Eduard Ponarin
- Leading Research Fellow: Ronald F. Inglehart Laboratory for Comparative Social Research
- Professor: HSE Campus in St. Petersburg / Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences / Department of Sociology
- Tenured Professor (2014)
- Eduard Ponarin has been at HSE University since 2008.
Education and Degrees
University of Michigan
Thesis Title: Social Values in Estonia
Zhdanov Leningrad State University
Zhdanov Leningrad State University
Editorial board membership
Awards and Accomplishments
Best Teacher — 2023, 2016, 2016
Courses (2023/2024)
- Contemporary Russian Politics (Minor; Faculty of Social Sciences; 1, 2 module)Rus
- Modern Social Theory for Quantitative Research (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences; 1 year, 1, 2 module)Rus
- Multilevel Modeling (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Sociology, field of study Sociology; 2 year, 2 module)Eng
- Multilevel Modeling (Mago-Lego; 2 module)Eng
- Past Courses
Courses (2022/2023)
- Contemporary Russian Politics (Minor; Faculty of Social Sciences; 1, 2 module)Rus
- Modern Social Theory for Quantitative Research (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences; 1 year, 1, 2 module)Rus
- Multilevel Modeling (Postgraduate course field of study Sociology, field of study Political Science and Area Studies; 2 year, 1 semester)Eng
- Multilevel Modeling (Mago-Lego; 2 module)Eng
- Multilevel Modeling (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences; 2 year, 2 module)Eng
- Social and Political Attitudes (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences field of study Political Science, field of study Political Science; 2 year, 1, 2 module)Eng
- Sociology (Bachelor’s programme; Graduate School of Business field of study Business Informatics, field of study Management; 1 year, 3 module)Eng
Courses (2021/2022)
- Multilevel Modeling (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences; 2 year, 2 module)Eng
Courses (2020/2021)
- Multilevel Modeling (Master’s programme; Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences; 2 year, 2 module)Eng
Supervisor of the following Doctoral theses
- 1N. Zubarev Affective Sources of Trust in the President of Russia
- 2V. Korsunava The impact of self-expression values on the relationship between social class and cultural consumption in Europe: cross-national analysis, 2020
- 3O. Vólchenko Relationship between media consumption and generalized trust: evidence from World Values Survey, 2019
- 4Y. Moreva Subjective well-being as a political participation factor in Russia
- 5The Transformation of Institutions Regulating Behavior of Criminal Gangs in the Republic of Kyrgyzstan: Biographical Interviews with Insiders
Employment history
- 2014-2017 Chair, Department of Sociology, HSE in St. Petersburg
- 2013-2022 Member of the Executive Council, World Values Survey Association
- 2009-2021 Director, Laboratory for Comparative Social Research, HSE University
- 2007- Professor, Higher School of Economics (St. Petersburg); tenured in 2014
- 2009 – Fellow, Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki
- 2005-2008 – Chair, Department of Political Science and Sociology, European University at St. Petersburg
- 2005-2007 – International Policy Fellow, Open Society Institute (Budapest)
- 2003-2006 – PONARS Executive Committee member (Program on New Approaches to Russian Security)
- 2002-2007 – Visiting Professor at the Kazan State University (summer schools financed by the Ford Foundation)
- 1998-2005 – Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and Sociology, European University at St. Petersburg
- 1997 – Research Fellow, St. Petersburg Branch of the Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences
- 1990-1996 – Research Assistant, Population Studies Center, University of Michigan
- 1989-1996 – Graduate Student, Department of Sociology, University of Michigan
- 1988-1989 – Assistant Professor, Institute of Culture (Leningrad)
- 1986-1988 – Battery Commander, the Soviet Army
'I Have Never Regretted Entering 'Sociology' Programme'
Alina Kamanina is a graduate of the Bachelor's Programme 'Sociology and Social Informatics' at HSE University – Saint Petersburg. She has been working as a game analyst in 'G5 Entertainment AB' company for two years. We talked to the graduate about how she entered the game industry, what criteria she used to choose a university and why critical thinking is the main university skill, in her opinion.
Eduard Ponarin Resigns as the Head of the Laboratory for Comparative Social Research
Eduard Ponarin has decided to leave the position of the head of the Ronald F. Inglehart Laboratory for Comparative Social Research. Since October 1st, 2021, Boris Sokolov, Senior Research Fellow, has taken over the responsibility.
Between St. Petersburg and Moscow: International Lab Researchers Create a New Theoretical School
In Russia, 2021 was declared the Year of Science and Technology. HSE has always paid special attention to the development of science, and more than 40 international laboratories have played an important role in the development of the university as a world research centre. One of the University’s first such laboratories was theRonald F. Inglehart Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR), named after its academic supervisor at the time, American sociologist and political scientist Ronald Inglehart. HSE News Service spoke with LCSR Laboratory Head and professor of sociology Eduard Ponarin (HSE – St. Petersburg) about the Laboratory’s work over the past decade.
Violetta Korsunova has received a PhD in Sociology
Violetta Korsunova, Junior Research Fellow at LCSR, has received a PhD in Sociology. Congratualtions!
World Values Survey 7th Wave Dataset is Published Now!
The World Values Survey Association has announced the first release of the brand-new World Values Survey dataset. Fieldwork for this 7th wave was conducted from mid-2017 to early-2020. This includes 78 countries and societies on all inhabited continents around the globe.
A Proud ‘No’
Why egalitarian values don’t catch on in post-Soviet countries
CfP: LCSR announces Special Issue «Happiness and Subjective Well-being in Russia»
LCSR and Journal "Monitoring of Public Opinion: Economic and Social Changes" announce special issue call for papers «Happiness and Subjective Well-being in Russia» (Volume 1, 2020). Guest editors: Eduard Ponarin (PhD, LCSR head), Anna Almakaeva (PhD, LCSR deputy head) and Natalia Gashenina (PhD, Public Opinion Foundation – FOM). Manuscripts should be submitted in Russian or in English by the 31st of July 2019.
20 Things You Might Not Know About HSE - St. Petersburg
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, HSE’s St Petersburg campus came up with the slogan ‘Time to Make Your Dreams Come True.’
Scientists From HSE Awarded New Grants from RSF
The Russian Science Foundation has announced the most recent winners of three-year grants for scientific research. Among the recipients are a number of projects carried out by scientists at the Higher School of Economics.
Eduard Ponarin was invited to the Editorial Board of the Social Forces journal
The head of the LCSR, professor Eduard Ponarin was invited to become a member of the Editorial Board of Social Forces, an international journal for social research.
Veronica Kostenko has defended her PhD thesis
LCSR’s research fellow Veronica Kostenko has defended her PhD thesis. Congratulations!
LCSR`s Post-Doc Positions in Comparative Studies
The Higher School of Economics Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR) in Moscow, Russia invites applications for postdoctoral research positions in the field of comparative studies.
Seven WAPOR Papers that will Amaze You
The World Association for Public Opinion Research’s (WAPOR) annual regional conference ‘Survey Research and the Study of Social and Cultural Change’ kicks off at HSE on September 15, 2016.
World Association for Public Opinion Research Conference to Take Place in Russia for the First Time
From September 15 – 17, 2016, the World Association for Public Opinion Research (WAPOR) Regional Conference ‘Survey Research and the Study of Social and Cultural Change’ will take place at HSE.
Eduard Ponarin is one of the HSE's best teachers!
According to the results of the university-wide poll "Best Teachers of HSE" Eduard D. Ponarin (Head of the Laboratory for Comparative Social Research and Professor of the HSE) became one of the best teachers of the Faculty of Social Sciences.The voting is annually held in the HSE at the end of academic year. Students and alumni choose their candidates from the faculty list — no more than two lecturers and two teachers conducting workshops or practical training. This year the turnout at the Faculty of Social Sciences was 80%.We congratulate Eduard to the another recognition of his professionalism and wish him further progress!
Learning about Sociology from a Global Perspective
Master’s programme in Comparative Social Research was launched in 2014 and has been rapidly developing since. Its Academic Supervisor Christian Fröhlich talks about what the programme offers the applicants and what makes it unique.
Winter School of the Faculty of Social Sciences
On January 31st – February 3rd 2016, the Winter School of the Faculty of Social Sciences was held at the ‘Voronovo’ Learning Centre, HSE. During the event, potential master’s students took part in master classes, business cases and meetings with students and graduates of the faculty’s educational programmes.
Top 15. HSE's Most Interesting Research in 2015
Public misperceptions of inequality; Sanctions hit the best companies; How high is mortality in Russia?; How the type of university affects graduates' salaries; What national pride means; Muslims sharing a Protestant ethic; Economic inactivity among Russians; Russian travellers reluctant to book hotels online; The right to be forgotten; and Analysts can be wrong – these were the HSE's most interesting research papers in 2015, according to Opec.ru.
How Are World Values Changing?
On November 13-14 a meeting of the Executive Committee and the Scientific Advisory Committee of the World Values Survey Association was held at the Higher School of Economics in Moscow. The main mission of the meeting was the design of the master questionnaire for the new wave of the World Values Survey to be launched in 2017. World Values Survey scholars are also participating in the LCSR 5th International Annual Research Conference 'Cultural and Economic changes under cross-national perspective' which is currently underway at HSE. Christian Haerpfer, President of the World Values Association, has talked to HSE News Service about the survey and the preparation for its new wave.
International Not Only in Name
The International Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR) was established in 2010 in the first wave of a competition for government mega-grants to attract major academics from abroad to Russian universities. The famous American sociologist and political scientist Ronald Inglehart, Founding President of the World Values Survey and professor at the University of Michigan, became the laboratory’s first Academic Supervisor.
LCSR Summer School on ‘Introduction to Factorial Design and Data Visualisation with R’
As the 5th LCSR Summer School on ‘Introduction to Factorial Design and Data Visualisation with R’ came to a close on August 3, participants commented on their experience and shared their impressions.
LCSR Signed Partnership Agreement with the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute
HSE Laboratory for Comparative Social Research sign partnership agreement with the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute. The Social and Economic Survey Research Institute (SESRI) is a social scientific survey research. It was established in October 2008 with enthusiastic support from the leadership of Qatar University and falls under the Office of the President.
HSE International Laboratories Celebrate 5 Year Anniversary
It is five years since the HSE began setting up international laboratories. HSE’s Deputy Vice-Rector, Marina Litvintseva, Head of Laboratory for Algebraic Geometry, Fedor Bogomolov, and Ronald Inglehart and Eduard Ponarin from HSE Laboratory for Comparative Social Research reflect on the results of the work conducted last year and on the achievements of the laboratories.
Joint Brainstorming by International Researchers
A week-long training methodological workshop 'Economic and Social Changes: values effects across Eurasia' on advanced quantitative methods in comparative studies took place in April. The workshop was jointly organized by the Eurasia Business and Economics Society (EBES), Turkey, and HSE's Laboratory for Comparative Social Research. The workshop included presentations by the members of LCSR and EBES, series of practical workshops, as well as reports of the participants.
‘Conducting Comparative Research Requires One to Leave a Comfortable Environment’
Students of the international Master’s programme in Comparative Social Research, which opened in 2014, spent their first semester studying at the Moscow campus of the Higher School of Economics; the second semester was spent in St. Petersburg. Another six months will be devoted to study abroad. Mobility in the educational process is an important principle of the programme that allows future sociologists to better understand social reality. The English-language programme turned out to of interest not only to Russian students, but also to graduates of prestigious foreign universities.
Sexual Revolution Not Universal in Post-Soviet Countries
Attitudes towards family and sexual norms vary widely across the former Soviet Union republics. At the country level, economic development and the level of religiosity both help to determine attitudes, while age plays an important role at the individual level. Middle-aged people tend to be more liberal than those who are older or younger, according to a study conducted by Sofia Lopatina, Veronica Kostenko, and Eduard Ponarin of the HSE's Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR) in St. Petersburg.
Belief in Life after Death Affects Suicide Rates
Followers of older, more established religions are less likely to commit suicide than adepts of newer faiths. Factors influencing the risk of suicide include a feeling of isolation from the majority and a belief in life after death, according to a study by Eduard Ponarin, Director of the HSE's Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR) in St. Petersburg, and Vassily Usenko, M.D., Ph.D., from Dnipropetrovsk
International Conference on Economics and Culture
On November 10-15, the IV International Conference ‘Cultural and Economic Changes in a Comparative Perspective’ took place in St. Petersburg. Organized by HSE’s Laboratory for Comparative Social Research, the conference has traditionally brought together Russian and foreign scholars working on issues of values, trust, social capital, corruption and inequality in a changing world, as well as the role of religion in political activity and other social issues in Russia and other countries.
Conference in St. Petersburg: ‘Cultural and Economic Changes under Cross-national Perspective’
From November 10 to 14, the HSE Laboratory for Comparative Social Research’s (LCSR NRU HSE) 4th International Annual Research Conference ‘Cultural and Economic changes under cross-national perspective’ will take place in St. Petersburg. The programme includes dozens of themed sessions on current social, political and economic problems, and lectures by the world’s leading sociologists.
12 HSE Professors Awarded Tenure
On September 26 twelve HSE faculty members were promoted to Tenured Professors.
Crowds May Increase Suicide Risk
Mass gatherings can trigger suicidal behaviour when people experience the so-called 'broken promises effect' when the hoped-for miracle fails to happen, according to an international team of researchers, including Eduard Ponarin, Head of the HSE Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR) in St. Petersburg, who studied the association between mass events and suicidal behaviour
New Master’s Programme in Sociology for Aspiring Young Researchers
A new English-taught master’s programme at the HSE, ‘International Master in Comparative Social Research’, will allow students to acquire the knowledge and skills that are in demand on the global market for social research. Applications are due by May 31, 2014.
HSE's Top 13 Most Interesting Studies in Economics in 2013
Elite motorists pose a mortal threat to the public; Russians are blowing their chances of building good public institutions; social media can bury politicians; reasons why our society is morally unstable and why expensive medical equipment is available but unused – these were the HSE's 13 most interesting and relevant research projects in 2013, according to Opec.ru.
Elites change but the regime will live on
Authoritarianism has a future in Russia. In the next two decades, the 1980s generation will start to join the higher echelons of Russian society. But the situation is such that the change of generation of the elites will have little effect on the transformation of the political regime. Or so the authors of research on “The Russian elite in 2020” have concluded
Third LCSR Summer School Finished
How can we measure the level of happiness or the prevalence of any beliefs in society? Young scientists have mastered advanced statistical methods used in social research during the third summer school of the HSE Laboratory for Comparative Social Research, which recently took place in Zelenogorsk.
Russian Elites Are Unlikely to Embrace Democracy
The future generation of Russia's political managers is unlikely to embrace a democratic society, regardless of the protests emerging in the country today, the study 'Russian Elites-2020' shows
Russians slide to greed and suspicion
Russians are more concerned about material success than self-realization, in spite of a global shift from survival values to self-expression values. ‘Happiness in Russia in Comparative Perspective’, is a paper by Edouard Ponarin, Director of the HSE Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR)
New, but Already Successful
On November 25th a reporting conference of the HSE Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR) on ‘Comparative Sociology in Quantitative Perspective’ was held at the HSE.
LCSR International Summer School
In late August 2011, the HSE Laboratory for Comparative Social Research (LCSR) carried out its first international summer school in Russia. This was dedicated to statistical methods of analysis in sociology, and particularly, multilevel analysis. Eduard Ponarin, Head of the LCSR and Professor at the Saint-Petersburg branch of the HSE, told us about more about this school.