Students of the faculty of political science at the University of Bologna went through training at the International Summer School in the Mining University. Italian students came to St. Petersburg to gain new knowledge and participate in the summer school program named "Social-political Conflicts of Modern Society".
The participants of the program were offered lectures, master-classes as well as practical sessions, which were devoted to such topics as different aspects of politics, conflictology, conflict resolution, the art of mediation and a few others.
Andrea Lorenzo Hoyos, one of the Italian students, shared her impressions on the studies,"I really liked the multidisciplinary approach to learning and the combination of theoretical and practical classes. Besides, I would also like to emphasize the relevance of the studies. In today's world, it is becoming more and more important to learn more about the conflicts, how they arise, advance and what consequences do they lead to. Moreover, we have learned how to appropriately deal with them, whether on our own or with help of a neutral and impartial third party. Undoubtedly, the Mining University is a suitable place for the implementation of such international programs".
Most of the students have already had experience of learning abroad as transfer students in the British and American universities. This year though, students motivated to acquire new knowledge and broad cultural understanding chose St. Petersburg as a study destination.
Leonardo Bruni, another student adds "Through the studied material I gained a more complete understanding of the nature of conflicts. It also helped me to learn more about the state and civil society institutions of conflict resolution. Thanks to the rich in events educational program, I also learnt about the mediation: we examined its role in resolving international conflicts on specific examples. Summer school is indeed a great opportunity to get familiar with different views on the global problems and processes. I managed to hear alternative viewpoints on the events that would not be possible to hear in Italy".
The professors of the Sociology and psychology department as well as of the Philosophy department took part in the program.
The Head of the Philosophy Department, Professor Mikhail Mikeshin noted "I gave lectures on the topic "Cultural conflict, its perception and understanding" and also held practical classes "Is it possible to resolve a cultural conflict?". After completing the course, students asked to send them a list of additional sources for the further study of this topic – notably, these were asked in addition to the literature sources provided in the presentation. It indicates both the uniqueness of the material and the high interest in this subject".
Currently, in addition to Italian students, the participants from the Lebanese international University, AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków and Hanoi University of Mining and Technology are also studying in the International Summer School. Six more summer schools are yet to come, including the Geological Tour around the Mountainous Crimea.
As Matteo Zuffi Medici says, "I admire the University: the Mining Museum, the labs equipped with the latest technologies, the historical facility of the University itself. The flexible time schedule also appealed to me because it gave the opportunity to explore the city. Among the others, we have been to the Peterhof, St. Isaac's and Kazan cathedrals, the State Hermitage Museum, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the Peter and Paul fortress. These two weeks passed by very quickly, and I would love to come back here, to the Mining University".
For more information on summer school programmes, such as requirements, duration, fees etc., please follow the link.
