Conference “Ethics, Aesthetics, and the Challenges of Higher Education”
Location: HSE University, Campus in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
Possible Formats: In-Person, Hybrid.
Working Languages: English, Russian.
The tendencies that can be observed in the realm of higher education during the age of neoliberal capitalism and technological race call into question the future of the humanities in higher education: there is a growing emphasis on technical specialties and applied disciplines to such a degree that even in traditional humanitarian areas of expertise, regular humanities specialties look less appealing than new developments related to artificial intelligence and computer technology. The conference on Ethics, Aesthetics, and the Challenges of Higher Education is designed to provide an intellectual venue for discussing literature, philosophy, and art as the spiritual experience of humanity, an experience indispensable for cultivating the whole person, which was a fundamental aim of universities in earlier times. The ethical issues that literature and art bring forth, making it possible “to find a human being in a human being” (Dostoevsky) and avoid becoming extensions of artificial intelligence systems, must remain a core component of higher education.
We are interested in papers that engage the following topics:
● The Ethical as an Integral Part of the Aesthetic;
● The Literary Canon in the Age of Ethical Challenges;
● In Search of the “Hero of Our Time”;
● Ethical Issues in Literature and Art;
● Ethics Seen Through Historical Lens;
● From Old Ethics to New Ethics: Contemporary Moral Dilemmas;
● Ethical Problems of Modern Education.
Program committee:
Co-organisers:
Dr. Juan Pablo Aranda, Director, Institute for the Promotion of the Common Good, UPAEP (Mexico)
Dr. Renata Goroshkova, Deputy Dean for Research, School of Arts and Humanities, HSE University (Russia)
Advisory Board:
Prof. Dmitry J. Kalugin, Head, Department of Philology, HSE University (Russia)
Prof. Ivan B. Mikirtumov, Head, Department of Philosophy, HSE University (Russia)
Prof. Adrian A. Selin, Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, HSE University (Russia)
Prof. Jorge Medina Delgadillo, Dean of Research, UPAEP (Mexico)
Prof. Roberto Casales García, UPAEP (Mexico)
Submission Guidelines
Interested participants should submit the following:
Abstract Title
250-300-word Abstract outlining the proposed paper
Brief Biography (max 150 words)
Presentation Language: English / Russian
Submission Deadline: December 20, 2025
Notification of Acceptance: By January 14, 2026
Submit abstracts or any additional questions to rgoroshkova@hse.ru and juanpablo.aranda@upaep.mx
The conference is free of charge for all speakers with accepted submissions. Reimbursement of travel and/or accommodation expenses might be available to graduate students and early career scholars.