More than 600 lecturers at the Northwestern Federal District trained at St Petersburg University as to how to teach the fundamentals of Russian statehood

The project is aimed at introducing the module "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood" into all bachelor’s and specialist’s programmes at all Russian universities from 1 September 2023. St Petersburg University has been designated by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education as one of the educational and methodological centres and the flagship university of the project in the Northwestern Federal District. The training of lecturers of the fundamentals of Russian statehood in May and June 2023 was organised by St Petersburg University together with the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA). The full-time training module was held at St Petersburg University.

Preparation for teaching this course is an important part of the project to enable lecturers to develop common methodological approaches and to ensure the high quality of teaching this interdisciplinary course, said Marina Lavrikova, Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities at St Petersburg University.

Joint training for lecturers who will disseminate knowledge on the fundamentals of Russian statehood to students is an essential part to build professional competencies and to introduce a new module into the teaching and learning process.

Marina Lavrikova, Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities at St Petersburg University

‘Additionally, this is an opportunity to conduct a professional dialogue with colleagues from other universities and exchange experience in solving the problems of teaching social and humanitarian disciplines and in conducting educational activities,’ said Marina Lavrikova.

The sections of the module "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood" regard Russia as a state-civilisation, with an emphasis on the issues of forming a worldview, various aspects of the country’s political structure, and modern challenges and strategic goals of Russia’s development.

The full-time module organised by St Petersburg University trained not only lecturers who will deliver the course. The module also aimed at the specialists in educational activities and work with youth at the universities in the Northwestern Federal District. They all will participate in solving the problems of the RussiaDNA Project.

The main goal of the module "Fundamentals of Russian Statehood" is to develop in students a system of knowledge, skills and competencies, values, rules and norms of behaviour related to the awareness of belonging to Russian society, and a sense of patriotism and citizenship. There is an emphasis on the formation of the spiritual, moral and cultural foundation of a developed and integral personality, who is aware of the peculiarities of the historical path and the originality of the Russian state, the connection of individual dignity and success with social progress and political stability of the country.

The assessment board evaluated the methodological works prepared as part of the full-time professional development module at St Petersburg University. The board included leading experts and researchers at the University. Among them were the following: Marina Lavrikova, Senior Vice-Rector for Academic Activities at St Petersburg University; Elvira Zeletdinova, Vice-Rector for Teaching Methods at St Petersburg University; Nikita Kuznetsov, Director of the Institute of Philosophy at St Petersburg University; Nikolai Skvortsov, Dean of the Faculty of Sociology at St Petersburg University; Aleksandr Kurochkin, Professor in the Department of Russian Politics at St Petersburg University; Stanislav Eremeev, Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Leningrad Region; and Kirill Smirnov, General Director of Information and Publishing Centre of the Government of St Petersburg "Petrocentr".

The lecturers, moderators and coordinators of the full-time module of the professional development programme were philosophers, historians, political scientists, sociologists, lawyers, and economists at St Petersburg University. The University will continue to implement professional development programmes as part of the RussiaDNA Project.