Chief Expert of the Laboratory for Reputation Management in Education Organizes the Summer Workshop “Service Learning – 2026”
On 25 June, the annual Summer Workshop “Service Learning – 2026” was held at the Civic Chamber of the Republic of Tatarstan. The event was organized and moderated by Varvara Kulkova, Chief Expert of the Laboratory for Reputation Management in Education at HSE University – St. Petersburg and Regional Coordinator of the federal Service Learning program in the Republic of Tatarstan.
Held annually, the Summer Workshop serves as one of the key expert platforms for discussing the development of the Service Learning program, sharing successful practices, and strengthening collaboration among universities, non-profit organizations, public authorities, and socially responsible businesses.
In 2026, the workshop expanded beyond its regional scope, bringing together representatives of universities, the non-profit sector, public institutions, and businesses from across Russia. The central focus of the event was the further development of the federal Service Learning program, which integrates the solution of real-world social challenges into the educational process at universities.
The Laboratory for Reputation Management in Education at HSE University – St. Petersburg was also represented at the event by its Head, Magdalena Alejandra Gaete Sepúlveda.
As part of the workshop, Magdalena Gaete delivered a masterclass entitled “Partnerships for Social Impact: The Experience of the BRICS Countries and Russia.” The session introduced approaches to building partnerships among universities, government, businesses, and non-profit organizations across the BRICS countries. Particular attention was given to Russian practices for developing sustainable models of cross-sector collaboration and social impact.
In her role as the organizer and moderator of the Summer Workshop, Varvara Kulkova also presented the results of the implementation of the federal Service Learning program in the Republic of Tatarstan. She spoke about the expansion of the program across the region, the growing network of participating universities, and the main areas of student projects aimed at addressing pressing social challenges.
The annual Summer Workshop contributes to the development of a strong professional community of Service Learning practitioners, provides an opportunity to evaluate the program's implementation, and helps identify promising directions for its further development.
The participation and organizational leadership of the experts from the Laboratory for Reputation Management in Education helped showcase HSE University – St. Petersburg's expertise in Service Learning, cross-sector partnerships, and social impact, while strengthening collaboration with universities and organizations from across Russia.
