The presentation of the Flying University program for 2013-2014 will be held on September, 13. Now it looks like a good time to make a brief summary of achievements and plans for the future.

EuroBelarus Information Service met Tatiana Vadalazhskaya, the curator of the Flying University.

About the achievements:

— In general, the Flying University as a program is not what you may sum up after 3 years. But we can, of course, think and estimate our achievements on the way to our aims. We aimed at creating a space where we could try, look for, find and realize an idea of modern Belarusan university right here, in Belarus. This search is the most important in our work and that is why it is quite difficult to speak about any results.

About the methodology outside the subjects:

— We started with the innovation and search ideas in the sphere of education. In the beginning we discussed if it is possible to form in Belarus a universe of knowledge for a person. It was obvious that the universe could not be presented by the scope of all the existing subjects, it is unrealistic, it is not normal. In the result you get a bewildered man who cannot use all his encyclopedic knowledge. We decided that we have to learn the methods of working with knowledge, materials, and situations. But nobody knows how to learn the methods outside specific subject; we are all used to the methods of something.

A number of problems, questions and challenges appeared; for example, how to reconsider philosophy as a field that gives a guidance to thinking, to activity rather than as a discipline?

That is what we are trying to do. Every year there are new founds. Something comes up accidentally. For example, we had two simultaneous courses — system approach and philosophy — and it appeared that their closeness and the questions our students asked stimulated philosophers to a public discussion.

About the space where stereotypes break down:

— Another innovation was that we step aside from the standardization of education, and place individuality in the center. In this sense education is a possibility to get an education by talking to a personality, by getting the most from individuals, by creating your own path. Nevertheless, the personalities we invite also think about education inside a standard frame. So to break down the stereotypes is a difficult task. How to create an educational situation where you not only give knowledge, but something more — yourself, your experience?

I think we are slowly approaching a phase when at least some people see the space of the Flying University as a space where we break down stereotypes, try to find new approaches. A significant result for me is that the Flying University is becoming a platform for changes.

About a new academic season:

— With the start of a new academic year we start to hold courses, schools, seminars, conferences and so on. But next year all these will include everything we revised last year. So, we do not plan any specific actions to create a new space, we just want to attract more people based on this guideline.

This year we will try to introduce an opportunity to plan one’s own educational and career path. It is one of the most important problems at modern universities and in modern education in general. Everybody strives for freedom. But try to imagine a situation where you have to decide everything by yourself! How much are we prepared to this, what subjects do we have to study to become who we want to be?

When such questions arise, people try to discuss them, answer them, and try to find their source. A kind of a year-long seminar where you can realize, discuss, think over and work out a plan for the future will become one of the innovation for this year.

About freshmen and sophomores:

— We deliberately do not divide students on different years of studies, we do not have faculties. Well I think, that people who attend us for two or three years differ from those who are new, though formally for them it is still the same space.

There are a number of people for whom the space is a significant part of their lives. Obviously, they will look differently at what is going on. By the way this year some conductors of our courses and seminars ask or recommend watching at least a video course of previous lectures. However, I think such differentiation is of a natural character, but not of an administrative one.