Research centers and laboratories
Students in the programme receive strong research foundation studying and working on various projects at four research centers and labs that are associated with the programme:
The Laboratory for Comparative Social Research
The Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR) was established within the Higher School of Economics, a National Research University, in November 2010, when professors Ronald Inglehart and Eduard Ponarin were awarded a mega-grant by the government of the Russian Federation.
The LCSR aims at developing rigorous quantitative and comparative (cross-country and cross-regional) studies in Russian social science. The joint effort of international and Russian scholars within the Laboratory will bring comparative sociology in the Higher School of Economics to the forefront of international research. The focus of research will be on comparative studies of social change – the analysis of cross-sectional and longitudinal data.
The Sociology of Education and Science Laboratory
The Laboratory was founded in fall 2007 at the State University Higher School of Economics – St. Petersburg (HSE) together with the programme 'Promoting Social Studies of Education in Russia' in the European University at St. Petersburg.
Laboratory Head – Daniil A. Alexandrov, Deputy Head – Svetlana Savelyeva.
Main Aims of the Laboratory – support of research on fundamental and applied issues of the sociology of education and science, integration of educational and research activities, the development of new forms of instruction and the involvement of students in research projects.
Main Activities of the Laboratory:
- Realization of research projects on education and science and publication of original research results;
- Preparation and publication of new research reviews on sociology of education and social problems in education;
- Collection and systematization of Internet resources on sociology and education and social problems in education;
- Development and realization of new forms of scientific instruction in social sciences (field study practice, sociological expeditions, etc.);
- Dissemination of Laboratory research results and translation of research findings into policy papers.
The Center was founded in 2009 through a partnership between HSE in St. Petersburg and the “Region” Research Center of Ulianovsk State University within the NRU HSE development programme.
CYS is a research center aimed at large scale international projects concerning youth. It represents a fundamentally new academic space, where experienced researchers as well as students from different universities and different countries are invited for creative collaboration.
Our main goal is to develop a school for youth research that is incorporated into the structure of international social science.
CYS’s research activity:
- we initiate and conduct fundamental as well as applied sociological and interdisciplinary research on relevant issues concerning youth practices, spaces, and lifestyles in Russia, Western Europe and Asia;
- we develop practical recommendations for correcting social and youth policy projects in the Russian Federation and other countries and the analytical and information support of corresponding municipal and state structures;
- we develop the comparative component of social research on youth from a national perspective, respecting pre-existing theoretical and methodological theories and practices
The Laboratory for Internet Studies
Our mission is to study the Internet as a unique social, economic, linguistic and technical phenomenon. We also seek to learn more about the society that has “inhabited” the Internet and found it to be one of its natural modes of existence. For these goals we develop and adapt mathematical methods, algorithms and software. All our projects are collective and include people with various skills and of different stages in their careers – from undergrads to PhD students to mature researchers. This enhances mutual enrichment and exchange of ideas. We support creative atmosphere and peer communication in our Lab; we welcome new initiatives and collaboration with business and policy makers and organize multiple events. The results of our effort may be found in our publications.