Candidate of Sciences in Economics Vladislav Silkin, assistant professor in the Chair of Mathematical Methods of Economics and Planning at NSU, has developed a new approach for conducting classes. The economist has managed to bring students and graduates of four different faculties together with his course, by inviting colleagues fr om other countries to participate in online classes.
“The course is devoted to the problems of international energy politics and I have always tried to invite experts from the regions we study to my classes. Previously, this has always been fraught with a huge number of organisational and financial issues. With the transition to distance learning, the process has been greatly simplified. For the past month, I have been inviting foreign colleagues to my lectures, and the students have benefitted from this,” said Vladislav Silkin. According to the lecturer, the course attendance has increased threefold: as well as current and past economics students, current students and graduates of other faculties regularly join the lectures. The course has even attracted the attention of linguistics students who join to listen to native speakers.
Jinsok Sung, a South Korean researcher at the Bank of Finland Institute for Economies in Transition, recently gave a lecture on the Asian gas markets.
“I was delighted and grateful to be invited to and have an opportunity to communicate and share my opinion on the Asian gas market with colleagues and students at NSU. I really enjoyed the online format of our bilateral communication and sharing my experience with the audience in and outside Russia. I was impressed by the questions I received, which demonstrated a deep and excellent understanding of the global energy market situation. While the current situation poses serious challenges, the online event provided a great opportunity to continue our research and collaboration” he remarked.
Students also praised the effectiveness of the new learning format.
“With distance learning we are not only given more assignments but now more intensively engage with the content. This is a new experience for all of us and a great alternative to face-to-face study. Our lecturer gives us the opportunity to listen to foreign experts almost every week. In addition, on this unique course, we meet with students of other programs and graduates of previous years,” commented Andrew Clelland, first-year master’s student at NSU’s Department of Economics.
“I already attended this module last year, but when my classmates and I found out that there are guest experts almost every week, we decided to attend online classes again to enrich our knowledge,” noted Dumisani Dilima, second-year master’s student at NSU’s Department of Economics.“Whilst studying on an exchange at the EISTI Engineering School in Paris I was worried that I was missing many interesting lectures back at NSU. But, having switched to distance learning, I have been given the opportunity to attend classes at my home university again, although it is sometimes difficult because of the time difference,” said Daria Sidorova, second-year master’s student at NSU’s Department of Economics.
“First of all, this course interested me as I could apply the theoretical knowledge that I am learning about in my bachelor’s degree with solving topical, practical problems in the oil industry. I am very pleased to be able to listen to lectures of experts from around the world. The new format of classes proves that you can study effectively, even in conditions of self-isolation,” remarked Irina Gorborukova, bachelor’s student at NSU’s Department of Economics.
“Many people are complaining about the decline in effectiveness of classes and the increased volume of work. For me personally, the remote format has so far brought only positive emotions: now you just need to open your laptop and join the ‘online classroom’, wh ere experts in your field of research have gathered and there is an opportunity to discuss the latest news and trends in economics and energy policy,” commented Louisa Brodt, assistant in NSU’s Chair of Mathematical Methods of Economics and Planning.
This course has also aroused the interests of students of other faculties. For example, Ekaterina Lgotina, second year master’s student at the Department of Mechanics and Mathematics, noted that the course on international energy politics has allowed her to look at the problems of the oil and gas industry from a new angle for mathematicians – from an economic and political point of view.She added, “This semester we have had the opportunity to listen to international experts, which is certainly a big bonus! Distance learning, in one sense, has removed borders and has enabled us to receive information from anywhere in the world. Therefore, despite the increased workload, I try not to miss such opportunities and am happy to attend classes in English.”
“Despite the fact that I already attended this course last year, this semester I decided to take part in the classes again, since they are useful to me both in terms of new knowledge and language practice. With the transition to distance learning, it has become easier for me to include this course in my schedule,” noted Vladimir Artamonov, second-year master’s student at NSU’s Department of Geology and Geophysics.
Positive feedback about this course has been left not only by NSU students, but also by students from different Russian and international universities.
“I attended this course three years ago, when I was an economics student at NSU. With the transition to distance learning, I received an invitation to join the online lectures with participation of foreign experts. I can note that this format has not only allowed for the expansion in the range of topics discussed but has also increased interest in the course from abroad,” said Anatoly Kuznetsov, graduate student at the University of Melbourne.
“I learned about this event from some friends of mine, studying for a PhD at NSU. I am studying in Kazan on a similar program for petroleum geologists, so I am interested in the topic. I have been pleasantly surprised by the level of specialised educational events that help NSU students learn first-hand about current issues in the global energy sector,” remarked Arman Kudbanov, first-year master’s student at Kazan Federal University.
Vladislav Silkin fully intends to continue with his experiment. In the words of the professor, in the current situation colleagues from foreign universities are open to new opportunities and co-operation. The economist has managed to persuade experts from the UK and Japan to join his online classes in the coming weeks.
