HSE–St. Petersburg Political Science Programmes Receive International Accreditation
The Central Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (ZEvA) has accredited two HSE – St. Petersburg programmes in political science: the Bachelor’s Programme ‘Political Science and World Politics’ and the Master’s Programme ‘Comparative Politics of Eurasia’. The accreditation, which lasts six years without additional conditions, affirms that the programmes meet international education quality standards.
The expert commission, which includes representatives of leading European universities, noted that the educational programmes in political science at HSE University’s St. Petersburg campus ‘establish new trends through internationalization, modern research method training, as well as a combination of political science and international relations.’
In particular, the expert commission positively assessed the bachelor programme’s innovative combination of political science and international relations, the curriculum’s result-based focus, as well as the fact that the programme allows students to focus on certain regional areas. Next year, students of the Political Science and World Politics Programme will be able to choose one of three regional concentrations: Europe, BRICS countries, or countries of the former Soviet Union.
The master's programme in Comparative Politics of Eurasia also received a positive assessment from the agency. Experts noted the balanced and contemporary nature of the curriculum, the variety of course offerings, and the emphasis on developing advanced research methods and skills. According to the commission, a combination of disciplines in comparative politics and international relations allows the programme to ‘more efficiently prepare students for the requirements of the global academic and non-academic labour markets’.
According to Anna Dekalchuk, Head of the Political Science and World Politics Programme, international accreditation, along with university ratings and reputation, helps applicants navigate the educational services market. ‘International accreditation by an independent accreditation agency is a tool that reduces the asymmetry of information built into the relationship between the university and applicants, who can only truly assess the quality of education at a university after they enroll and begin classes (in this sense, higher education is, of course, an experimental benefit).’
This is a signal to the outside world that the quality of education in our political science programmes meets the highest international standards.
‘I hope that the international ZEvA accreditation will serve as this kind of additional signal not only for Russian applicants, but also for potential applicants abroad. This is especially important given that both programmes are geared towards the global education market.’ Professor Dekalchuk also emphasizes that obtaining international accreditation strengthens relations with employers and university partners. ‘It is very important that when employers receive these additional signals about the highly positive independent assessment of the quality of education in our programmes, our graduates become more competitive on the global labour market.’
The Central Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (ZEvA) is an international agency with headquarters in Hanover, Germany, specializing in the assessment and accreditation of the education quality and management in higher education. ZEvA is one of the founders of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), which develops approaches to ensuring the quality of higher education. The ZEvA assessment is based on European standards and guidelines for quality assurance in higher education (ESG). The agency has been operating in the educational market since 1995.
The Bachelor's Programme ‘Political Science and World Politics’ is taught in English. To learn more about the programme and how to apply, click here.
The Master's Programme ‘Comparative Politics of Eurasia’ is taught in English. To learn more about the programme and how to apply, click here.
Admissions to HSE’s degree programmes are now open. International students can apply online. To learn more about HSE University, its admission process, or life in Moscow, please visit International Admissions website, or contact the Education & Training Advisory Centre at: inter@hse.ru, or via WhatsApp at: +7 (916) 311 8521.
Anna A. Dekalchuk
Associate Professor, Department of Political Science
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