'From Dickens to Chekhov': Professor from HSE University-St Petersburg Delivers Course in Literature for Mexican Students
The UPAEP Summer School was devoted to academic intercultural exchange, an introduction to Mexican traditions, and international cooperation. International professors joined the educational process and delivered lectures for local students. The programme included economic, medical, humanitarian, and social courses. The event gathered over 60 professors from India, Spain, Peru, Argentina, Italy, the UK, Chile, Colombia, Malaysia, the USA, Canada, the Philippines, and other countries.
Among the participants was Dr Renata Goroshkova, deputy dean for research of the School of Arts and Humanities at HSE University-St Petersburg. She delivered a course on classic literature of the 19-20th centuries for 20 students together with her colleague from Mexico—Dr Juan Pablo Aranda, director of the Institute for the Promotion of the Common Good at UPAEP. The topic was the concept of human dignity.
Juan Pablo Aranda
Director of the Institute for the Promotion of the Common Good at UPAEP
'Professor Renata Goroshkova took us through an amazing voyage where we met with Dostoevsky, Gogol, Dickens, Wilde, Chekhov, and Nabokov, among other classic authors. Her mastery of the materials was beautifully combined with a friendly, enticing conversation with the students, many of whom recognised their amazement regarding this way of reading literature. Professor Renata's visit has been a marvellous experience, one that I can only hope will be repeated in the years to come,' emphasized Juan Pablo Aranda, director of the Institute for the Promotion of the Common Good at UPAEP.
The English-taught course included 8 lectures and 8 seminars. The students were exploring the works of Charles Dickens, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Gustave Flaubert, Oscar Wilde, Anton Chekhov, and other authors. During one class, Renata Goroshkova offered an experiment—to watch the film 'Perfect Days' directed by Wim Wenders: 'I was curious to see the reaction of the young generation to a slow film without a twisted plot and action. There is only contemplation of the world through the eyes of the main character—Hirayama, a toilet cleaner. By the way, professors in Mexico can easily ban students from using their gadgets in the classroom—you can't imagine how easy it is to work in such classes'.
Maria Jose Palomina Rivera studies psychology at UPAEP. She underscored the value of the knowledge received: 'As a student majoring in psychology, I'm interested in analysing the issues of human identity, and fictional stories highlight it greatly. 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens and 'The Overcoat' by Nikolai Gogol are the pieces of literature that make us see a lot of social problems and attract me the most'.
Her groupmate Galia Valderrama Solis dived into the authors' humanistic perspective: 'These stories teach valuable life lessons. The classes were very enriching—we immersed ourselves in the Russian culture, which is not so widely known and popular in Mexico right now. I would definitely take a similar course again'.
Renata Goroshkova
Deputy Dean for Research of the School of Arts and Humanities
Renata Goroshkova shared how her ideas about Mexican culture had changed after the trip: 'I can't say I knew nothing about Mexico before the trip. Everyone who grew up in the 90s perfectly remembers the popular soap operas, and as an adult, I fell crazy in love with Latin American literature. Only after the trip, I realised how similar and at the same time different our countries were. Generally speaking, in terms of geography and ideology, Mexico and Russia are between civilization and inclination—even passion—to turn to the roots, and it influences the perspective on life and world. We, just like Mexicans, very quickly become close with people, easily switch from official to heart-to-heart communication, and often prioritise holidays and joy'.
According to her, one of the differences is the attitude to time: in Latin America, people live at their own pace. 'For instance, after the tour to Teotihuacan, our guide allowed us to explore the pyramids on our own. 'You have five minutes', he said. Everyone was disappointed as the distances were long,' shared Renata Goroshkova. 'But don't get upset, the concept of 'five Mexican minutes' is very relative. Nobody knows when they end: in twenty normal minutes or even forty.
The other day, I decided to take a transfer to the university. I came on time, got on the bus, and the fun began—those who were late started calling the Latin American colleagues and asking to wait for them. I decided to say strictly: 'Colleagues, this minibus must come to the university exactly before the beginning of our classes, and we are already late'. At that moment, I heard: 'Pobre Renata, in Latin America, no one comes on time!'
Further plans include the return visit of Mexican colleagues in March 2026 and the joint conference 'Ethics, Aesthetics, and the Challenges of Higher Education'.
In 2024, HSE University-St Petersburg and the Autonomous Popular University of the State of Puebla signed the Letter of Intent for cooperation. And now, the delegation from HSE University-St Petersburg is in Latin America on a large-scale academic mission. The representatives of HSE University-St Petersburg have already visited leading Mexican universities: Universidad Panamericana, the National Autonomous University, and the National Polytechnic Institute. On October 3, there was a meeting with the management of the Autonomous Popular University of the State of Puebla. Follow the latest news about the delegation work on HSE University-St Petersburg social networks: Telegram channel and VKontakte.