In the last ten days of January, several holidays related to education fall at once. January 21 is International Postgraduate Day, January 24 is International Education Day and January 25 is Student Day.

Higher education in our country has become very popular in recent years: today there are approximately four million students in Russia. In the new “Point of View”, SFU experts spoke about the history of the emergence of higher education in Russia, modern students and the importance of higher education in the development of science in the country.

Historian about the life of students in the 19th-20th centuries.

Maria Bratolyubova , Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Department of Russian History of the 20th-21st centuries, spoke about the history of the emergence of the holiday of Russian students and the life of Russian students in the 19th-20th centuries.

The expert recalled that the 18th century marked the beginning of the formation of the Russian education system and the creation of the first universities. By decree of Peter I on January 28, 1724, the Academic St. Petersburg University was created. The decree on the founding of Moscow University was signed by Empress Elizaveta Petrovna on January 12 (25), 1755. European universities set an example for the creation of the first Russian universities, but this was not blind copying. Russian universities had distinctive features.

Maria Bratolyubova noted that until the middle of the 19th century there was no general student holiday in Russia. Each university had its own day when students demonstrated their academic corporate unity to the public. At St. Petersburg University the holiday took place on February 8. Students of Moscow University celebrated “Tatyana’s Day” on January 12. Since the date of the establishment of the university coincided with the day of the holy martyr Tatiana, it was she who became the patroness of Russian students. The celebration of St. Tatiana’s Day became a regular tradition only in the middle of the 19th century, after the celebration of the centenary of Moscow University.

“To maintain common scientific interests, social solidarity among fellow countrymen, and political identity for like-minded people, there were various student organizations. The social activity of university students at the beginning of the twentieth century was quite high; the younger generation made a huge contribution to the development of the scientific and cultural life of Russian cities. The presence of a large number of students in the city dramatically increased its intellectual potential. University students have inserted themselves into the urban space, becoming a visible part of the city’s economy, culture and politics,” said Maria Bratolyubova.

The speaker emphasized that the student corporation was an integral part of the “university city.” Russian university students were closely connected with the city: they rented apartments or rooms, made purchases, gave private lessons, attended theaters and concerts, and collaborated in charitable associations. An even stronger connection between the city and the university was made by graduates who stayed there, worked, and started their own families. At the same time, such graduates as teachers contributed to raising the level of local school education.

“When he entered the university, the young man felt as if he was in a special world. It is not surprising that many students perceived the professor’s lecture as a revelation, and each of his words was recorded for printing at the request of the students, either by one of them, or by specially hired stenographers – the practice of lithographic publications was widespread at the university, when the noted lectures were given to the author for viewing, and then published lithographically in a limited edition of approximately 100-200 copies,” noted Maria Bratolyubova.

The expert also spoke about the material side of life for students at the beginning of the 20th century. There was a democratization of the social composition of the student body, and the proportion of students from privileged classes decreased. In material terms, the life of a significant part of the students was not easy. The students rented housing and ate in the dining room. We needed money to buy clothes and books. The minimum student budget was about 30 rubles per month. At the same time, the salary of a skilled worker was 35-38 rubles per month. The tuition fee was 50 rubles. in year; 25 rubles per semester. The bulk of the students consisted of modest, hardworking people of very limited means. Therefore, a significant part of them earned extra money by tutoring and private lessons. There was an extensive system of scholarships for students: state, university, city and private. 15% of university students were exempt from tuition fees.

“The university had a huge impact on the demographic component of cultural life, intensively multiplying the layer of urban intelligentsia. Student youth throughout history have been a resource of society, its educational and intellectual potential,” summed up Maria Bratolyubova .

Sociologist on the state of modern higher education in Russia

Irina Bogdanova , sociologist, associate professor of the Department of Industrial and Applied Sociology, Ph.D., spoke about the prevalence of higher education in Russia, its reasons and the most popular specialties among applicants.

The expert noted that the concept of “massification of education” has become somewhat ingrained in the minds of Russians: many people think that almost 100% of the population graduated from a higher educational institution. However, according to the sociologist, this is not so. Statistics show that in our country only 35% of people aged 25-60 have higher education.

“In this sense, we are far from being in first place: we are overtaken by countries such as Belgium, Norway and the USA. Therefore, there is no talk of mass education yet,” commented Irina Bogdanova.

The speaker also emphasized that over the past decade, the number of higher education institutions in our country has decreased by 40%: today we have 607 state and 358 non-state universities. At the same time, in Russia, according to the expert, despite the decrease in the total number of students, there are a large number of students – more than 4 million.

“I think that these numbers speak for themselves, that higher education today, of course, is in demand. What are the prospects? Demographers and sociologists say that until 2024, the number of students will, unfortunately, decrease. But this decrease will end by 2030,” suggested Irina Bogdanova.

The expert also highlighted the main reasons why people enroll in university. Self-improvement and self-realization are in first place by a large margin. The second is the prospect of further employment. The third and fourth are the prestige of the profession and a decent standard of living, respectively. Last on the list of main reasons is career growth.

The specialist also commented on the list of the most popular specialties today. They also still include the “three leaders”: economic, legal and humanitarian areas. However, according to the sociologist, 2021 has made its own adjustments. Thus, IT specialties, in which computer science and applied mathematics predominate, took first place. On the second – engineering specialties. And already on the third – the “three leaders”.

“In addition, the demand for medical specialties is always stable. A new trend can also be noted: our interest in linguistic areas has increased. Interest in advertising, PR management, and journalism has also grown. I can’t help but mention another trend – biotechnology. Biological faculties are especially popular with subsequent master’s specialization in biotechnology and bioethics,” concluded Irina Bogdanova .

Scientist on the contribution of students to the development of science

Vladimir Guterman, chief researcher at the Faculty of Chemistry of Southern Federal University, Doctor of Chemical Sciences, professor, spoke about how a student can participate in the development of science and what role such participation in research plays for him.

The expert noted that it is important for the student to understand why he wants to engage in scientific activity, since for this he will need to allocate additional time. At the same time , Vladimir Guterman noted that a student’s motivation can be different: interest, a desire to achieve professionalism in the field of study, or simply try himself in scientific activity. However, motivation must be present.

The speaker also emphasized that not all students necessarily need to study science. For this activity, the student must have a desire and inclination for scientific activity. Not everyone can do it successfully, just as not all people can play in the theater or write poetry.

“Science is like a pyramid, along which you need to climb to the shining peaks, where you can be seen, where your results are perceived by other scientists. But you start to get there from the bottom, it’s unlikely that things will work out well right away,” noted Vladimir Guterman.

The professor said that there is no age limit for starting a scientific career. As soon as the student understands that he can cope with his studies and can make time for scientific activities, he can begin to try himself in a new field. At the Faculty of Chemistry, students often begin to study science in their second or third year. However, it is very likely that the later a person begins to engage in science, the later he will achieve significant results.

Vladimir Guterman noted that in our time it is quite possible to provide for oneself financially through scientific activity. It is important to understand that the result does not come immediately. First you need to learn and start making a real contribution to the work of the research team.

“Now there are many forms to support young people. In our field of research, this is “Umnik” (a program to support commercially oriented scientific and technical projects of young researchers – approx.), various mini-grants, team grants from the Russian Science Foundation (Russian Science Foundation – approx.). In the system of this support, growth is possible: from a governor’s scholarship, for example, to large team and inidual grants. An important role is played by the team into which a novice researcher joins, and the relevance of the topic,” said the expert.

Student about the importance of higher education in human life

Karen Grigoryan , winner of the “SFU Student-2021” competition in the “Young Scientist in the Field of Engineering” category, spoke about modern students and the significance of this stage in a person’s life.

The speaker noted that students today are a transitional stage to maturity. These are people who, in addition to studying disciplines, learn to build connections with others and overcome various kinds of difficulties.

“The university plays an important role in modern education. It is at the university that a student becomes a highly qualified specialist who knows his job,” noted Karen Grigoryan .

The young scientist believes that classical higher education is still relevant today. Within the walls of the university, many people make connections that help them in later life. Obtaining several higher educations may also make sense, according to the speaker. Having several higher educations, a person gets the opportunity not to limit the scope of his activities and ersify his life.

Karen Grigoryan also spoke about the popular traditions of university student life.

“For example, initiation into students. This event is for new students. We go to this event every year to congratulate new students. Another tradition is the “equator”. “Equator” represents various festivities that are held when the halfway mark is reached and much more,” shared Karen Grigoryan .

According to Karen, studenthood is one of the brightest periods in a person’s life, on which his future fate depends.

Authors: Anastasia Dashevskaya and Daniil Skryagin