Eurasian Connectivity: Data-Driven Regional Studies

The course offers a comprehensive view of major theoretical schools and approaches in the study of international relations, with particular emphasis on their pedagogical representation in higher education. Students deepen their understanding of key paradigms and concepts of the discipline by analyzing various methods of their interpretation and transmission in the educational process. The course examines the evolution of theoretical knowledge in IR, debates between different schools of thought, and explores various national schools of international relations theory and the specifics of teaching IR theory in different institutional contexts. Special attention is given to theoretical understanding of the processes of globalization, deglobalization, and regionalization in the contemporary international relations system.

This course is designed to develop a systemic vision and understanding of the essence and content of ongoing integration processes in Eurasia and the development of connectivity between the region's countries. The course focuses on the entire range of concepts, initiatives, and projects for developing Eurasian integration and connectivity, put forward by various actors. The subject of study will be connectivity projects in all possible spheres: from transport, digital, and energy connectivity to connectivity through the application of common standards. Participants will become familiar with the history, operating principles, areas of work, and current agendas of the EAEU, the SCO, and China's Belt and Road Initiative. New regional multilateral cooperation structures (the "5+1" mechanisms in Central Asia), initiatives, and new integration processes will be explored.

Energy constitutes a major lifeline in all societies and one of the most crucial sources of maintaining and developing global life. Access to energy is a necessary element of a state's security. This course focuses on energy policy and energy security in the context of global and Eurasian political economy and international relations, offering different perceptions of energy security in importing and exporting nations. Energy security includes three components: reliability of supply, affordability of supply, and environmental friendliness. While all three elements are considered essential, most states promote some elements more than others.

Special attention will be given to Russia and Central Asia as key energy regions in the global context of energy transition. Students will analyze current developments in the energy sector from political, economic, legal, and environmental angles through case studies relevant to Russia and Central Asia. The course consists of weekly lectures and seminars, where students will become familiar with key concepts and approaches to the study of energy politics, the practical realities of production, trade, and consumption of different forms of energy, and the relationship between energy, climate and politics at domestic, regional and international levels.

This course examines the role of key Eurasian regions in the global economy, their impact on global markets, and integration processes. Key topics include:

• Economic development models of Eurasian countries, structural features of their economies, and key development sectors (industry, agriculture, digital economy, transport infrastructure, and tourism).
• The role of Eurasian economies in the international division of labor and trade flows, the impact of global supply chains and foreign direct investment. Factors of competitiveness and positioning in the global economy.
• Integration processes in the region: the functioning of the EAEU, the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, the interaction of regional economic blocs (ASEAN and SCO), and the prospects for the formation of a Greater Eurasian Partnership.
• Challenges to sustainable development in the region (environmental issues, demographic changes, technological transformations), and the role of Eurasia in the global energy market.

This course examines the social development of Eurasian countries. Drawing on comparative approaches, the course explores strategies for social development, ongoing transformations in the demographic structure of Eurasian societies, and the social consequences of economic reforms. Key themes include: major trends in Eurasian demographic development, dynamics in family structure and gender relations, innovations in social structure, migration issues, as well as the evolution of social policy and social protection systems. Students will be able to analyze how different Eurasian states seek balance between the demands of economic growth and social justice, manage urbanization processes, and address emerging social problems in the course of rapid modernization.

The course combines theoretical approaches with empirical case studies to understand the specificities of Eurasian development models.

This course examines the Arctic as a geopolitical region within the system of contemporary international relations. Students will become familiar with the national Arctic strategies of circumpolar states and the mechanisms of their implementation, as well as the multilevel system of global and regional Arctic governance. Key topics include: the legal foundations for regulating Arctic space through international maritime law and the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, the activities of the Arctic Council as the key institution of regional cooperation, and formats of bilateral interaction among Arctic states.

The course also offers a comparative analysis of polar region governance systems, examining similarities and differences in approaches to regulating the Arctic and Antarctica. Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of contemporary challenges and opportunities in the Arctic region, including issues of sovereignty, environmental security, resource development, and international cooperation in the context of changing geopolitical conditions.
 

This interdisciplinary course is focused on the intersection of technology, politics, and society. Structured into five thematic blocks, it moves from theoretical foundations to practical case studies, following the principle of combining one scientific issue with one practical case — such as Arctic anthropology with data centers expeditions, or AI in art with digital repatriation. Students will explore technology as an issue, instrument, infrastructure, and imaginary, analyzing core conflicts like secrecy vs. security, tech transfer vs. data colonialism, and multistakeholderism vs. national regulation. The methodology blends philosophical frameworks with hands-on research instruments, including digital ethnography, reading with/without AI, and data analysis with tools like LDA. The final outcomes require students to analyse one issue, read a book, and engage in practical research, focusing on how technologies work—or fail—in real-world Eurasian contexts.

This course examines the policy process in different political and geographical contexts. The course considers how policy problems are identified and framed, and how responses are formed and evaluated. Students would learn and apply key concepts in policy studies, deepen their knowledge of the policy cycle from initiation implementation and evaluation, and examine the actors, interests, and institutions that shape policy processes and outcomes. Policy analysis is itself a means of exercising power – through the systemic definition of policy priorities, alternatives, evaluative criteria, and modes of outcomes measurement. This course thus invites students to better understand what public policy is.

The course attempts to combine both introducing main theoretical approaches to public policy analysis and focusing on specific policy issues. By the end of the course, students will be able to: identify policy problems and critically engage with them with various analytical tools; understand key concepts in policy studies and apply them to/in specific problems/contexts; identify key actors and institutions structuring the policy process.

The research project seminar aims to refine practical skills in applying research methods to the study of international relations in the Eurasian region. The course focuses on analyzing current issues in international relations in Eurasia, including bilateral and multilateral interactions among regional states, integration and disintegration processes, conflict and cooperation practices, cross-border processes, and the influence of global factors on regional dynamics.
Within the seminar framework, students develop individual or group research projects focused on current issues in international relations in Eurasia, practicing skills in collecting, processing, and interpreting various types of data. The seminar is built on the principle of learning by doing: students refine their analytical competencies through practical work with real research tasks, critical assessment of information sources, and selection of appropriate methodological tools for specific cases. Special attention is given to developing the ability to combine quantitative and qualitative approaches, present results in academic format, and argumentatively defend research decisions. The seminar prepares students for writing graduation theses and develops the competencies of a practicing analyst capable of independently designing and implementing research in the field of international relations.

This course is designed to develop students' skills in creating various types of academic texts, which is an essential component of professional training and contributes to successful scholarly activity and effective communication within the academic community. Students will master the basic principles of academic writing, learn to structure and format texts, select appropriate stylistics and descriptive language, and formulate and substantiate their own ideas. The curriculum covers the main genres of academic writing (essays, abstracts, summaries, reviews), analysis of composition and stylistics in scholarly articles, as well as authors' research strategies.

Upon completing the course, students will acquire practical skills in independently creating various types of academic texts, including notes, abstracts and summaries of scholarly articles and monographs, as well as reviews and essays. The course develops the ability to analyze scholarly texts as a research tool and forms skills in conveying one's own ideas to target academic audiences.
 

The course introduces students to the basics of research methodology in social sciences and provides deep dives into research design. The course aims to develop critical thinking and methodological rigor in social science investigations. Students will learn to formulate a research agenda, select appropriate methods, and interpret empirical findings. It covers the following aspects: how to formulate research questions, how to choose a research strategy, how to collect data, and how to interpret empirical data. Students will explore different types of research design and appropriate different theoretical approaches for different types of research questions. The course will also discuss ethical issues of research and the role of scientific knowledge in decision-making processes. Also, it allows students to learn different approaches and methods developed in the area of social science and how they confront and synthesize with each other. Students will get essential skills on how to develop their research projects, to present their empirical findings, and to provide theoretical and practical implications based on their research. In general, this will help them to explain complex social, political, and economic phenomena. The main skills developed during this course will be useful for academic and professional careers in public policy, business, the non-governmental sector, and academia.

The course provides an in-depth exploration of qualitative research methodology in social science. The course explores the main stages and principles of qualitative research. It focuses on the logic of qualitative research, different research strategies, data collection, and data analysis. It covers the key qualitative research methods, such as interviews, focus groups, observation, and document analysis. The course also focuses on ethical issues, data validity, and reliability in qualitative research. During the course students will elaborate and conduct their own research projects. Students will collect empirical data, analyze materials with different methods and techniques, and interpret insights from the field. Also, students will be able to estimate the quality of research, justify the chosen methodology, and evaluate the results based on a scientific approach. Students will gain the ability to conduct rigorous qualitative research to explore complex social phenomena. Topics of future research will be related to such areas as urban studies, organizational studies, and policy evaluation. It gives students the opportunity to dive into social theory and use it for applied purposes.

Introduction. Foundations of quantitative research. Data for quantitative research. Introduction to data analysis. Univariate descriptive statistics. Graphical representation of data. Probability theory and mathematical statistics. Introduction to probability theory. Basic concepts of statistics. Point and interval estimation. Hypothesis testing. Comparison of two groups. Regression analysis. Classical regression analysis. Assessing the quality of the regression equation. Multiple linear regression. Nonlinear regression models. Key assumptions of the regression model. Use of quantitative methods in social sciences. General perspectives on the development of quantitative methods.

The course is designed for humanities specialists who need modern applied mathematics for their work or further studies. It will allow students to systematize their knowledge, fill in gaps, master mathematical language, and acquire the necessary toolkit (both theoretical and practical) for working with data and mathematical models.

The program begins with a review of fundamentals and sequentially covers key concepts of applied mathematics: linear algebra, mathematical analysis, probability theory, optimization, and graph theory.

This course is designed to master the fundamentals of programming in Python — one of the most popular languages in Data Science, analytics, and automation. Students will become familiar with basic syntax, data structures, working with functions and modules, and learn to solve practical problems using modern AI assistants. Key topics include Python fundamentals (variables, operators, loops, conditions), working with data structures (lists, dictionaries, sets), creating and using functions and modules, reading and writing files (text, CSV), as well as basics of object-oriented programming (classes and objects). The practical orientation of the course involves developing skills in working with AI assistants (Copilot and similar tools) to enhance programming efficiency. Students will learn to apply their knowledge to solve real-world problems in data analysis.

This course introduces students to artificial intelligence-based tools that have already become part of contemporary research projects in the field of international relations. Students will learn to use neural networks for searching and systematizing relevant literature, improving the efficiency of reading scholarly articles, working with data and web coding, as well as ethical use of AI in writing academic texts. Special attention is given to practices of working with AI tools aimed at controlling issues such as hallucinations and cognitive debt.

Upon completing the course, students will be able to increase the productivity of their research activities by freeing time from routine operations for deep expert analysis, thereby enhancing the key competitive advantages of a modern international relations specialist.

This course is developed within the framework of communicative-oriented foreign language teaching, with the key principle of mastering the language as a means of communication in life situations relevant to students. Special emphasis is placed on professional communication: students master various types of reading (scanning, skimming, viewing, analytical), semantic-syntactic and lexical-grammatical text analysis, and develop skills in listening comprehension of monologic and dialogic authentic speech in professional contexts.

The course aims to improve oral and written communication skills within professional settings, including the ability to formulate the main idea of a message and briefly summarize text content. The program provides comprehensive development of language competencies necessary for effective communication in academic and professional environments.

The course introduces the fundamentals of spatial analysis for solving applied and academic tasks. We will use various datasets, geographic information systems, and spatial visualization tools to understand how geography influences social, political, and economic processes.

Within the course, students will become familiar with key concepts of spatial analysis — scale, spatial heterogeneity, spatial autocorrelation, distances and interactions between objects.
Students will learn to create thematic maps, work with spatial data layers, visualize statistics on geographic objects, and interpret the results obtained.

Upon completion of the course, students will be able to confidently use GIS and spatial analytics tools, competently interpret geographic patterns, and apply spatial approaches in their own research and projects.

This Master's course is designed for students seeking to develop their text analysis skills through computational methods. It provides an introduction to the fundamentals of text data preprocessing, the creation of vectorized representations, and their subsequent application in data analysis. Students will learn to address tasks such as text clustering and classification, topic modeling, and to apply advanced methods for information extraction and identifying semantic changes. The course is delivered in Python, utilizing classical socio-political and economic texts as its empirical foundation.

In this course, students will learn about modern methods of statistical causal inference. Students will learn about the main causal paradigms (potential outcomes framework vs. directed acyclic graphs) and the design of randomized controlled experiments. On this basis, we will continue the discussion of modern methods, consider weighting and matching techniques, quasi-experimental methods for panel data (difference in differences, synthetic control), instrumental variables, and regression discontinuity designs. In addition, standard sociological techniques of causal analysis will be considered — standard and multilevel structural equation modeling, path analysis, and causal mediation analysis. Upon completion of the course, students will be able to correctly formulate causal research designs, correctly establish and select theoretical and empirical estimands, and choose appropriate estimators and estimation methods. This will enable them to analyze the effectiveness of government programs, research measures to prevent inequality, and work in large companies conducting quantitative analysis of product indicators.

The course develops professional skills in reading and text analysis within the social and political sciences. Students master analytical reading procedures that allow them to move beyond surface-level understanding: text segmentation techniques, articulating the research problem and the author’s voice, and reconstructing a text's semantic architecture through a system of conceptual distinctions.

The practical component focuses on critical analysis techniques for texts across various disciplines—from sociological studies to political manifestos and analytical reports. Students learn the methods of internal and external criticism, the redescription of empirical fields using conceptual frameworks, and the transfer of theoretical models. Ultimately, the course builds universal competencies for critical engagement with both academic literature and political texts.

The course provides a foundational understanding of theories and methods of discourse analysis with a practical focus on working with various types of materials — texts, images, and video recordings. Students become familiar with key approaches to discourse analysis in narratives and interviews, methods of working with transcription, and study formal features of narrative structures and their contextual characteristics. The course covers media discourse analysis, including the study of news, images, and video, as well as examination of public speech with focus on audience interaction and intertextuality.

The practical component focuses on developing skills in analyzing various types of discursive materials. Students master transcription technologies, learn to identify formal and content-related features of narratives, analyze fragments of interviews, media content, and public speeches. The course develops competencies in critical analysis of discursive practices across various social and political contexts, including international topics, intercultural communication, and analysis of public discourse in the field of international relations.

 

This course introduces students to the functioning of higher education in Eurasian countries in the context of these states' foreign policy strategies. The first thematic block of the course is dedicated to the fundamentals of sociological analysis of education systems and key conceptual approaches to studying higher education as a foreign policy instrument: the concept of “soft power”, geopolitics of education and knowledge, public and cultural diplomacy.

The second block includes an overview of higher education strategies of leading states in East Asia, Southeast and South Asia, as well as the Middle East region. Students will gain insight into the contemporary political map of higher education and directions of academic mobility, as well as the global and regional centers of influence that shape the geography of the modern globalized higher education market.

This course introduces students to the functioning of higher education in Eurasian countries in the context of these states' foreign policy strategies. The first thematic block of the course is dedicated to the fundamentals of sociological analysis of education systems and key conceptual approaches to studying higher education as a foreign policy instrument: the concept of “soft power”, geopolitics of education and knowledge, public and cultural diplomacy.

The second block includes an overview of higher education strategies of leading states in East Asia, Southeast and South Asia, as well as the Middle East region. Students will gain insight into the contemporary political map of higher education and directions of academic mobility, as well as the global and regional centers of influence that shape the geography of the modern globalized higher education market.