A.V. Torkunov[1]
Allow me to start with "the international situation" before dwelling on concrete tasks in education, which it sets for us. A variety of trends and processes are crushing global system parameters, which have taken shape in the past two decades. A new type of Middle East conflicts and instability, which no longer can be explained with the empty and romantic term, "the Arab Spring", belongs to these processes.
Unlike the turmoil of 1997-1998, the new economic crisis has plunged the global economy and even countries with the most sustainable dynamics (China and Latin American giants) into recession, which is likely to end with a significant adjustment of not only the world economic setting. The post-Soviet space and the European integration area are manifesting trends that lead towards a completely new content of the political and institutional formations of the post-bipolar period. Neither the EU nor the "neighborhood" area of Russia is demonstrating a mainstream development vector or a common ideological trend: efforts are concentrating upon concrete or even private problems and international scenarios are depoliticizing.
On the whole, international relations are passing through a period of non-linear development. Trends of the 1990s or even the early 2000th linger on only in the most basic global development segments. The contemporary period may be defined as "a period of political recession" that has started after two decades of rapid qualitative and quantitative transformations. If we look at the history in general, our time may be compared with the middle of the 1970s - 1980s. The necessary economic, political and institutional adjustments had been made by the middle of the 1970s to the Yalta-Potsdam order and the Bretton-Woods system, and main actors made their regional and functional interests in concrete segments of the world order their focal point.
A distinctive feature of periods of "political recession" in international relations - and such periods were in the 19th century and earlier, in the Westphalia stage - is the mounting significance of the professional diplomatic community, a community of experts in international relations. True, political leaders and military commanders "reserve" the time of drastic transformations and strategic changes for themselves, while diplomatic bureaucrats and experts step into the limelight in quieter periods.
It is foreign policy experts and diplomats, who have to build up the influence and importance of the native country with conventional and peaceful measures, which are at the same time consistent and well planned. Periods of "political recession" gave birth to diplomatic geniuses in Russia and the world - Gorchakov and Disraeli, Dobrynin and Kissinger, Gromyko and Brzezinski. The world was far from "global conflagration" when their talents bloomed.
The current period gives us a break and an opportunity to restructure teaching of foreign policy subjects and international studies at our universities. This necessity is even more significant due to the brink of a generational change. Those whose professional career started in the late 1980s - early 1990s will soon have to give place to others on the research and tutorial Olympus. Artificial deterrence may create a situation MGIMO encountered 25 years ago when people aged 65 and 40 had the same tutors. A whole generation of international knowledge, competences and scientific connections passed by the "stronghold" of foreign policy experts. It was hard to catch up.
The new generation of foreign policy experts should inherit the experience and enthusiasm of those who did science and taught almost free of charge in the reform years. Meanwhile, the community of researchers and foreign policy practitioners has totally new tasks, including exploration of new areas of international knowledge and return of the lost ground. Ample independence in regard to standards national research and federal universities possess (and MGIMO acquired in September 2012) is a source of additional advantages.
Resumption of historical studies with a rather high degree of international relations` summarization is a major area. Mathematics is the best training and the foundation of professional skills for exact science specialists, and history plays the same role for foreign policy experts. Attempts to raise a foreign policy expert, who does not possess the knowledge of history fail. We need to admit it. Any fundamentals of international analysis, case studies and similar methods will have a full value in class only if they are based on historical material. Abundance of facts taught to the beginners gives the necessary skills to process, memorize, summarize and systematize data.
It is of paramount importance to restore history of international relations as a full-value academic subject, not only as a colorful narrative of the Tarle times, but also as a comprehensive analysis to understand and perceive the international environment into which Russian international relations are incorporated organically in the historical evolution of foreign political interests and resources. No less important for developing a comprehensive idea of the world are basic courses in history of the East and the West. It is unacceptable, when a young specialist in Oriental studies and diplomat boasts about not having a European history course and vise versa. Even by current standards, curriculums and courses can provide basic knowledge on the two interrelated parts of the world to all students. Methodological work and textbooks have huge resources. We have set a goal of writing two main textbooks on history of the East and the West for international relations students.
Knowledge of international (public) law is a major aspect of training international relations students. The Soviet school was not just a trend setter but also a real source of international law making. The hard 1990s and migration of international law experts to other branches of law alongside natural causes have practically devastated and professionally depopulated this area. This situation is at stark contrast with the development of international (public) law schools abroad, including our neighbors - Ukraine and Kazakhstan.
Results of this disastrous situation are often apparent: negation of "novelties" unacceptable for Russia (humanitarian intervention and recognition of doubtful subjects of international relations, Kosovo). We are unable to offer a legally grounded and positive agenda for the development of international (public) law. Domestic theoretical studies and practice-centered concepts of international relations are frequently devoid of a sufficient legal foundation. Very often there is no one to build it, and even more frequently foreign policy experts do not interact with legal experts. International (public) law and courses in human rights and international economic laws must be fully restored into curricula of international relations and political studies universities.
The situation is not that bad with teaching world economics and foreign economic relations, yet the task of a full-value Russian political economic school has not been attained so far. By the way, the term, which is a bit too vague but clear to our foreign colleagues, should be replaced with a local neologism, "economic political science". On the whole, we should presume that the subject of international relations stands for a triad - political history, international laws and world economy. This triad is the cornerstone of education at every leading international university.
It is a different question that, in addition to this triad, there is a number of competences and narrower areas of knowledge, a reform of which is vital for training foreign policy experts adequate to the modern world. Studies and teaching of diplomacy and diplomatic service competences require drastic transformations. We have to admit with profound regret that we have not developed a modern and systemic system for teaching diplomacy the way the Dutch Clingendael and the Vienna or Malta diplomatic academies do.
For too long we had been staking exclusively on the empirical knowledge of merited diplomats who lavishly shared their priceless experience with students upon their retirement. At the same time, we neglected modern methods of information work, multilateral negotiations and interaction with non-governmental organizations. The majority of our schools do not give sufficient knowledge even of the protocol and ceremony of event management and planning of international events.
Obviously, training of prospective diplomats and consular workers should include not only learning of the structure of foreign political departments of other states but also understanding of the way the expert and analytical community is organized in partner countries, which types of administrative and legal systems exist, and which court and off-court mechanisms are available for the protection of interests of Russian citizens. Political theory courses in lobbying do not teach a young specialist how he can promote the interests of a state or a company abroad and how he can interact with foreign legal offices and bureaucracy. Equally theoretical (which often happens because of the lack of practical knowledge) courses in foreign PR and GR do not develop skills sufficient for interaction with rating and advertisement agencies.
"Inter-cultural communication" has been a main subject of international political conferences and diverse scientific events dedicated to public relations. But not a single textbook blends area studies, philological knowledge, diplomatic competences and "communicavistics" into a single whole. Paradoxically, business believes there are such subjects and textbooks. In recent years we have been asked for arranging communication courses for top managers in Turkey, Australia, Switzerland and Hungary and every time we do that in the ad hoc regime. As a rule, the work is done by area study specialists who may not possess sufficient theoretic or psychological knowledge.
MGIMO believe a full-value segment for training specialists in inter-culture communication and international political psychology, negotiations psychology has to be formed. Possibly, we will generate an inter-university effect related to an improved psychological preparedness of tutors. Obviously, the majority of international relations universities and faculties, such as MGIMO, are not prepared to form this segment of education and studies on their own. We will have to recruit ab extra specialists or, which is even better, join our efforts.
In general, it must be understood that modern competences for operation in an international environment go far beyond the ideas of the past or earlier decade. These competences must be identified, systematized and included in standards and curriculums. Possibly, some of the present-day standards and plans will have to be abandoned, something will have to be offered in specialized master`s courses, and something will be offered to seniors in bachelor`s or master`s programs as an additional professional training.
It seems important to dwell on one more subject. A strategic goal of contemporary development of the Russian higher school is to make our universities a full-value and equal members of the world university community. True, in the globalization epoch students are no longer limited to the national system of higher education. They apply to the best schools of the world, not just in their home country, and their only guideline is the quality of education.
Obviously, this is a challenge to Russian higher educational establishments. We must be competitive not only in the home country but also offer a quality product attractive to foreign consumers. Until recently Russian higher education has been underestimated from the point of view of its ability to create educational programs of the world level. We believe the development of bachelor`s and master`s programs in foreign languages and dual degree programs that may be attractive to foreign students are a way out. It seems the demand for Russian educational programs by foreign students will eventually change the attitude of the international academic community to Russian higher education.
A world-grade university is not just a school. It is also a center of research and experts capable of generating and conveying the best ideas to the international community, disseminating knowledge and sharing experience. Speaking of the essence of university education and leaving aside its multiple elements, the backbone of this education is nothing else but the smooth and unavoidable transformation of the common thinking of students and post-graduates into the scientific thinking.
This shift in the development of students` minds will eventually result in restructuring of their whole inner world because they acquire a new level of thinking although they may not be fully aware of that. However, this effect is achieved only if the university makes the scientific thinking the focal point of every scientific and educational process. This is the only top criteria for estimation of the value and efficiency of any scientific, educational and methodological programs and projects of the university.
A world-grade university has corporate values and forms communities of people, who share their experiences of studies, work and cooperate with the university. The thing is the culture of scientific thinking can be transferred indirectly, but only in the live contact and communication between scientists and their pupils. This is the reason for the need for different scientific schools led by authoritative academicians. Any school of the sort is a group of researchers thinking in unison and sharing principles of the scientific thinking of their leader in their intellectual work. Russian universities frequently underestimate the possibilities and latent potential of alumni associations.
Institutionalization and active interaction and involvement in the university life of Russian and foreign alumni are important tools of popularization of the university. This is the essence of a socially active university concept. This is what the Russian university community should target.
The status of a world-grade university cannot be self-proclaimed. The status must be based on recognition by the entire world university and expert community, university brand awareness amongst foreign professors and students and high quality educational programs. The world has a substantial number of higher educational establishments that deserve to be called world-grade universities - Princeton, Stanford, Oxford, Harvard, Columbia University and others. This is proven with popular international ratings.
Russian universities still have a long way to go. Intensified work on integration with the community of leading universities is a rather new trend in the development of higher school. It is new but it is sustainable and absolutely timely. This trend is supported with the state policy on higher education. An ambitious task of creating at least five to ten world-grade universities listed in the top 100 of international ratings has been set for Russian higher school.
Creating world-grade universities in Russia is a long-term project. It requires not only tangible investments but also preparations to modernize the existent educational and scientific programs and to develop new ones. Universities outside English-speaking countries are developing full-value educational programs in English and dual master`s degrees. The MGIMO experience of international programs and regular contacts with foreign colleagues allowed us to take a new look at one of the potentially important development areas of Russian higher education. Based on a thorough analysis of the situation on the global education market, MGIMO decided to broaden the range of bachelor`s and master`s programs done fully or partially in a foreign language.
Starting from the next school year, MGIMO launches Russia`s first English-language bachelor`s program, International Relations and Management, with a degree in international relations. The aim of this program is to train a new kind of international relations managers for working at transnational business entities, international organizations, authorities and non-governmental organizations.
We are actively broadening partner relations to implement dual master`s degree programs, which are in great demand by foreign students. MGIMO is offering 15 programs of dual master`s degrees in cooperation with leading European universities. We are negotiating the startup of three more programs. There are three master`s degree programs done fully in English.
An important instrument of raising the university brand awareness in the world educational community is the participation in the international rating system. The university ranking is a weighty argument for prospective students choosing their alma mater. In fact, rating is a way of communication between the university and its prospective students. Certainly, this is also an additional instrument of public relations and a way of raising the university brand awareness.
In the past couple of years Russian higher educational establishments have been taking seriously their international rating and their place amongst world universities. This is another significant national trend. The rating QS 2012 reflected the main trend in higher education - strengthening positions of technological universities and a shift to exact science and technologies - which is natural. The result of education programs of technological universities is more tangible. Their graduates work in the real economic sector and the demand for them is higher amid the new technological stage of international development.
It is much more difficult for humanitarian universities to be upgraded in ratings. On the other hand, humanitarian universities have a huge potential for the rapid increase in numbers of foreign students and tutors, for raising the level of internationalization, and creating partnerships with foreign universities. It is important to make educational programs clear and transparent to foreign students. They also must meet the requirements of foreign universities.
International accreditation is a way of reconciling Russian programs with international requirements. This is an instrument, which shows that the quality of education offered by the university meets European and international quality standards. On the other hand, international accreditation is a perfect way for internal audit and comprehensive assessment of the quality of educational programs. For instance, MGIMO prepared a colossal amount of documents in English for its accreditation; it gave a detailed description and grounds for every area of its educational and scientific activity and academic work of every tutor.
Five expert groups visited our university within three months to analyze MGIMO operations and meet with professors, tutors and students. By receiving the delegations and making our university as transparent as possible, we tried to declare ourselves as a world-grade university and to show that the level of Russian education is not inferior to the level of education offered by many leading European universities. In spite of the complicated discussions between our tutors and foreign experts and certain specifics of Russian education, which is not always clear to our European colleagues, we have managed to prove our uniqueness and right to claim our right to be an equal member of the world educational community.
By creating world-grade universities and increasing prestige and status of Russian education we do not spur on rivalry between national universities; but on the contrary, consolidate all efforts. Successful rating of one university and global awareness of the university brand will call attention to Russian education as a whole. This means that foreign students will be eyeing other Russian schools. Importantly, the mechanism must be started up correctly.
The university producing and teaching fundamental knowledge is a unique reserve and distributor of genuine education. Scientific research and teaching process are equals on its premises: they develop and supplement each other. The increasingly strong public opinion that education, science and universities are forging the future of humanity is not accidental.
____________
[1] Anatoly Vasilyevich Torkunov - Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rector of the MGIMO (U) of the MFA of Russia.
The speech was delivered at the 17th session of the Council of Educational and Methodological Establishments for Education in International Relations, February 20, 2013
3 июля 2013
