10.11.2018  The Commission for International Activities assessed the School of Humanities work

On November 8, the NovSU Center for Cooperation with the Nordic and Baltic Countries hosted a regular meeting of the Commission on International Activities under the Academic Council of NovSU. This time it was dedicated to international activities of the School of Humanities and the Center for Cooperation with the Nordic and Baltic countries of NovSU.

The first issue was reported by the School of Humanities Director Elena Toropova and the head of the Department of Educational International Programs and Academic Mobility Irina Ushanova.

According to them, the main students’ mobility directions of the School are: Germany (University of Bielefeld, Stock University of Hildesheim), Poland (Opole University, etc.), the Republic of Belarus (Vitebsk State University named after P. M. Masherov, etc.), Estonia and the USA. India and Armenia are added to the list of faculty members’ academic mobility.

The School of Humanities is implementing a joint educational program in Linguistics (so called "Double Diploma") in cooperation with the Hildesheim University.

As part of the program, eight Novgorod students studied in Hildesheim, three German students studied at NovSU. In 2018/2019 academic year – two students will study at partner universities. In May 2018, the first three diplomas of Hildesheim University were awarded to NovSU students, and in June the first diploma of NovSU was given to a German student.

The international conference "Baltic States and Russian North-West: Historical Experience of Interaction" was held on November 30, 2017. Elizabeth Löfstrand (Sweden), honorary doctor of NovSU, spoke here. International experts from Estonia, Germany, Poland, and Sweden took part in the event online.

In May of this year, a round table was organized with the participation of representatives of BRICS countries "Mechanisms for the Settlement of Economic Disputes with the Use of Alternative Procedures within the Legal Systems of BRICS Countries". 

The conference "Maxim Gorky: a View from the XXI Century" was held with the participation of international researchers from Italy, Ukraine, Latvia. 

The VIth international scientific conference "Novgorodica-2018. Everyday Life of Novgorodians: History and Modernity" gathered scientists from Italy, Latvia, Sweden and Russia in the end of September. 

Separately, the speakers noted the successful implementation of the joint project of NovSU and the theater of Bielefeld (Germany) "Tradition and Textiles – Wedding Dress." 

The prospects for the international cooperation development of the School of Humanities were also discussed here. It is planned to develop cooperation with the University of Macerata (Italy) and Italian Institute of Culture in Saint-Petersburg; to promote grant activity of faculty and to prepare applications under the Erasmus + Jean Monnet program. 

Valentina Grokhotova, The Director of the Center, told about the NovSU Center of cooperation with the Nordic and Baltic countries. 

The Center was established in March of 2018 to promote cooperation in the field of science and education, the development of social and political dialogue of scientists, experts and politicians of the regions of North-West Russia, the Nordic and Baltic countries. During the reporting period, the Center organized and held a number of bright events. For example, in June the Summer University "Intercultural Interaction as a Factor of the Region Sustainable Development" with the support of the Baltic Sea Countries Council was organized at NovSU. The round table "Totalitarianism in the History of the Twentieth Century" was held in September in cooperation with the Department of Modern and Contemporary History of St. Petersburg State University with the participation of faculty members, students and undergraduates of Greifswald University (Germany).

The meeting with representatives of the Baltic Sea University Network (BSRUN) took place in October. In the same month, there was held the international scientific and practical conference " Protection of the Cultural Heritage: national and international experience". 

The plans of the Center: the visit of Professor, Anti Celart, from the University of Turku (Finland), training of the representative of the University of Turku on the program EDUFI-Trainee from Finland, preparation of applications and holding of the Summer University BSRUN, conference on Hanse in the framework of the International week of NovSU, the preparation and implementation of the "Mikey-2019", the work on the project for the protection of cultural values. 

Natalia Shaydorova, head of the Office of International Relations, Oxford Russian Foundation coordinator at NovSU, informed the members of the Commission about the participation of NovSU students in the scholarship program of the Oxford Russian Foundation. 

Participation of NovSU students in the scholarship competition is a matter of prestige of our University. The more participants take part in the competition, the more obvious is the fact that there are active, well-performing students who are keen on science in NovSU. 

This year, 60 undergraduate and 13 graduate students received a scholarship from the Oxford Foundation. Most scholarship holders are among philologists, followed by journalists, cultural scientists and economists. This year, for the first time, students majoring in Ethics and Religion Studies, Regional Studies and Digital Humanities could receive a scholarship. 

It was also noted that, with the financial support of the Fund, students have the opportunity to participate in various conferences. Ten scholarship holders took part in the scientific and methodological seminar for ORF scholarship holders "Space of the North in the Optics of Modern Humanitarian and Socio-Economic Research" and the International scientific and practical conference "Attraction of the North", held on 14-18 February 2018 in Petrozavodsk.

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