“HSE helped us and smoothed out the feeling of being disconnected from the university”

Graduates of the master’s program "Comparative Politics of Eurasia" talk about how they prepared to defend their master's theses online, and how they went through this unusual test during the state final certification.

Irina Zamischak (thesis title: Transformation of the "university in exile": professional trajectories of teachers at the European Humanities University (EHU))

 For me, defending online was definitely a positive experience. Although the entire board was present at Zoom call, I did not have the panic and anxiety that comes with public speaking in front of many people. Saving time is another important convenience of being “online”, which is wasted in the face-to-face format due to late comers, presentation downloads, etc. In fact, though a defense is such a frightening event in every student’s life, it turned out to be a rather lively academic discussion on the topic of my master's thesis.

The impact of Covid-19, of course, manifested itself not only at the stage of defense, but also at the stage of data collection. I had to collect my last interviews in March via Skype. Although this is a forced option, there is nothing unusual about it. I think for many researchers, phone calls or videoconferences with informants are the only way to get information (and not only during a pandemic). It is funny, but some online interviews turned out to be even better than interviews in the field.

 

Anna Zheltoukhova (thesis title: Factors of the popularity of nationalist ideologies: the example of Hungary and Poland; participant of the research internship program at the King’s College of London)

 Online defense became a rather exciting stage in my life. It was the first experience of presenting my work under this format. In my bachelor's degree, I defended my diploma offline: in front of me was a board, classmates, and my scientific advisor. In general, it was easier for me, because I felt the mood of the audience. When I defended myself “on the camera”, these sensations were not there, and this caused peculiar feelings. I just spoke into the monitor, looked at my presentation, and thought about how I could meet the time allotted for the defense. In addition, everyone turned off their microphones to not interfere, but this turned out to be the most difficult thing for me – It was like I was in a vacuum. During the presentation I was visited by the same thought: "What if the connection was interrupted, and no one hears me?" In general, I felt quite aloof, but in the end, it went away a little. It is good that we had a pre-defense beforehand, organized by our program back in April, and I roughly understood what to expect. Plus, the commission asked us questions, which ultimately helped to see the work from their perspective and improve its quality. In general, the teachers were always in touch, so there were no difficulties in communication. The big advantage was that I was in a comfortable environment for myself, at home with my parents, who stood behind the camera, and I felt their support.

For me, preparation for the defense was not divided into a "before" and "after" the start of the pandemic. I made a presentation and rehearsed my speech to keep within the timing. The only technical problem I encountered during the defense was that I did not check the laptop microphone. When they announced me, I had to restart the application, through which the defense took place, so that the microphone could work. It must have been funny when my turn came and then I "left the chat".

I think it is worth saying that it was a difficult year for us, since our student life ended a little earlier than we expected. We did not know what to expect and how everything would be arranged. However, HSE helped us and smoothed out the feeling of isolation from the university: professors were always in touch, the university continued to conduct classes remotely, and in the end we all attended the first online graduation ceremony in the history of the university.

 

Nikita Zubarev (thesis title: Symbolic construction of sovereignty through public holidays in modern Russia)

 For me, it did not seem that the defense of the thesis online was vastly different from the usual defense in the university classroom. The structure of defense in both formats is the same: students present the results of their research, then answer questions from reviewers and the examination committee. I also organized my preparation for defense in the usual way. I made a presentation showing the main elements of the research, then rehearsed what I planned to say several times while sitting in front of my laptop. The only difference between this defense and all the previous ones is the absence of a live audience. The “cure” that helped me prepare for the unusual atmosphere of an online defense was advice that was appropriate for any other format of public speaking: Remind yourself that anxiety is okay and treat your presentation like a normal conversation. Focus on a current moment, not on possible consequences.

  

Maria Kondakova (thesis title: The impact of the mechanisms of migration regulation in the EAEU on the policy and practice of integrating migrants in Russia: the case of the city of St. Petersburg)

 Due to certain conditions of this period, the end of our academic year was moved online, as well as all official events, such as the defense of the thesis and graduation, as well as consultations with scientific advisers. Even though work in this format was rather unusual for us, everything was organized at a high level. This made the passage of all important stages as comfortable as possible for students. In addition, in my opinion, the online format largely contributed to a more relaxed overcoming of this milestone, since everyone was in a comfortable environment and had the opportunity to pass one of the most important tests in learning activities with the least stress.

It was especially important for me to stay in touch with my scientific advisor, Oleg Vladimirovich Korneev, in the process of preparing for the defense of my dissertation. Thanks to the way he organized this communication, I was able to successfully defend my diploma. Therefore, I would like to express my special gratitude to him for his attentive and responsible approach to our cooperation.