DPT Researchers’ Visit to Moscow

Four researchers from our department (DPT/IMT) Hans S. Andersen, Margarita Popova, Niklas Chimmiri & Rashmi Singla spent five intellectually, geographically and socially stimulating days at Moscow State University of Psychology and Education (MSUPE), as part of an Erasmus+ staff knowledge exchange visit. Conceptually grounded discussions of psychological and educational research projects building on the Cultural-Historical School of Psychology, founded in Russia (L. S. Vygotsky, A. N. Leontiev, A. R. Luria), formed the main framing for the visit. In April 2017, RUC had already acted as host to three colleagues from MSUPE. Our staff members’ presentations focused on presenting Problem-oriented Project Learning and group work, RUC’s Social Psychology of Everyday Life study program, as well as research on diversity, migration and cross-cultural psychology in the joint seminars with MSUPE staff members and students. These presentations aroused great interest and sparked lively discussions. One highlight of our visit was an excursion to the Toys and Play Research Center. A vast collection of psychologically recommended and not-recommended toys for children’s play was presented in action, and reasons discussed for this classification. Another highlight was the visit of Moscow School 91, a world-renowned school, functioning on Vygotsky’s and Leontiev’s principles. The child is regarded as a subject, not an object of teaching, able to reflect and understand the laws upon which the teaching itself is built. Here we spent a couple of hours in a class with 10-years old students, who constantly switched between different modes of group work. Finally, a visit to the Psychological Institute of the Russian Academy of Education, the largest research institute in Russia took place, the predecessor to MSUPE. Focus here is on investigation of fundamental psychological problems to the practice-oriented problems of human development. A wonderful example of Social entrepreneurship as an illustration of activity theory application in social practice was provided through the visit of a social intervention project, a colorful bus that provides children with books, all over Russia, particularly in rural areas. At the Institute, we visited historical as well as modern teaching and research facilities. We were introduced to the Institute history and the many groundbreaking psychologists who developed Russian psychology, e.g., Vygotsky, Luria, Rubinstein, Leontiev, Elkonin, Davidov et al. – whose portraits also line the corridors at MSUPE. After the RUC academic staff visit at MSUPE, both partners agreed on the plans to apply for continuation of the Erasmus+ collaboration. For further reading: About the visit on MSUPE website in English and in Russian The page of the MSUPE office of international affairs on Facebook