ROMIR signed a co-operation agreement with SPbSU

On 28 March, the Agreement on Practice between ROMIR and St. Petersburg State University was solemnly signed. The document was signed by ROMIR President Andrey Milekhin on the one hand and First Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Marina Lavrikova on the other hand.  

ROMIR already has similar partnerships with Lomonosov Moscow State University, Yevdokimov RUM and Plekhanov Russian Economic University. However, the beginning of scientific and practical co-operation with SPbSU is of a special nature. The University of the Northern Capital, which 300 years ago actually became the cradle of Russian science, is Andrei Milekhin's alma mater - he graduated from the Faculty of Psychology in 1986.

The main areas of cooperation between one of the leading universities of the country and the research company will be the participation of ROMIR specialists in educational programmes, in the work of educational and methodological commissions, proposing research topics, scientific consulting and reviewing graduate qualification works. In addition to the scientific and educational component, the agreement implies the organisation of practical training and internships for SPbSU students at ROMIR, as well as offering employment to graduates of the University. Researchers and professors intend to engage in joint development of separate specialised training courses focused on targeted training of specialists to work in various areas of research activity.

"Educating students at the University is impossible without people who employ them, as employers see from the outside what deficiencies exist in the educational process. Therefore, it is very important for us that sociology students have an opportunity to get feedback on their competences from employers in time," emphasised Marina Lavrikova. 

In her turn, Maya Rusakova, Director of the Centre for Applied Sociology of SPbSU, shared the University's experience in organising practices for future sociologists: "The peculiarity of the Sociological Clinic is that students undergo a full cycle of sociological research within one semester. Having acquired the necessary skills, students feel more confident when they go on internships with external organisations. That is why it is important for the University to cooperate with such a large research company with a rich history and experience that SPbSU students could learn from. Students implement projects for government, commercial, educational and non-profit organisations. This approach allows students to get acquainted with the specifics of working with customers from different spheres."

"Constant contact and co-operation with Russia's leading educational institutions allows us to maintain our title as a leader in applied science. Partnership with SPbSU is especially significant for me personally and for the company I head. All Russian science began 300 years ago within the walls of this university, and for me, who graduated from the Faculty of Psychology 40 years ago, it was a ticket to professional life. We will be happy to share practical experience with students and discuss methodological developments with fellow teachers. And, of course, we are always open to young professionals, representatives of the new generation with their special view of man, society and life", - commented Andrey Milekhin, President of ROMIR. 

After signing the document and touring the historical building of the Faculty of Sociology, Andrei Milekhin gave a lecture to SPbSU students on the crisis of survey methods and transformation of measurement tools. The audience included not only SPbSU students, but also faculty members.