Round table “In Search of Interdisciplinary Balance: Crisis and New Relevance of Social Sciences and Humanities in the University of the 21st Century”

Participants of the roundtable will discuss the role of social sciences and humanities in the implementation of the social role of the university in the 21 century, analyze the experience of post-socialist reforms related to research and education in the field of social sciences and humanities, and highlight the emergence of new cross-disciplinary research fields, success stories of international cooperation, and the promise of renewed relevance of nuanced understanding culture, history, and society.  

Moderator:

Professor Alexander Semyonov, HSE in St Petersburg

Questions for discussion:

· Origins and causes of the crisis of social sciences and humanities in contemporary universities

· The social role of different types of universities and the relevance of social sciences and humanities

· Success stories of reformed social sciences and humanities departments and programs

· Social sciences and humanities and their role in creation of new cross-disciplinary research and teaching

· Experience of international cooperation in research in fields of social sciences and humanities and instruments of support of such cooperation

· New international politics and a rebirth of area-studies 

Session participants:

· Jorn Achterberg, Director, DFG Office Russia/CIS

· Gregor Berghorn,Director, The German Academic Exchange Service, German Houses of Research and Innovation (1989-2016)

· Dirk Berg-Schlosser,  Professor emeritus of political science,  Philipps University Marburg

· Boris Gasparov, Professor, HSE in St Petersburg, Columbia University

· Liviu Matei,Provost, Central European University

· Irina Prokhorova , editor-in-chief, «New Literary Observer», director of the publishing house «New Literary Observer», co-founder and chairman of the Mikhail Prokhorov Fund

· Ole Petter Ottersen, Rector, The University of Oslo

· Sergey Zuev , Dean, School of Public Policy of RANEPA, Member of the Academic Council of RANEPA, Rector of the Moscow School of Social and Economic Sciences and Supervisor of the Faculty of Cultural Management

Discussion participants:

·  Artemy Magun, Dean, Department of Political Science and Sociology, Professor of Democratic Theory, European University in Saint Petersburg

·  Ilya Kalinin, Associate professor, Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Saint Petersburg University, editor-in-chief “Untouched reserve. Debates about politics and culture”  (published «New Literary Observer»)

·  Olga Ovechkina, Director, Netherlands Institute in Saint-Petersburg 

·  Tamara Lönngren, Director, The Norwegian University Center in St Petersburg

·  Tobias A. Stüdemann, Head of Liaison Office of Freie Universität Berlin in Moscow

·  Viktor Voronkov, Director, Centre for Independent Social Research in St Petersburg

Date:  19 May 2016 (Thursday)
Time: 15:30-17:00
Venue: The New Stage of Alexandrinsky Theatre, Fontanka river quay, 49а
Contact e-mail (information and registration for the event): egruzinskaya@hse.ru