversary with our students, teachers, and anyone visiting the park on that day. The HSE Day brought together the University Open Day, the Freshman Day, and the alumni reunion, and featured lectures by prominent academics including HSE Rector Yaroslav Kuzminov. We had not expected so much interest and this inspired us to continue offering public lectures in Gorky Park throughout the summer of 2013.

— Who is the project's target audience?

— In fact, there are various audiences, including adults who recognize and respond to the current trend that values broader knowledge over narrow specialisation; students from other universities who may later take a masters' course at the HSE; HSE students who enjoy public lectures given by teachers of their own and other HSE faculties; high school students who are in the process of choosing universities and departments for their further studies, and also the general public wishing to broaden their horizons.

— Why do you think is the open lecture format in such demand?

— To stay relevant in a competitive environment, people today need to continuously develop their knowledge and upgrade their skills, all of which makes knowledge acquisition a priority.

Here you can see the schedule of lectures. The nearest lecture is planned by Oleg Budnitskii, Professor at the Department of Political History at the HSE, on January, 16, 2014 at Gulag Museum, Petrovka, 16.

— Is it possible to learn something new just by attending lectures—or do they just give you an impetus to learning more?

— One-off lectures serve to introduce a person to something new and encourage them to find out more about it. Lecturers always suggest further reading on the topic of the lecture. Perhaps in the future we will offer lecture series to enable systematic learning.

— What is the main difference between regular lectures for HSE students and public lectures offered for free?

— You can clearly learn more about a subject by attending a university course but it requires some prior knowledge and preparation on your part. In contrast, lectures offered as part of the 'Open University' project are designed for an audience with little or no prior knowledge of the topic. For example, economists avoid using complicated formulas and numbers in their public lectures, all of which creates an added challenge for the lecturer.

— In recent years, the HSE has attached increasing importance to being an open university. Why is it so important for you?

— The HSE does not have a single physical campus—the buildings of our faculties are scattered all around Moscow — in Khitrovka, in Pokrovka, in Myasnitskaya, and in the outskirts of the city. This makes us particularly aware of our connection to the city and of our responsibility for shaping the urban environment.

— How do you choose the topics for your open lectures?

— We select lecturers rather than topics. The lecturer should be able to convey knowledge while avoiding both a dry academic approach and oversimplification. Lectures serve as a form of edutainment combining education and entertainment—so that someone who attends a lecture with no prior knowledge of economics, sociology, or linguistics may leave with some idea of the subject.

— What lectures are the most popular?

— A few types of lectures are particularly well received. Firstly, those providing practical knowledge, such as our very popular lectures on psychology, which help people better understand themselves and others. Another popular theme is science and nature, and then the humanities. Young people tend to have a great interest in history, art and literature.

Tsvetelina Miteva, Moskovskiye Novosti, December 2, 2013