Humanitarian Component As A Part Of International Business Curriculum

    Statement of Purpose.

    This article will address the issues and challenges involved in the teaching of history to Russian students who do not specialize in the social sciences. The discussion that follows is based on my personal experiences after a semester of contact with students in the International Business Department of Omsk State University (and nearly two years experience overall in Russian classrooms). I will outline the general educational objectives of my courses and identify the challenges involved in reaching these objectives.

    Abstract.

    My courses in the International Business Faculty of Omsk State University are listed and classified as "Special Courses in English." Such courses include Modern American History, Modern European History, and the History of Globalization. Through the combination of course lectures, assigned readings, written assignments, and weekly seminar discussions (all conducted in English), students should not only obtain knowledge of a particular area of historical study, but also receive practical experience and training in English. This results in an expansion of the educational objectives, in comparison to the traditional history course taught at an American university. This situation presents unique challenges, especially in light of the fact that most foreign specialists in the social sciences will have little to no educational background in teaching English as a second language. This presents the first and perhaps most fundamental challenge to the instructor in social sciences in Russia. This problem is often compounded by the fact that there exists a wide range in English abilities among my students, despite attempts at segregating students according to ability. The solution to this challenge involves reaching out to colleagues both within and outside of the International Business Department (the Foreign Language Department, for example) for advice on strategies for teaching English as a second language. In addition, I have found it is vital to seek out feedback from my students in order to ascertain which activities are effective, and which are not.
    A second challenge in my work has been convincing students of the need to study history. Despite the support and best efforts of the leadership of the International Business faculty, this has been a traditional problem within the International Business Department, experienced not only by myself but also by visiting professors from the Civil Education Project (CEP). I believe there are three sources for this resistance on the part of students. First, they see our courses as English courses, and not history courses. Second, they specialize in business and economics, and therefore may find history boring. Finally, I believe that the Russian higher education system, in comparison with the American system primarily based on the Liberal Arts, has traditionally emphasized specific training for specialized fields. American students may find the classes they are required to take outside their core specialized requirements as bothersome, but most tacitly accept the Liberal Arts tradition, which places emphasis not only on obtaining a specialized degree, but on gaining broad-based knowledge. Many Russian students in all departments look upon these courses as having no relation to their future professions, and therefore a waste of time. The Liberal Arts tradition simply has not developed here.
    A final area that has presented challenges is differences in teaching methodology. My educational training has emphasized active strategies, which include a great deal of interaction with students during the learning process. This is not only for seminars, but also during lectures, where students are encouraged to take part in the presentation of material (based on knowledge gained from reading assignments and previous work) and ask challenging questions. A year and a half in Russian classrooms has convinced me that most Russian students are more comfortable with passive learning, being presented information without student-teacher interaction. I realize that this may be due to a lack of confidence in language abilities, as I have found that third and fourth-year students are more eager and likely to participate during both lectures and seminars. Nevertheless, I have sensed a general reluctance to what the students see as challenging authority, something that is generally encouraged in an American university. This may or may not be a cultural issue, a determination I am general reluctant to make.
    Regardless of these issues, problems and challenges, I strongly believe that the presence of foreign instructors of social sciences has a beneficial impact on Russian students. The International Business Department at Omsk State University, by its nature is global in its perspective. The kind of work that the students do with the international lectures and the other programs at FMB, such as student exchanges with Methodist College and the State University of New York in the US, and Alpha Beta College, Kent Institute, Sydney University and Melbourne University in Australia are all ways of connecting, learning, and creating knowledge in an international context. This impact goes beyond the receiving of historical knowledge and English training, but for the higher purpose of a general cultural exchange. If democratization is grow and take root in Eastern Europe and Russia, there must be a greater level of interaction with not only with foreigners, but with foreign methodologies.