Educational Equality is Key to Eliminating Corruption
On April 8, Eric Uslaner, Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland - College Park, presented a keynote lecture called ‘The Historical Roots of Corruption’ on the second day of the XVI April International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development at HSE. Professor Uslaner is a widely recognized expert in political science, with specific interests in political economy, political behaviour, equality, trust and corruption. Among his more recent books is Corruption, Inequality, and the Rule of Law: The Bulging Pocket Makes the Easy Life published by Cambridge University Press in 2008.
One of the main ideas he presented in his lecture at the April Conference was that levels of education across 78 countries in 1870 strongly predict corruption in 2010. Historical levels of education reflect levels of equality across countries, which demonstrate strong ‘path dependence’ over time.
The relationship between historical levels of education and corruption remains strong even when controlling for changes in the level of education, gross national product per capita, and democratic governance. Regime type is generally not significant.
In his presentation, Professor Uslaner traced early education to levels of economic equality in the late 19th to early 21st centuries, arguing that societies with more equality educated more of their citizens. Greater education gave their citizens more opportunities and power, thereby reducing corruption. Historical evidence from Europe and from Spanish, British, and French colonies shows that strong states provided more education to their citizens and that such states were themselves more common where economic disparities were smaller.
Professor Uslaner stressed that countries have responded to major external threats by increasing the level of education, and the need for increased state capacity was a strong motivation for introducing universal education in many countries. Education provided by state also replaced the influence of the church.
Only four countries in the world have truly done a good job in terms of education according to Professor Uslaner: South Korea, Japan, Finland and Italy. Finland improved the level of education in order to break away from the influence of the Soviet Union. Japan had no choice; it had to reform its education system after the Second World War. After the Korean War, South Korea was also forced to prove that it was different, including by means of education reform.
Professor Uslaner also showed the extent to which the level of corruption is closely linked with the level of education. The higher a country’s education level, the less corrupt it is. Societies with more equal education have given citizens more opportunities and power to oppose corruption. During the discussion after the lecture, it was remarked that ‘Nobody likes corruption but some people can’t find a way to avoid it’.
See also:
'You Find Yourself Thinking about Your Research 24/7'
Daria Gracheva, expert at the Institute of Education, turned to science in pursuit of methods to discern between a poorly constructed test and a well-designed one. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, she discusses the '4K test,' which is intended to measure critical thinking and communication skills, shares insights on the model named after Georg Rasch, and explains how setting up an aquarium for a crab can help assess soft skills.
HSE University-St Petersburg Represents Russia at International Conference in Australia
The delegation of HSE University-St Petersburg participated in the largest educational forum-exhibition of the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education 'APAIE 2024'. The 20th anniversary conference was held in the Australian city of Perth.
Inverse Relationship Found between Propensity to Innovate and Academic Success
Mariia Evdokimova and Anastasia Stepanova, employees of HSE University’s Faculty of Economic Sciences, studied the connection between students’ personal characteristics and their desire to create something new. The researchers have found that students’ propensity to innovate lowers their GPA. The results of the work were published in the preprint ‘Students’ Propensity to Innovate: Correlates, Determinants, and Impact on GPA.’
Social Connections Help Women Achieve Academic Success
Social integration has different effects on the academic achievement of women and men. Researchers from HSE University’s Institute of Education studied the connections between academic performance and social integration among 4,500 young Russians. It turned out that this connection is much stronger than it might seem at first glance, and that it is more important for women. The results of the work were published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.
25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference Now Accepting Proposals
Reports on new research results will be presented and discussed as part of the conference’s sections. These reports will be selected based on reviews of proposals. As always, the conference programme features expert discussions of the most pressing economic, social, internal and external issues in the format of roundtables and associated events.
A University's Special Status Is Correlated with a Substantial Increase in Salaries for Graduates
A university education is a highly sought-after commodity in Russia, yet the quality of universities and their programmes varies significantly. This gives rise to risks of inequality, both in the realm of education and in the labour market, and subsequently impacts the returns on higher education, which are manifested in the salaries earned by graduates. According to a study by Ilya Prakhov, Assistant Professor of the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences, graduates from Russia’s top-tier universities enjoy a distinct advantage. The paper has been published in the International Journal of Educational Development.
HSE University and Moscow Planetarium Sign Cooperation Agreement
The parties will work to popularise science and conduct educational and research activities, including in the fields of astronomy, cosmonautics, and Earth science. The agreement also covers the implementation of joint practical programmes and internships for students.
HSE University and Agency for Strategic Initiatives Sign Cooperation Agreement
HSE University and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) have agreed to cooperate in the development of new technologies, the digital transformation of the economy, and the social development of the country. The agreement was signed by HSE University Rector Nikita Anisimov and ASI Director General Svetlana Chupsheva at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.
Academic Council: HSE University’s Contribution to Achieving National Goals and Development Priorities to Increase
HSE University’s Development Programme until 2030 will be improved in order to increase the university’s contribution to achieving national goals and implementing the priorities of the country’s scientific and technological development. This decision was made by the university’s Academic Council on April 26. The meeting also addressed the principles for the development of HSE University’s external communications, one of which is the creation of a high-quality information field around the university.
Keeping Up with the Neighbours: Envy as a Driver of Economic Growth
Classical economic theory assumes that economic agents are entirely self-interested and rational in their pursuit of material well-being, and that they are not affected by external factors. As a result, externalities are not considered in any way when constructing economic models. Nevertheless, some sociologists argue for a revision of modern economic theory to incorporate the ethical dimensions of economic agents' behaviour. Kirill Borissov, Professor of the Faculty of Economics at the European University in St Petersburg, spoke at the XXIV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference and shared his observations from creating his own economic model incorporating the factor of envy.