Archi.ru:
Is the opening of a bachelor's degree a planned stage in the development of the school?
Evgeny Ass:
We were going to create a bachelor's degree at MARSH, but we did it a little earlier than planned. There are two reasons for this step. Firstly, we are faced with the problem of adaptation of students who have undergone Russian training at the bachelor's level to our master's program. The basic education they receive in Russian schools differs somewhat (and, in my opinion, not for the better) from the educational standard adopted in Europe. Students have neither a sufficient level of independence, nor the necessary research experience, they are not inclined to analyze. As a result, the first stages of our master's degree are too difficult for them. The second reason is more complex. Experience shows that in Russia a master's degree is not very much in demand. This is due primarily to the lack of professional licensing. In most countries of the world, the “master” level provides a wider range of professional opportunities upon graduation. In Russia, organizations receive licenses, and these extra two years, especially at their own expense, seem to many to be simply meaningless. As a result, despite serious advertising and a good reputation, the competition for our master's degree program turned out to be small. This is the case in almost all such schools: there are applicants for budgetary places, and there are fewer and fewer applicants for paid applicants. In addition, more people are needed to create a fulfilling educational environment. Now MARCH is a too chamber school, only 50 students. We plan to recruit an additional 50 people a year for the bachelor's program, that is, only about 200 places. A completely different, more dynamic, creative atmosphere will emerge. Finally, these figures are in line with our idea of the financial success of the project.
What is the fundamental difference between your program and traditional Russian architectural education?
To begin with, our bachelor's degree takes only three years, and not five, as, for example, at Moscow Architectural Institute. Two years is a very significant difference. How did you manage to make the program denser? First, we rely heavily on student autonomy. And this is very important. Secondly, many disciplines are traditionally studied in our architectural universities in a fairly large volume, but they are almost never used in professional life. For example, higher mathematics or a large course in theoretical mechanics. Moreover, all these disciplines are compulsory, all of them must be passed tests. As a result, the load - both physical and emotional - is high, and the return is low. In our country, all six semesters are built on the basis of 4 basic modules (blocks of knowledge and skills that a student master during a year or semester): design, professional skills, humanitarian and technical knowledge. Each module is evaluated with a certain number of credits or credits. The program gets more complicated every year. At first, students solve relatively simple design problems, mostly by hand. In the second year, computer-aided design and the so-called "digital culture" are added. In the third year, the number of project hours, research is increased and the thesis is completed. The level of training that we intend to provide will definitely not be lower than that of our colleagues in London and other Russian universities. The result is achieved due to the tension and greater efficiency of the entire educational process.
Will students be able to combine studies with a part-time job?
This is completely out of the question. We have one very important setting, which we insisted on when we created the master's program: a student comes to study himself, this is his choice. He is highly motivated to acquire knowledge. If he is not ready for this, we will be forced to part with him, we will not torment him and suffer ourselves. The experience of our English colleagues shows that not everyone can withstand the first year, even with a sincere desire, the pressure is too great and the demand is great.
Are the bachelor's degree programs authored or borrowed from your British colleagues at London Metropolitan University?
Of course, we rely on the experience of our London colleagues, but no one dictates to us exactly how to achieve the set educational goals. There is ample room for maneuver. Each module has a clear description of what the student should know and be able to do upon completion. Moreover, we do not have credits and exams in the traditional sense. There are reports, the results of a student's work for a semester or a year, which cannot be prepared in three days, like answers to exam questions. Based on them, invited experts, both English and Russian, decide to what extent the student has mastered the necessary skills. On the one hand, this approach allows the most objective assessment of knowledge, on the other hand, the school teachers have enough freedom to implement their own programs. Of course, they must be approved by our colleagues from London, but so far there have been no problems with this. Everyone understands perfectly well that our school education is organized in a completely different way, in general, a somewhat different socio-cultural organization. The technical side of education will be led by Werner Sobek, professor at the Institute for Sustainable Development in Stuttgart. This is a very high level. Sergey Sitar and Oksana Sargsyan are responsible for the theoretical course. The project cycle is supervised by Narine Tyutcheva. There will be many invited foreign guests, as well as Russian practicing architects, including the younger generation, including our graduates.
Who do you see among the undergraduate students?
To begin with, I would like to note that we are not going to select applicants on the basis of traditional exams in drawing and drawing. The experience of working at the Moscow Architectural Institute shows that the ability to draw antique statues is not a sufficient basis for studying architecture. How do we see our student? As I said, motivation is important and, of course, a broad cultural outlook, interest in architecture, creativity - not necessarily associated with the ability to draw. The selection will consist of a portfolio assessment and interview. The requirements for the portfolio are transparent, it should contain absolutely everything that the applicant can do creatively by the time of admission: drawings, crafts, gifts to loved ones, photographs, videos, embroidery, etc. We want to see not the result of many hours of study, but attempts at some kind of creative self-realization. The interview, in my opinion, is the most important part of the entrance examinations, which for some reason is neglected in our universities. It is important to understand what a person is. Why did he decide to study architecture? Why did you come to us? What are his cultural interests? Reading what? What films does he watch? What kind of music does he listen to? Does he have any idea of the history of art? How does he see himself in the general cultural process? The level of English proficiency will play an important role. We have a lot of foreign teachers, whose lectures are not translated, and students come from abroad. We see our applicants among graduates of art schools and architectural studios, colleges, in particular, and among those who did not pass the Moscow Architectural Institute in the competition. To make it easier for them to prepare, we are organizing a month-long intensive course in August - September, where they will have the opportunity to get acquainted with various professional techniques: painting, graphics, prototyping, drawing. Based on the results of this course, the applicant will be able to form a portfolio. And, having passed the interview and having rest for two or three weeks, start with renewed vigor to the classes.
