The Minutes of the Open Meeting of the Academic Council
1. Participants:
Members of the Academic Council:
1) Michael Howlett, Professor, Department of Political Science, Simon Fraser University; Lee
Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore; Co-chair of RC 30 on
Comparative Public Policy of International Association of Political Science (IPSA)
2) Frank Fischer, Distinguished Professor of Politics and Global Affairs Rutgers University, USA;
Co-Editor of Critical Policy Studies; Series Editor, Public Policy Research Handbooks, Edward
Elgar Publishing; co-organizer of the APSA Conference Group on Critical Policy Studies; a
member of the Advisory Committee of the European Consortium of Political Research’s
Standing Committee on Theoretical Perspectives in Policy Analysis; ; and Co-Vice
Chairperson, Research Committee on Public Policy and Administration, International
Political Science Association
3) Philippe Zittoun, Research Professor in Political Science, University of Lyon (LET-ENTPE);
Research Fellow at PACTE, Science Po Grenoble; Vice-Chair of Research Committee "Public
Policy and Administration" of IPSA; Visiting Professor, Yale University (2010)
4) Giuseppe Mastruzzo, Professor, International University College of Turin (IUC), Academic
Coordination, Director
5) Rosa Mule, Associate Professor of Bologna University, key partner of the Double Degree
Agreement between MPP of HSE Public Policy Department and Master Program
“International Relations and Diplomacy” of Bologna University
6) Nina Belyaeva, Professor, Head of MPP of HSE Public Policy Department, Member of the
HSE Academic Council; Member of Scientific Committee of International Conference on
Public Policy, Chair of RC on Public Policy and Governance of Russian Association of Political
Science
7) Alexis Belianin, International College of Economics and Finance, Associate Professor;
Laboratory for Experimental and Behavioural Economics, Laboratory Head
8) Dmitry Zaytsev, Associate Professor, HSE Public Policy Department; member of Scientific
Council of Russian Association of Political Science
9) Zinaida Pogosova, Associate Professor, HSE Public Policy Department; Centre for Cognition
& Decision Making, Senior Research Fellow; Member of the HSE Academic Council
10) Valentina Kuskova, Faculty of Management, Associate Professor; Deputy Dean for
International Relations; Head of the International laboratory for Applied Network Research
11) Alexander Chulok, Institute for Statistical Studies and the Economics of Knowledge,
Department of Educational Programmes, Associate Professor; Institute for Statistical
Studies and the Economics of Knowledge, International Research and Educational Foresight
Centre, Deputy Director; Research Laboratory for Science and Technology Studies, Senior
Research Fellow
Invited Professors of HSE Public Policy Departments:
12) Edgar Demetrio Tovar Garsia
13) Sergey Parhomenko
14) Anna Potsar
15) Boris Kashnikov
16) Mahama Tawat
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17) Yuri Fogelson
Attended: Nina Belyaeva, Alexis Belianin, Dmitry Zaytsev, Zinaida Pogosova, Alexander Chulok,
Edgar Demetrio Tovar Garsia, Sergey Parhomenko, Anna Potsar (through Skype), Boris
Kashnikov, Mahama Tawat, Yuri Fogelson
Sent their proposals: Michael Howlett, Frank Fischer, Philippe Zittoun, Giuseppe Mastruzzo,
Rosa Mule, Valentina Kuskova
2. Agenda
1) Introduction of Academic Council of Master Program “Political Analysis and Public Policy” as
a new governing body
2) Approval of the list of Working Commissions of Academic Council, and list of members of
the commissions
3) Approval of the formulations of the topics of Term Papers and Master Theses
4) Presentation of the Draft of the Conception of HSE Public Policy Department development
5) Organization of the Work on Double Degree Programs
3. Discussions
1) Nina Belyaeva:
Academic Director of Master Program “Political Analysis and Public Policy” Nina Belyaeva
introduces new governing body of Master Program – Academic Council, its functions and list of
members.
2) Nina Belyaeva and All:
The members of Academic Council agreed to form several Working Commission for permanent
work on programs of study courses (Zaytsev, Mule, Kuskova); on themes of course works and
master theses (Zaytsev, Belianin, Mastrusso, Zittoun); on study curriculum (Belyaeva, Zaytsev,
Pogosova, Fischer); on international recruiting and academic development (Belyaeva, Howlett,
Chulok); on international quality certification of master program (Howlett, Fischer, Zittoun).
Academic Council members react to this responsibly and some saw their role in the Commission's
other than was originally proposed.
Active inclusion of Academic Council members has not only significantly improve the wording of
many research topics, but also to develop some general principles of work on the topics that they
could inform all teachers of the department and used in further work.
In addition, it was proposed to create an additional commission - to work with the curriculum and
the implementation of all the issues of double degree programs with Bologna University, which
included: Profs. Mule, Mastrusso, Zittoun, and Zaytsev.
3) All:
Summarizing the reactions from the members of Academic Council and their individual discussions
with invited academic supervisors that follows by, the key principles which should be applied to
the formulation of the topics of Term Papers and Master Theses was formulated.
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a. From the wording of the theme should be clear what kind of theory and methodological
approach is used by the student
b. Title should demonstrate problem-oriented and analytical, not descriptive, nature of the
work, and research contribution of the work into HSE Public Policy School
c. From the wording of the theme should be clear what research problem student try to tackle
d. The topics have be specified in time and space
e. The topics cannot be based only on one case of chosen country or region, it have to be
comparative
Common opinion was that the titles of Term paper and master Theses have to avoid wide topics
with many depended variables of different kinds (geopolitical, social, economic, historical, cultural
etc.), and with great dependency from time, when do research is conducted. F.ex. the topic «Think
Tanks Influence on the Foreign Policy Decision Making» is too broad in this sense. Also, the topics
would benefit from English proofreading. The document is full of abbreviations (CSS, OS, OP)
whose meaning is opaque to anyone not directly involved.
4) All:
Dmitry Zaytsev made the Presentation “HSE Public Policy School. Conception: work in progress”.
See App. 1.
Zinaida Pogosova made the Presentation “Development of Human Rights and Democratic
Governance concentration”. See App. 2
5) All:
The members of Academic Council agreed to form the commission on Double Diplomas, members:
Profs. Mule, Mastrusso and Zittoun - to develop DD Agreement with UniBo, and other Universities.
4. Decisions
1) Approve the topics of Term Papers as amended.
2) Amendments and recommendations that have to be taken into consideration: term paper
and master theses topics have to show theoretical contribution, analytical, not descriptive,
nature of work, research problem, the topics have be specified in time and space, the topics
cannot be based only on one case of chosen country or region, it have to be comparative.
3) The topics of Master Theses was not approved, because they are unclear and weaker,
compare with the topics of term papers. Generally the level of 2nd year Master Theses have
to be much more detailed and qualified, because they will graduated. It will be first
graduation monitored by Academic council.
4) Address academic supervisors immediately to send us the latest proposals of the topics,
clarify, qualified enough to the level of master theses, till Wednesday.
5) Approve the list of Academic Council Commission, as following:
1. Commission on programs of study courses (Zaytsev, Mule, Kuskova).
2. Commission on themes of course works and master theses (Zaytsev, Belianin, Mastruzzo, Zittoun)
3. Commission on study curriculum (Zaytsev, Pogosova, Fischer)
4. Commission on international recruiting and academic development (Belyaeva, Howlett, Chulok)
5. Commission on international quality certification of master program (Howlett, Fischer, Zittoun)
6. Commission on Double Diplomas development (Mule, Mastruzzo, Zittoun)
6) To Zaytsev and Pogosova continue working on the Conception through individual
consultations with the members of Academic Council
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