'Laboratory at 3,000 Metres': HSE University-St Petersburg to Start Call for First Summer School in the Himalayas
HSE University-St Petersburg announces the call for the Summer School in the Himalayas which will take place from June 30 to July 13, 2025.
The Summer School will become a sequel to two expeditions in the Himalayas, which the St Petersburg School of Social Sciences organised in 2024. The programme allows bachelor's, master's and PhD students to immerse themselves in the research on the climate change and sustainability of local communities in the unique natural laboratory of the Himalayan region.
'A great part of the School will be devoted to fieldwork and communication with local citizens, representatives of NPOs, universities and governmental bodies. The key goal is to make an international and interdisciplinary dialogue on sustainable change in the youth and local citizens', says Alexander Sorokin, dean of the St Petersburg School of Social Sciences and head of the Summer School.
The programme includes research in the cities of Leh and Kargil (Ladakh state), lectures and seminars by experts from the universities of Delhi, Ladakh, and HSE University-St Petersburg, project work, an introduction to NPOs' activities in the sphere of sustainable development, interviews with local citizens and government representatives, and visits to research laboratories and centres.
Polina Mironova, 2nd-year student of the master's programme 'Modern Social Analysis', participated in the second expedition to the Himalayas which took place in autumn 2024. 'I was drawn by the academic risk, professional growth and improvement of interviewing skills', comments she on her decision to go to India.
Polina Mironova
2nd-year student of the master's programme 'Modern Social Analysis'
The most memorable thing about that trip was teamwork. In this expedition, I saw what real field research looks like, when you have to look for informants on the spot, play by ear, adjust yourself and make quick decisions. An especially interesting part was the interviews—you never know who you will talk to: a farmer, a teacher or a hotel owner. I definitely recommend participating in such projects to any student who is interested in science and international experience and wants to improve their foreign language proficiency and research skills—it's an amazing line for your resume. If you are keen on real science, the Summer School is an excellent start to approach it!
Anna Merkulova, 3rd-year student of the bachelor's programme 'Sociology and Social Informatics', decided to go on the Himalayan expedition to test herself under extreme conditions and master new work methods—for instance, conducting interviews with the help of interpreters or communicating with people whose lifestyles are radically different from her own.
The student was strongly impressed by the contrast between a megalopolis and the traditional life of Himalayan villages where people don't seek success and material consumption in the usual sense for citizens. While carrying out the research, she also saw that climate changes were not an abstract problem but a reality that the locals had to face every day.
Anna Merkulova
Student of the bachelor's programme 'Sociology and Social Informatics'
Perhaps, the main lesson of the expedition is an ability not to be afraid as there, we had to face a lot of unknown and extraordinary things: from peculiarities of daily life to completely different behavioural patterns. The expedition taught me to do my job under any circumstances—it doesn't matter if I do an interview in the cold in a potato field or try to understand the problems of local farmers, though it is extremely far from my daily experience.
According to Anna, this journey significantly influenced her academic interests: after coming back, she engaged in deeper studies of climate change problems and chose a topic for her term paper. Anna is planning to continue these studies while writing her thesis.
Alexander Sorokin underscored the interdisciplinary nature of the School: 'Students majoring in social-humanitarian sciences or economics will be able to get a better understanding of environmental, geographical and technological contexts of changes in the Himalayas. Students majoring in science will dive into the socio-cultural factors and their role. For sure, the School doesn't aim to prepare, for instance, a research paper in two weeks but theory, concepts, methods, and real contexts can be useful both in the academic sphere and other professional trajectories'.
The main requirements for the candidates are English language proficiency (at least B1 level), good physical training, no chronic illnesses and teamwork skills. To participate in the competition, a candidate has to submit a resume, a motivation letter (up to 1000 words) and documents confirming eligibility for selection criteria.
'One of the desirable requirements for the participants is good physical training and experience in field/tourist trips out to nature as the major part of the School will take place at an altitude of 3000 meters above sea level. We are organising this School with partners who helped us with our expeditions to the Himalayas. Our colleagues from the universities of Delhi and Ladakh provide the accommodation on their campuses', says Alexander Sorokin.
The group will consist of no more than 20 people. Fill in the application for participation until April 6 via the link. The results will be announced on April 12.
'If you are interested in Indian culture, prone to travelling under extraordinary conditions, willing to test yourself and ready to experience something completely new, you should embrace the opportunity of practical immersion in the field research at the global level', sums up Anna Merkulova.
'The most valuable thing in this project is cooperation between our universities and strengthening of partnerships in practice as well as involving students and researchers from the universities, representatives of NPOs, local citizens, government and business in a dialogue', summarises Alexander Sorokin, head of the Summer School.