Elena R. Iarskaia-Smirnova

The IV International Scientific Conference "Interaction. Integration. Inclusion: labyrinths of meanings and horizons of possibilities" has recently concluded. This year, 17 sections and a round table meeting were organized, which brought together more than 400 participants interested in the study and development of socio-cultural integration from different countries and regions of Russia.

The study was conducted as part of a joint project with the program of professionally organized individual mentoring for children and adolescents in Russia “Big Brothers Big Sisters”.

On June 27, 2024, Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova and Daria Prisyazhniuk took part in the meeting of the Interdepartmental Strategic Project and Analytical Session “Evidence-Based Social Policy: Implementation of an Evidence-Based Approach at the Federal Level and Conditions for Effective Replication of Practices”.

On June 11, 2024 the seminar "Interaction between doctors and parents of children with special needs: regulations and experience of informing" was held, which was attended by members of the ILSIR research project and experts from the Center for Therapeutic Pedagogy, a partner organization, and the Coordinating Council working group. The report of the laboratory staff and the subsequent discussion with experts were devoted to the first results of the quantitative stage of the research on the experience of implementing a protocol for reporting the diagnosis in the constituent subjects of the Russian Federation.

From May 31 to June 2, 2024, the second interdisciplinary conference ‘Researching the Deaf Community’ was held at the GES-2 House of Culture, organised in collaboration with HSE University. The international forum brought together experts from 11 countries and four continents. Participants discussed topics related to the social, cultural, and linguistic characteristics of people within the deaf community in the modern world.

From May 31 to June 2, 2024, the Second Annual Interdisciplinary Conference “Exploring the Deaf Community” was held, organized by the House of Culture GES-2 together with the International Laboratory for Social Integration Studies of the HSE.

On May 31, 2024, the opening of the Second Annual Interdisciplinary Conference “Exploring the Deaf Community” took place at the GES-2 House of Culture, bringing together scientists and practitioners from more than 10 countries.

On May 24, 2024 the conference «Studying Gender, Family and Love During the Crises» was held at the European Humanities University in Vilnius.

On April 27, 2024, a film discussion was held on the problems of representation of people with disabilities. The event was held within the framework of a two-day festival prepared by the team of the GES-2 House of Culture and representatives of the International Disability Film Festival "Breaking down barriers".

Last week the XIV Grushin Sociological Conference “Metamorphoses of Society and the Research Industry: New Challenges” took place, within the framework of which on April 12 our laboratory held the section “Space and Time of Social Change”.

The project session was held on April 17, 2024, at which employees of our Laboratory made a presentation and organized moderation of project work on the issues of inclusion and prevention of social orphanhood.

On April 2, 2024, Moscow, the Head of the ILSIR, Professor Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova and research assistant Natalia Bulchenko took part in the panel discussion in memory of Raisa Maximovna Gorbacheva "Women in the revival of cultural traditions of Russia" at the Gorbachev Foundation.

The “Third Mission” of the University is a course for a wide audience, created by the Institute of Socio-Economic Planning of the NRU HSE within the framework of the “Vladimir Potanin Scholarship Program” of the Vladimir Potanin Charitable Foundation.

On December 12, 2023, Elena R. Iarskaia-Smirnova delivered an online lecture on the topic "Research of socially vulnerable groups: motivation, involvement, effects. Types of projects, formats and ways of interaction" for graduate students and staff of Sirius University of Science and Technology.

On December 25, the employees of the International Laboratory for Social Integration Research spoke at a round table on the results of the project "It's better at home - preparation for independent living".

On October 30th, the ILSIR Autumn school "Cinema as mediator: cinematic images in participatory social researches and practices" has opened its doors.

The seminar was hosted by the head of the Laboratory, Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova, as part of the course for sociology students "Diversity, Equality, Inclusion".

Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova participated in a meeting of the expert group of the Autonomous Nonprofit Organization "Internet Development Institute" on the topic of "Inclusion and Changing Attitudes towards People with Disabilities".

A seminar on "Understanding public attitudes and values that influence the development of inclusive education in Uzbekistan" was held at the ILSIR as part of a series of consulting seminars "Care and well-being in post-socialist Eurasia: institutions, discourses, identities".

On April 27, 2023, the fourth consultation seminar of the series «Care and Well-being in Post-Soviet Eurasia: Institutions, Discourses, Identities» was held in the Laboratory. The meeting was devoted to the discussion of the topic «Public Attitudes towards Vulnerable People in Russia in the Context of Care and Inclusion Work. A case of ASD».

On April 18, 2023, the second consultation seminar from the series "Care and well-being in post-socialist Eurasia: institutions, discourses, identities". The meeting was devoted to the discussion of the topic «“Special Path” Discourse in Framing Political News on Russian TV».

Throughout the year, the HSE International Laboratory for Social Integration Research (ILSIR) is hosting consulting seminars on ‘Care and Welfare in Post-Socialist Eurasia: Institutions, Discourses, Identities’ with presentations by leading foreign experts. The first seminar in the series, ‘Conceptualising Social Activism’ was held on April 4 with the participation of Professor Linda Cook, Academic Supervisor of HSE ILSIR. The second one will take place on April 18.

Articles by Elena R. Iarskaia-Smirnova (laboratory head), Linda Jean Cook (academic supervisor), leading researchers Daria Prisyazhniuk and Mike Titterton are published in the thematic issue of the journal Social Policy and Society.

A Colloquium programme was developed by Nikita Bolshakov, a senior researcher at the ILSIR. Professor Elena Yarskaya-Smirnova, ILSIR head, became a lecturer on the first day of the meeting.

International Laboratory for Social Integration Research wholeheartedly congratulates Maria Ivanovna on her well-deserved victory in the Competition of students' research papers – 2022!

On December 6, 2022, a roundtable "Identity and folk culture: dependence / confrontation / indifference" was held, to which experts from different fields were invited so that they could identify a view of identity specific to their professional field and thereby enrich general ideas about the processes of identification in culture.

On the eve of the International Disability Day, 1st of December 2022, Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova has conducted a public talk on social effects of inclusive projects at the Russian State Library for Young Adults.

Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova, Head of the ILSIR HSE, research fellows and other colleagues of HSE share their impressions about participating in the international film festival "Cinema Without Barriers".

On October 12, 2022, the Institute of Education of the Higher School of Economics and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives to Promote New Projects discussed the results of a study of special educational conditions for children with special educational needs (not related to the categories of "children with disabilities" and "disabled children") in general education organizations.

Maria Kozlova and Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova took part in a working meeting at Cartier's Russian headquarters in the Presnenskaya Embankment Business Center.

On December 1, Elena Yarskaya-Smirnova made a presentation “The meanings of Inclusion in Science and Practice” at the interdisciplinary scientific and practical conference “Inclusive Education - an Inclusive Society: Evidence-Based Approaches to the Inclusion of Children with Mental Disabilities in General Education".

On the 20-21th of October 2021 the VI International Scientific and Practical Conference 'Inclusive Education and Society: Strategies, Practices and Resources' is held in the mixed format, both online and offline. During the conference’s panel discussion 'Diversity, Equality and Accessibility as Strategic Concepts and Goals for the Development of an Inclusive Society' there were made five presentations.

On June 2, the HSE International Laboratory for Social Interaction Research and the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art successfully completed their joint Diversity Research Lab. The laboratory covered a number of topics related to social diversity, including interculturalism, life in a multinational country, ageism, poverty, and ableism. During the final online meeting of the project, the participants discussed universal design—a design which would allow for the creation of environments accessible to people regardless of their disability, age, or any other factors.

Olga Verbilovich and Elena Yarskaya-Smirnova presented on May 27, 2021 at the round table 'Media image of a person with a disability in modern Russian media,' organized by ANO "Center for Social Projects 'MIX.'

On April 28, Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova, Head of the International Laboratory for Social Integration Research, presented a report on the main areas of activity and prospects for the development of the laboratory at a meeting with the Chancellor of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Yaroslav Kuzminov, the Vice-Chancellor and Director of the Institute of Social Policy Lilia Ovcharova, the Vice-Chancellor and Director of the Institute of Applied Political Research Valeria Kasamara, attended the discussion. Participants discussed the main areas of research and key research and partnership projects of the ILSIR and other research institutions of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

16 April 2021. The joint seminar of IL SIR and Hamilton Lugar School of International and Global Studies at the Indiana University at Bloomington took place in zoom.

On the 30s of March 2021 head of the laboratory, Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova presented at the HSE open seminar on education a lecture on the origins and transformation of the concepts of 'integration' and 'inclusion' in social theory, social policy, and the agenda of social movements.

An open educational HSE seminar will take place online on March 30, 16:00. Link for registration and broadcasting: https://events.webinar.ru/1116217/6105071.

At the recent seminar of the HSE International Laboratory for Social Integration Research, Isaac Olumayowa Oni, HSE doctoral student and lab research assistant, spoke about African migration to Russia. In an interview with HSE News Service, Isaac discussed his research and talked about what it’s like to study at HSE and live in Moscow.

On the 27th January 2021 Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova and Olga Verbilovich have presented a paper on "Dis/abling public sphere: transformation of public discourse around disability in today's Russia".

For ten years now, HSE has been holding an annual grant competition for researchers who wish to start new international laboratories at HSE in collaboration with leading foreign scholars and scientists. The most recent competition reached its conclusion this past November, and now some of the selected proposed labs have already begun operation. Who are the competition winners and what kind of research will they be doing?

Projects have won the competition for the creation of international laboratories at HSE University for the period from December 1, 2019 to December 31, 2022.

On January 18, several university staff members were awarded HSE medals and notes of acknowledgement from the Rector.

We continue talking about universities that are alongside HSE in the 51–100 group in various subject areas in the QS ranking. Today we have sociologists speaking about their ‘neighbours in the ranking’.

On April 29, 2016 at the Academic Council meeting 25 HSE Professors were conferred the status of Tenured Professor.

The Higher School of Economics and the University of Southampton (United Kingdom) have signed a cooperation agreement to expand their research collaboration and to facilitate academic and student mobility between the two universities.