‘Nurturing Global Citizens for a Global World’ International Partners Week Kicks Off at HSE SPb
On May 20-22, the HSE – St Petersburg welcomes representatives of its academic partners and specialised organisations in higher education. Participants of the International Partners Week 2019 will share their experiences with implementing strategic projects as part of the Global Citizens concept at their universities.
‘The mission of universities of the 21st century has not gone far beyond preparing skilled graduates for the labour market. Today we live in a world where adequately responding to the challenges of globalisation, such as the migration crisis, climate change, income inequality, and resource depletion, has become crucial.
In this regard, speaking about the mission of modern universities, we need to talk about instilling in students the importance of having an open mind, the ability to adjust to an ever-changing environment, and a readiness to embrace the world in all its diversity and complexity. The International Partners Week 'Nurturing Global Citizens for a Global World' has been dedicated to covering all these issues,’ explains Konstantin Platonov, Director of the Centre for International Cooperation.
The three-day event programme includes professional case studies and informal discussions.
HSE University – St Petersburg will be hosting more than 30 representatives of partner organisations from across the globe. Among them are University College London (the UK), University of Mannheim (Germany), Technical University of Munich (Germany), Free University of Berlin (Germany), University of Rome Tor Vergata (Italy), University of Helsinki (Finland), University of Szeged (Hungary), Harbin Institute of Technology (China), Zhejiang University (China), Thammasat University (Thailand) and others.
On the first day, participants will enjoy exploratory tours of the campus and the city, an immersive cultural programme, and opportunities for networking.
On day two, an invited visiting expert, Hans-Georg van Liempd from Tilburg University (the Netherlands), who has significant experience with internationalisation strategy development, will give a talk on global citizenship. He will address questions such as: do international programmes contribute to fostering world citizens? What do we mean by citizenship, and what does it mean in combination with global? According to Mr van Liempd, universities must teach students to understand their roles in the changing world.
Participants will share their experiences with implementing strategic projects that meet the concept of Global Citizens—for example, the development of network programmes and academic mobility programmes, as well as the implementation of local initiatives which contribute to the development of internationalisation at home.
On the final day, participants are expected to participate in the events of the international conference ‘Education and World Cities’, which is being held at the University for the sixth time.
HSE students are invited to meet with the representatives of foreign universities at the International Student Fair. This event to be of interest to those who have been thinking about applying for a mobility programme, or planning to join a university abroad. ‘This is a unique opportunity for students to learn firsthand about studying at a foreign university, living in a new cultural environment, and other important aspects related to exchange studies,’ says Yulia Shushkova, Coordinator for the Development of International Cooperation at HSE University – St Petersburg.
The International Partners Week is an annual event held at HSE University – St Petersburg. Last year, it coincided with the campus's 20th anniversary.