psupolitics

PSU Students Win PolitPRpro’2023

10.04.2023 / , , ,

The Optimum Pareto team won the 14th PolitPRo International Student Competition in political communications (30-31 March, St. Petersburg, Russia). In the finals, the Pareto Optimum competed with student teams from the Higher School of Economics, Saint Petersburg State University and Volgograd State University. Upon the final contest, including the public debates, the Pareto Optimum were granted an internship placement at the Nikkolo M Agency for Strategic Communications.

The Pareto Optimum team consists of four female students in Political Science, International Relations and Public Administration, studying at the Faculty of History and Political Science, PSU.

“Everything was just brilliant, you could see it in the eye of the jury members during the last stage of competition – the debates. The team’s performance produced a dramatic heart-piercing effect by the arguments given. Following the task, the roles played were so intentionally cynical, that no one stayed indifferent. That speaks of the contestants as a strong, well-built and professional team,” says Igor Mintusov, chairman of the Competition Jury, founder and chairman of the board of directors at Niccolo M Agency for Strategic Communications, member of the Board of the Russian Association of Political Consultants.

The PolitPRpro is an international competition of student projects in political communications, where future professionals compete and communicate with masters and experts in the field of political consulting, PR and GR. The founder and organizer of the competition is the Institute “Higher School of Journalism and Mass Communications” at St. Petersburg State University.

“PolitPRpro has become a synonym for a real strength test. We did participate with no intention to prove something or amuse anyone. By reaching the finals, outperforming teams from the country’s leading universities, building our own brand, we have shown that politics can have a female face. We are thankful to the Faculty of History and Political Science at PSU, our coach Dmitry Korovin and our fellow Perm team POLITYFIX, whose support and help helped us win the finals,” says Valeria Yurtova, captain of the Optimum Pareto team.

In 2023, 135 teams from Russia and CIS countries took part in the Competition. The largest number of applications came from St. Petersburg, Moscow, Perm, Tomsk and Vladivostok. According to the results of the correspondence stage, nine teams went to the semi-finals of the competition, including two student teams from Perm – the Pareto Optimum and the POLITYFIX.

“Our participation in a competition of such a rank is surely an experience to be remembered for a lifetime. Although our team remained half a step away from the finals, at the end we did feel like real winners! We are very happy for our female team, they did deserve the victory achieved in the political technology tests. Being just freshmen, our team is ready to move on – setting more ambitious goals for ourselves,” admits Alexey Zenkov, captain of the POLITYFIX team.

Held at St. Petersburg State University, aimed at sustainable educational and professional interaction, the PolitPRpro is a platform that attracts students, experts, academic specialists and practicing professionals  in political communications from all over Russia and abroad. The competition was initiated in 2010 by the Department of Public Relations in Politics and Public Administration of St. Petersburg State University. In 2019, the PolitPRpro was received a high praise by the expert community and became the winner of the XX International Communications PROBA Awards.

PolitPRpro‘s partners include the Russian Association of Political Consultants (RAPC) and the European Association of Political Consultants (EAPC). Since 2019, the competition has been held with the support of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation. The permanent general partner of PolitPRpro is the Niccolo M strategic communications agency.

PSU Celebrates International Mother Language Day

22.02.2022 / , , ,

PSU experts in history and humanities discussed languages spoken in Russia, comprising its culture and serving its overall diversity.

Of all the languages of Russia, Russian, the most widely spoken language, is the only official language at the national level. There are 35 languages which are considered official languages in various regions of Russia, along with Russian. There are over 100 minority languages spoken in Russia today.

Dr. Nadezhda Borisova, Researcher in Language Policy, and Dean of the Faculty of History and Political Science, Perm State University, spoke about the state of languages in the new edition of the ScienceCast University broadcast.

“The legislation regulating languages exists in almost all national republics within Russia – allowing regional authorities to support the languages of ethnic minorities. In Tatarstan, for instance,  there are conditions exist for learning Mari or Udmurt, besides Russian and Tatar,”

comments Dr. Borisova.

In the broadcast, Dr. Nadezhda Borisova focused on the importance of comprehending native languages along their preservation. Besides most obvious values of such an activity, she also mentioned its contribution to the overall positive national image, as well as the practical use of learning.

Speaking about the improvement of Russian as a state language, Dr. Nadezhda Borisova says, the overall historical background should be taken into consideration – like recent amendments to the Russian Constitution in 2020. At the same time, ethnic minority languages still depend on regional legislation.

 “A language lives as long as it is being used. One should enjoy the opportunity to apply to the court or authorities or be able to read “Harry Potter”, using one’s native language. All this requires dictionaries, textbooks and even keyboards. Supporting language is a timeless job,”

said Dr. Nadezhda Borisova.

International Mother Language Day is a worldwide annual observance held on 21 February to promote awareness of Linguistic diversity and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism. First announced by UNESCO in 1999, it was formally recognized by the United Nations General Assembly in 2002.

Mother Language Day is part of a broader initiative “to promote the preservation and protection of all languages used by peoples of the world”. The idea to celebrate International Mother Language Day was the initiative of Bangladesh, fighting for recognition of their  Bangla language since 1948.

Expert in Politics Appears Guest on New PSU Podcast, Shares Inspiration in Science

03.02.2022 / , , , , ,

Mikhail Grabevnik, senior lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Perm State University has become the first guest of the Voice of Science podcast. Run previously in a video format, the podcast allows now to listen to scientists and researchers while on the move.  

Although Mikhail looked forward to study law after graduating school, by fortune, he became a student of the Faculty of History and Political Science. There, he discovered a broader variety of disciplines and became interested in political processes and institutions.

“I grew passion for research while preparing my graduation thesis, which incorporated comparative analysis of the Churches of Russia and Ukraine stepping into politics. I enjoyed working with data, and I liked the fact my analysis led to particular results. Although my student thesis showed little scientific novelty on a global scale, it did stimulate me for a further research,”

recollects Mikhail Grabevnik.

Gradually, the scholar switched his research interest to European regionalism, addressing the issues of subjectivity of European regionalist parties, and the development of separatist movements in modern Europe. Today, Mikhail is engaged in the study of subnational regionalism.

“I am thrilled to generate patterns from a large array of data, being the first one to see what others do not see. It surely involves some kind of competitive potential. I find it a boost to my research activity, otherwise I would not have enough strength or time to do science,”

says Mikhail Grabevnik.

In 2020, Mikhail Grabevnik, defended his PhD (Candidate of Political Science) thesis exploring the phenomenon of regionalist parties, using the example of the Scottish National Party (SNP). The scholar analyzed the dynamics of the SNP political strategies throughout the devolutionary period in Scotland (1997-2019).

The Faculty of History and Political Sciences at PSU offers various disciplines for future careers in politics, government, public and international relations. The Faculty publishes 3 dedicated academic journals included into the State Commission for Academic Degrees and Titles list. The Faculty graduates are listed among most successful alumni both on regional and national levels.

Scholarship Opportunity at PSU

08.11.2021 / , , , , ,

Planning to study at PSU, choosing faculties? Looking for scholarship opportunities?

Perm State University (PSU) has announced a start for a mini-grant scholarship in History and Politics. Eligible for the scholarship are 3rd and 4th year undergraduate students, MA and post-graduate students of the Faculty of History and Politics, PSU with distinguished academic performance. 

The mini-grant scholarship of RUB 30,000 ($ 400) comes as a one-off payment and is meant to provide additional support for research, collecting empirical data or public projects.

  • Application time: due to 2 December, 2021;
  • Location: Partnerships Department (PSU campus, building 8, room 321).
  • Questions, application and agreement to process personal data should be sent to: endowment@psu.ru  

The winners will be determined in accordance with the Scholarship regulations and approved by the Board of Trustees, Perm University Endowment Fund (@endowmentpsu). The link to original news, related links and application form is in the comments below the post.

Initiated in 2018 by PSU alumni, the scholarship commemorates late Dr. Oleg Podvintsev, a known public figure, researcher and teaching professor Faculty of History and Political Sciences, PSU (Историко-политологический факультет ПГНИУ) and aims to promote bright students in the mentioned subjects.

“With the help of the scholarship, we were able to implement a ‘New Look’ city student project, aimed to teach and support those who wish to create high-quality pop-science content. The Podvintsev Scholarship is a great opportunity to fulfil your ideas and desires. I was extremely happy to participate in the competition, along with many talented candidates” ,

Natalya Subbotina, a scholarship holder ‘2020, MA in History, comments.

The scholarship is available to both Russian and international scholars. Recently, 13 students from Azerbaijan, Georgia, Haiti, Indonesia, Iraq, Nigeria, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are studying at the Faculty of History and Political Science at Perm State University. The Faculty successfully operates, regularly hosting for international and national academic events, providing academic mobility for students and teaching staff.

Know more about the scholarship and application here.

Far From Politics? Closer Than You Think!

02.11.2021 / , , , , ,

How often do you choose to vote, and why? Have you ever thought which factors shape your voice? Or, you are not interested in politics, at all? Political machines use various tools to reach their results, so it is reasonable to understand their impact. Researchers from Perm State University offer a fresher look on the election instruments in their new article:

Eleanora Minaeva and Pyotr Panov, PSU scholars from the Centre for Comparative History and Politics (CCHP), PSU, have published their article “Dense Networks, Ethnic Minorities, and Electoral Mobilization in Contemporary Russia” in the Problems of Post-Communism Journal, published by Routledge. The article by PSU scholars regards the phenomenon of dense networks, aimed to mobilize the electorate.

According to the researchers, the sustainability of the Russian electoral regime is based largely on non-programmatic electoral mobilization, ensuring a high level of electoral turnout and voting for the incumbent party. In spite of the state’s efforts to build an integrated comprehensive political machine, its segments, specifically in subnational units, demonstrate different results in electoral mobilization.

PSU scholars have studied characteristics of local communities that facilitate their emergence: countryside, settlement’s small size, and “segregated” type of ethnic groups’ localization – and their effect upon each other. Based on Duma elections’2016, an original set incorporating local-level data and GIS techniques has beenformed, showing the importance of dense networks in electoral mobilization.  

The regression models by the article authors have demonstrated that all predictors – the share of minorities in the population, countryside, small size of settlements, and segregated spatial localization of ethnic minorities in relation to each other and Russians – influence both turnout and voting for UR positively. Much more importantly, in combination, their effects are enhanced.

Political machines use the density of social networks in numerous ways and means. They rely on heads of administration as a part of ‘power vertical’, lower level ‘bosses’, NGO leaders, clergymen, and informal leaders like elders, celebrities or sportsmen, etc. The range of strategies and instruments of electoral mobilization force ordinary people to vote in what they believe is better for their community.

For Reference:

The Center for Comparative History and Political Studies at Perm State University focuses on interdisciplinary and comparative studies in social sciences, history and anthropology. The Center evolves cooperation with academic community across the globe – enabling dialogue between young scholars, creating a competitive academic environment, promoting the ‘circulation of minds’.

“Dense Networks, Ethnic Minorities, and Electoral Mobilization in Contemporary Russia” in the Problems of Post-Communism Journal. Read more about The Center for Comparative History and Political Studies here.

PSU and University of Helsinki Will Cooperate in Student Mobility

28.10.2021 / , , ,

PSU and University of Helsinki Will Cooperate in Student Mobility 

The Center for Comparative History and Political Studies at Perm State University became a member of the project “Finnish-Russian Network on Area Studies and Methodologies”, funded by the Finnish National Agency for Education.

The project is aimed at developing cooperation in education – creating joint training courses and support for student mobility. Other participants in the project are University of Helsinki, Higher School of Economics, the European University at Saint Petersburg, as well as National Research Tomsk State University. The project will last till the end of 2023.

The Center for Comparative History and Political Studies (CCHPS) at Perm State University (PSU) is a team of researchers from different regions and countries, employed by the Faculty of History and Politics (Историко-политологический факультет – ИПФ ПГНИУ).

Established in 2012 by a group of PSU and the European University at Saint Petersburg graduates, the Center for Comparative History and Political Studies focuses on interdisciplinary and comparative studies in the field of social sciences, history, and anthropology, open to cooperation with the academic community across the globe. The Center programs enable dialogue between young scholars, creating a competitive academic environment, promoting the “circulation of minds”.

News Source.
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Faculty of History and Political Sciences

14.07.2021 / , , , , ,

Ever been interested in history, yet missed a practical application? Looking for a career in international diplomacy or governmental administration? Dreamt of digging out the secrets of Ancient cultures? Time to draw lights to the Faculty of History and Political Science!

Which professions may a graduate of History and Politics obtain at Perm State University?  

• Civil servant – engaged in development and implementation of state or municipal projects and programs, performance of management decisions within the established regulations and functions, analysis of socio-economic and political processes, activities of authorities;
• Deputy assistant – assisting deputies (members of assembly, MP, etc.): providing policy-making, analytical, regulatory, organizational, information, communication and project management activity;
• Manager in regulation processes – advising private and public companies, improving management policies, breeding concepts, suggesting directions to grow, performing analytical and organizational activities;
• Political scientist – carrying research within politics as a sphere of social and governmental relations, interpreting and analyzing political life;
• Political analyst – identifying problems requiring management decisions, running projects and performing expertise within politics, evaluating efficiency of decisions taken;
• Political advisor – advising public authorities, local governments, participants of political process on legal regulations, government programs, strategies, forecasts, related documentation, participating in and running political campaigns;
• Archaeologist – studying life and culture of ancient people through special methods and artifacts;
• Teacher of history, political sciences and geography (speaks for itself; with an ability to work in foreign educational institutions and teach international students);
• Curator of museum projects (at school) – running exhibitions, raising funds, running media campaigns, giving interviews, providing lectures and seminars for students and teachers;
• Archivist – processing stored documentation, creating references networks, registering documents, searching and identifying data on particular historical events;
• Historian (researcher) – studying society and its evolution, collecting data and interpreting historical sources;
• Museum worker – ensuring the correct storage and display of historical artifacts;
• Teacher of history (and related subjects) – running educational process and academic activities, teaching courses and disciplines in history;
• Expert researcher in international relations – getting engaged in monitoring, interpretation and commenting on world political processes, both for the development of management decisions and for research purposes;
• International relations specialist – providing support for international activities of political and socio-economic institutions, finding solutions for short- and longtime strategic tasks;
• Specialist in international PR – getting engaged in public activities in international relations, building and maintaining formal, informal and casual communications with representatives of other countries and cultures;
• Museum teacher – educating and training of children and adults by involving them into a variety of museum activities. Museum teacher also conducts diverse classes in the history of art, runs tours, quests and workshops on temporary exhibitions and museum events.

Learn more about the Faculty of History and Political Sciences!

The first lecture for students in history was held right at the start of Perm State University – on 17 October, 1916. The Faculty of History was the first in the Soviet Union to include both world and Russian history into its curriculum. 

Throughout years of research, several hundred archaeological sites of various cultures were found in Ural region, covering all stages of the development of the material culture of the ancient population from the Paleolithic to modern times.

Many research projects by the Faculty are based on rich local history, as Perm had always been on a trade route with Syberia, incorporating indigenous Komi-Permian, Muslim Tatar and Udmurt, and Russian traditions – a source for studies by historians and ethnographers.

Since 1996, the Faculty of History started teaching Political Science, hence its new name. In 2005, the training in State and Municipal Administration was launched, followed by International Relations in 2011.

In 2012, the Center for Comparative Historical and Political Studies was successfully created in partnership with the European University (St. Petersburg, Russia), hosting for international and national academic collaborations, providing academic mobility for students and teaching staff. 

Among the first history schools globally, the Faculty opened a scientific and educational center for digital humanities, which uses IT tools to create virtual museums and preservation of historical and cultural heritage, promoting cross-disciplinary approach to studies. 

Apply to Perm State University today!

April Theses Bloom at PSU

15.04.2021 / , , ,

The identity of rock musicians in the USSR, women in the medicine of Antiquity, Icelandic sagas and the phenomenon of identity in Perestroika era movies became topics of choice, among many, at the recent April Theses international student conference at Perm State University.

“The April Theses: A Person in Topical Tocio-Humanitarian Research” Conference took place on 2-3 April, 2021, organized by the Department of History and Archeology, the Department of Interdisciplinary Historical Research, as well as the Student Scientific Society at the Faculty of History and Political Science, PSU.

Participants from Belarus, Ukraine and Russia (Perm, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Chelyabinsk, Volgograd, Rostov-on-Don, Kemerovo, Yaroslavl, Ufa, Smolensk, Petrozavodsk, Ivanovo) presented their reports, delivered both in Russian and English on a wide range of topics. Naturally, according to anti-COVID-19 safety measures, the Conference took place online.

“It’s felt quite pleasant to be a part of the event, largely due to the benevolent and positive atmosphere. I liked the variety of topics presented, covering a wide variety of aspects of history, politics and society. I believe such conferences to be a necessary element in young researchers’ progress,”

states Vadim Lyashenko, 3rd year student, Ukrainian State University of Railway Transport (Ukraine).

The April Theses Conference became an annual forum for students and young scientists, aimed to support the students’ research activity, providing conditions for their professional and academic progress in social sciences and humanities. Following the results of the conference, a collection of student papers is going to be published.

PSU Students in Politics Participate Model UN

13.04.2021 / , , , , , , , ,

Seven students in International Relations, Faculty of History and Politics, Perm State University (PSU) participated the Model UN role game, which took place in the city of Kazan, Republic of Tatarstan (Russia) from 31 March till 3 April, 2021.

After the grand opening of the Kazan Model UN at the City Hall, along with other participants PSU delegates developed draft resolutions, each representing a different country (Czech Republic, India, Morocco, Nigeria, Ukraine, Vietnam), following their objectives and the Conference format.

“I had a privilege of representing India at the UN Refugee Agency. It was difficult, yet interesting as we had to get allies and unite them in a coalition. Our committee worked the longest, perhaps because both coalitions were strong. Still, towards the end of the Model, we realized that we had common goals, which led to a faster quickly adoption of the final resolution,” recollects Anna Chernova.

“Initially, I was attracted by the institution of UN – its formation, history and roles. The Model UN is a synthesis of a scientific conference and a role play, where one might get a pleasant feeling of diving into the subject of discussion and picking up new info gems. I defended the interests of Morocco on the topic “Countering the use of information and communication technologies for criminal purposes”.

“Due to the trip to Kazan, I realized I must definitely see what my future colleagues, those students from other universities are doing and studying. They did amaze me with their knowledge of international relations and international law, as well as their ability to perfectly present their subject. That gave me new insights and ideas for future career development,” admits Ekaterina Mekhonoshina.

“As a delegate of Vietnam, I experienced all the challenge of those countries who do not have the right to critically influence the final decisions by the committee. In order to convince the Security Council that Vietnam’s interests have much in common with their own, I used each opportunity to lobby it through public appearances, official debates and even coffee breaks,” Kirill Aleksandrov recalls.

“Thanks to my participation in the UN Model in Kazan, not did I only feel like a true politician and diplomat, but also developed my skills of public speaking. I had the opportunity to stand for Nicaragua, and was given a week to study its all possible aspects – geographical, economic, political, social, cultural, etc. At the end, we were given certificates for participation,” shares Marina Zhuravleva.

“In addition to students in political science, I managed to acquire a huge number of new acquaintances among lawyers, culturologists and political scientists. It was pleasant to conduct a dialogue with almost everyone, including foreign participants. The Kazan Model UN gave me a new understanding of the world and the society in which I live, including the neighboring republic of Tatarstan,” says Gleb Oborin.

For four days, PSU students acted as diplomatic representatives of UN member countries to resolve issues of concern to global community. At the end of the Conference, along other participants, PSU delegates voted on written policies, known as “draft resolutions”, with the goal of passing them with a majority vote. As a result, Model UN certificates will serve a great reminder and inspiration, for many.

PSU Expert Speaks on World after Pandemic

19.02.2021 / , , ,

On 19-20 February, international scholars from Russian universities and abroad are discussing the world after the COVID-19 pandemic – forecasting the future through the prism of politics, security, economy and culture – as a part of International Conference and Inter-University Scientific Discussion Club “Expert”, led by Kuban State University (Russia).

The conference is set within the frame of Jean Monnet “POWERS: War and Peace in the Challenges of European Security” network project, allowing scholarly dialogue on most relevant issues, in which COVID-19 played a notorious role. The project is supported and co-funded by the European Union Erasmus + Program, and also marks the centennial of Kuban State University. PSU acts as one of the principle contributors to the Program, until 2024.

The Conference is organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, Kuban State University (KubSU), Krasnodar Regional Branch of the Association for European Studies (AEVIS), Perm State University (PSU), Voronezh State University (VSU).

The international speakers include Dr. Michael Powell, Frederick Community college (Maryland, USA); Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Martin Tamcke, University of Göttingen (Georg-August-Universität, Germany); Prof. Paolo Bargiacchi, Professor of International Law, Faculty of Economics and Law, Kore University of Enna (Italy).

As a co-organizer, invited expert and speaker, Dr. Liubov Fadeeva, Professor of Political Science Department, PSU (Russia) has opened the plenary session with the report on securitization of identity policy.

The concept of securitization considers the elevation of an object to the rank of a security threat, which gradually increases significance and becomes a tool of the state policy. The way we understand identity might naturally become the subject of securitization. Answering questions like “What are we?”, “What are we proud of, what are the roots of our values?”, “What should we resist?” we use them as trigger for ideology.

Manifesting themselves in shapes of heated discussions, debates, conflicts of recollections, cultural confrontation, the issues of memory and identity have been widely reflected in academic papers and speeches of political leaders. According to Dr. Lyubov Fadeeva, “recently, there has been a tendency of defining identity politics as a specific ideological weapon that might be used against opponents in ideological and political struggle. This significantly changes the meanings of identity politics.”

The challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing political, economic and social upheavals, forced scholars and practicing experts to face a new task: analyzing the processes of shaping national identity, security system, and external communication. The participation of experts from Germany, Italy and the USA, as well as a wide range of Russian scholars, have granted the Conference a comprehensive cross-disciplinary character.
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