“Knowledge about Russia”: the video lectures reach a new level

The first in the new academic year video lecture of the Presidential Library, "Knowledge of Russia" was held September 25, 2013 and was dedicated to the historical aspects of education reform. The subject was discussed taking the 150th anniversary of the University statute as an example.

The relevance of the topic of the lecture, its viability as a project, have attracted to the meeting the students, Internet communities including distinguished scientists, new partners of the Presidential Library. First video lecture in the current academic year was sponsored by the Commercial Bank "Globex", whose representatives emphasize the importance of contribution to the opposing the falsifications of history, the formation of young people's knowledge based on facts and information from documentary sources.

The holdings of the Presidential Library contain such materials, the amount of which exceeds 260,000 units. The "University Charter 1863", which was mentioned during the lecture, includes the points, many of which became the prototype of today's university regulations. Thus, according to the charter adopted 150 years ago, the universities had "their own censorship for theses, arguments and other works and collections that they published," they "are authorized to deliver from abroad all kinds of textbooks duty-free."

E. A. Rostovtcev, Associate Professor, Faculty of History, St. Petersburg State University, determined that the reform of that time formed a "university corporation of St. Petersburg." It was at that time that the city recognized the university as an institution that set high parameters not only of the provided knowledge, but also of the state of society. The Charter of 1863 streamlined the organization and curricula of faculties, granted to the universities the extended rights of self-government (they could elect the rector, the dean, professors).

Considerable attention during the university reform was given to the system of legal education, as the judicial reform, which was implemented in 1864, was under way at the same time. Both reforms were prepared with the involvement of the public and received wide coverage in periodicals. The result of the university reform was the expansion of the autonomy of universities, creation of more favorable conditions for research and training activities, increased motivation, commitment of teachers and students to the science.

The meeting was broadcast live on the website of the Presidential Library. And it was the first time that the system of e-mail was used in the process of discussion of lectures. It allowed the widest possible audience to ask questions about the lecturers online. A colorful booklet timed to the new season of video lectures was released which also had been made possible owing to the collaboration with the commercial bank "Globex".

"The use of modern equipment, advanced information technologies, as well as involvement in the project of known speakers and selection of interesting material on the basis of historical archival documents, noted the Director for Science of the Presidential Library, Constantine Knyaginin, allow to hold lectures as public studies, and to attribute an additional entertainment to the event."

In the new school year the Presidential Library will increase its cultural and educational potential.

The partner of the lecture

JSC "GLOBEXBANK"

General license of the Bank of Russia from 20.08.2012 № 1942