HSE University–St Petersburg Student Presents Papers at Largest International Conference on Network Analysis
Apollinaria Ermolaeva, student of the Master's programme 'Data Analytics for Politics and Society' and research assistant at the Laboratory of Sociology in Education and Science, studies teenagers' behaviour and interpersonal relationships in this age group. She presented the results of her work at Sunbelt, the world’s largest conference on network analysis.
Polina began practicing network analysis and studying teenagers' behaviour in the third year of her bachelor's degree. Now, she continues to research the topic within the framework of the Master's programme 'Data Analytics for Politics and Society' and her work at the Laboratory of Sociology in Education and Science.
'I can relate to the paradigm of network analysis. Its key principle is that we don't look at each individual but at their position in the network, relations, environment, and so on. There is a well-reasoned understanding that friends and acquaintances influence each of us. I am very interested in figuring out the details of these processes,' said the student.
Apollinaria presented her research at the Sunbelt conference, which has been organised by INSNA (the International Network for Social Network Analysis) since 1981. Participation in such a large-scale research event seemed a distant possibility to the student, but she had two factors in her favour: winning the Student Research Paper Competition, which gave her a travel grant to cover the travel costs, and a suggestion from her thesis supervisor—Daniil Alexandrov, professor at the Department of Sociology.
'In January, my thesis supervisor Daniil Alexandrov suggested that I apply to Sunbelt. I knew about this conference, but it seemed inaccessible to some extent because of its scale. We applied but, to be honest, I didn't think I would be accepted,' recalled the student.
Polina submitted two projects for participation in the conference: her bachelor's thesis and a master's term paper. Both applications were accepted. The trip was her first experience of visiting Europe and participating in such a large-scale conference.
'I spent my first days in Paris attending workshops and jumped at the opportunity to talk as much as possible to people whose work I read and whose methods I used in my research. The numerous sections, presentations by experts, and the combination of experience and ambitions all made me genuinely excited!' shares Polina.
Apollinaria is working on two research projects. The first is devoted to interpersonal relationships at mixed-ethnicity schools. The example of Scandinavian countries shows that at educational institutions with migrant enclaves, representatives of these groups start treating the ethnic majority aggressively. The employees of the Laboratory of Sociology in Education and Science adapted studies in Sweden to the realias of Russia and decided to investigate what happened at Russian schools. Polina carried out the last important data collection on her own, having organised a trip to Novosibirsk. The team concluded that in Russia, there are no such serious effects as in European countries. According to Daniil Alexandrov, this is a good, world-class scientific achievement obtained through comparative research.
The second topic on which Polina is still working is related to teenagers' risky behaviour and its spread in their surroundings. For several years, the laboratory staff gathered data at technical colleges in St Petersburg, conducting surveys of the same students twice a year. The research showed, for instance, how unhealthy habits were acquired under the influence of the surroundings.
Daniil Alexandrov, scientific supervisor of the Master's programme 'Data Analytics for Politics and Society,' sees Polina's presentation at the conference as a significant achievement. In his opinion, attending such events is vital for students and junior researchers, even as spectators, as they get inspiration and an impetus to work.
Daniil Alexandrov
Scientific Supervisor of the Master's programme 'Data Analytics for Politics and Society'
Talented, highly motivated students like Polina Ermolaeva need academic support. The most efficient way is to see the potential of your work, get approval from colleagues, including strangers. These help you feel a part of a large scientific community where your opinion matters. It's valuable that HSE University–St Petersburg gave us such an opportunity and financed this trip.
Researchers from all over the world are looking for like-minded people at other universities and countries. This is why such conferences are so valuable. There, international colleagues create a support network, exchange opinions, and inspire each other. Sunbelt is the best of the large conferences I have attended in my life. I have never experienced such a lively atmosphere and mutual interest anywhere else. One stage unites young PhD students and world-famous researchers. This mutual interest comes from the fact that the conference gathers people who are developing special methods of network research and those who apply these methods to their empirical material. So, prominent scientists, such as Tom Snijders from Holland, deliver special classes at Sunbelt.
Tom Snijders is a researcher whose methods Polina Ermolaeva uses in her work. At the conference, she had a chance to meet him and ask some questions. The HSE University–St Petersburg student believes that interaction in the academic environment was useful for her. She received valuable feedback from experts, and now she is planning to use the advice in her research.
'I would like to thank the Centre for Student Academic Development, whose employees actively helped me and answered all my questions. Thanks to them, I didn't have to worry so much about the organisational aspects of the trip and could focus on the conference itself. I realised that I wanted to be a part of the international research community and keep developing in network analysis. Next year, I am planning to participate in the Student Research Paper Competition and actively attend conferences,' summed up Polina.
The next conference where the student will speak is set to take place in September in Belgrade.
'In September, Polina will take these and new papers to a conference on international research in Belgrade. There, she will have a chance to present the result to a completely different audience, which is obviously helpful. Why do Polina and her papers deserve to participate in an important international conference? Polina is a very strong student. I am sure that by gaining such experience, she will work even harder and achieve new research results, and we will be proud that our young people are so talented,' summarised Daniil Alexandrov.
The Laboratory of Sociology in Education and Science aims to combine educational and research processes and works to develop modern analytical and comparative sociology in the international context. The laboratory actively involves students in collective research projects that unite quantitative and qualitative methods, fieldwork and data analysis, as well as sociological theory at a high academic level and empirical data collection.