Contemporary Area Studies: Dr. Maxim Smirnov

On November 2, 2021 the School of International Regional Studies of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University within the framework of the permanent online seminars «Contemporary Area Studies», organized a meeting with Maxim Smirnov, Associate Professor, Head of the Department of International Regional Studies, Political Science and Eastern Philosophy, Chelyabinsk State University; Chairman of the Chelyabinsk Department of the Interregional Public Organization "Association of Japanese Studies"; member of the Expert Council for the State Religious Expertise at the Department of the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation in the Chelyabinsk Region. The topic was «Contemporary International Regional Studies».

The seminar was moderated by Dr. Eugeny Kanaev – Deputy Head of the School of International Regional Studies of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, HSE University. 

Maxim Smirnov devoted his speech to three main issues. First, the speaker spoke about the directions of foreign regional studies in universities. The speaker mentioned such goals of training students in regional studies as practical orientation, the implementation of the concept of "dream department", the development of soft and hard skills for the future employment of students. The tools for achieving the above-mentioned goals are the participation of students in scientific and practical seminars and trainings, the organization of festivals of regional significance, internship in various organizations and embassies. 

Secondly, Maxim Smirnov emphasized the fundamental differences between foreign regional studies and related disciplines: world and regional economy, political science, world history and the history of international relations. The regional expert, according to the speaker, is initially seen as a universal in intercultural communication, who has mastered knowledge from all of the above areas. 

Thirdly, the speaker spoke about the methodology of international regional studies, namely: what is the state of the theoretical and methodological tools and methods of teaching regional studies, and what are the main difficulties on the way of their development. 

After Maxim Smirnov's speech, a Q&A session was held, where the following topics were asked: ways of attracting applicants to international regional studies, how deeply an orientalist should know the language of his specialization, how the Korean direction is developing at ChelSU.