Innovation of the Year 2016. The Humanities

Anatoly Pikalov

Academic title, degree: Ph.D.
Organization: Environmental and Humanitarian Institute
Position: President
Country: Russian Federation

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Humanities and Environmental Education System

The innovative idea of the project is introduction into the basic educational process of additional humanities and environmental components by integrating and strengthening interdisciplinary connections and combining processes of education and training into a single complex to form an outlook that is consistent to the principles of Sustainable Development. This solution has been developed and applied for the first time in Russian and in world’s educational practice. It was named: humanities and environmental education.

Brief Description of the Project

To implement the project in Moscow in 1992 was established a new non-governmental educational institution named Humanities and Environmental College. Establishment of that institution involved advanced scientists, academics, professors, and teachers. A few years after establishment it was transformed into the Environmental and Humanitarian Institute.

Based on the state educational standards, here were developed and implemented Management and Design educational programs, which integrated additional components from humanities and environmental sciences. Professors and teachers attended special classes on integration of humanities and environmental components into the academic disciplines. Also were developed and implemented methods of "advanced education", i.e. not only the transfer of accumulated knowledge, but also the transfer of new advanced knowledge. In the institute an activity based learning i.e. learning through practical useful activities was implemented. It includes laboratory studies, field studies and environmental studies in both Russia and abroad (United Kingdom, Germany, USA, Czech Republic). Supplemented extracurricular activities in order to strengthen the educational impact, development of memory, communication skills, ethical and aesthetic standards and shaping of ecological worldview were revised .

The institute has a Student Scientific Society, Student Environmental Fashion Theatre, literature and art studios. Students participate in competitions and student projects. It is impossible to overestimate the social significance of the project, because graduates of the institute not only improve the social structure of society, its health and morals, but also act as active agents propagating the principles of sustainable development. 

Acceptance Algorithm

From the first days of its existence, the Humanities and Environmental College holds conferences and round tables with scientists, professors and teachers in order to disseminate information, exchange views, develop reporting and recommendations. These recommendations are the foundation for continuous improvement and development. The college participates in national and international forums. At the National Forum "Ecology of Russia" for the first time in the Russian Federation the college was the creator of section "Environmental Education", which gave a strong impulse to the promotion of environmental education and was listed in the Green Book of Russia. In 1994, on the Global Forum "Cities and Sustainable Development" (Manchester, UK) students of the college participated in the International Student Environmental Festival. Every year, the college (institute) holds open international conferences on various aspects of humanities and environmental education.

The institute extensively cooperates with educational institutions both in Russia and abroad. Among them are: Lomonosov Moscow State University, Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation, Baltic University in Latvia, Training Center in Germany, Seacamp Marine Institute in Florida, USA and many others. Humanities and Environmental College in Abkhaz capital Sukhumi, International Humanities and Environmental Institute in Czech Republic were established with assistance of the Institute. Wide recognition of humanities and environmental education and activities of the institute is evidenced by hundreds of awards, diplomas and certificates from government agencies, public and scientific organizations, private and public corporations. This confirms the innovative and promising nature of the humanities and environmental education.

The main achievement is practical demonstration of high effectiveness of humanities and environmental education. Besides the standard qualification criteria we can also emphasize the following indicators of success:

1) significant increase in motivation to learn as a result of better understanding of relationships between sciences, development of systems thinking;

2) higher, in comparison with traditional educational system, degree of retention of curricula materials;

3) harmonious development of left and right hemispheric types of brain activities, which increases the psychological stability;

4) comprehensive development of a person: physical, mental, and moral;

5) rejection of drugs;

6) environmental consciousness and understanding of worldview;

7) responsibility for consequences of own actions.

As the most important achievements also should be noted the students’ projects: International Competition "Water on Earth" - the study of  Kosinski Lakes in the Moscow Region (winner of the competition, subsequent to the results of competition was adopted the governmental decision to cancel construction of multistory housing, which would ruin the unique lakes); project on preservation of the unique relic Pitsunda pine groves in Abkhazia (Certificate of Acknowledgement from the Government of Abkhazia), and many other projects. Among the most important achievements should also be mentioned completion of construction in accordance with custom design of a new educational building for the Humanities and Environmental Institute with necessary classrooms, laboratories, conference hall, universal sports and dance hall, library and a spacious student cafeteria. The building is equipped with modern computer equipment, multimedia tools, high-speed Internet. The building is located on the bank of small river (Samorodinka). And this area will be the subject of new environmental projects of students of the institute.