“It’s All About Being Optimistic” – Big Interview with Dean of the Faculty of Journalism

27.02.2021

Mokhovaya 9 is opening new semester with a special episode featuring Dean of the Faculty of Journalism, Professor Elena Vartanova. The conversation revolves around the life of the Faculty in the post-pandemic period, priority tasks and possible challenges prompted by the pandemic, as well as issues of professional journalism in general, including the role of women and the need for academic education. Dean also talked about her personal experiences and shared secrets of beauty and optimism.



 Mokhovaya 9, media created by MSU students to cover all the numerous events of the vibrant life on Mokhovaya Street, is opening new semester with a special episode. The idea behind the episode was to receive first-hand update from the most reliable source – Dean of the Faculty of Journalism, Professor Elena Vartanova. However, the topics discussed are not confined strictly to the Faculty issues and include such delicate matters as beauty secrets and personal motto. Professor Vartanova opens up as a stunningly direct and intelligent person, who radiates optimism and love for students.

Starting from the very beginning, the conversation is imbued with her philosophical remarks, and in the course of the interview Elena Vartanova talks about her life principles, which reveal a true leader. When asked if the Faculty is doing great, Elena Vartanova states that life is dialectical, and thus no definitive answer can be given with a hundred percent certainty. She then clarifies that the scope of the pandemic challenges and consequences is not yet adequately evaluated and outlined the need to test students’ residual knowledge in order to draw conclusions about the efficiency of distance education. Among other priority tasks prompted by the pandemic Dean mentions the need to find a balance between digital and face-to-face instruction, as well as to assess the feasibility of digitalizing the learning materials.

While speaking about the impact of the pandemic, she also touches upon the possible psychological challenges faced by students. Dean reassures that this problem will be tackled as well, by conducting a series of meetings with the students, aimed at establishing an atmosphere of transparent communication. Professor Vartanova believes that another way to lift the spirits is to motivate students professionally, so the Faculty is likely to be hosting a series of meetings with world-class media experts.

Though Dean does not go into detail about the Faculty plans, she mentions that a variety of large-scale events is planned for this year, declared Year of Science and Technological Innovation. Besides, the emphasis will be laid on the student production, and students engaged in the content making will be visiting all the major science festivals.

When asked to comment upon the negative remarks about the Faculty, Elena Vartanova wisely states that the quality of education heavily depends on the student’s ability and readiness to perceive information, process the information received into knowledge and actively participate in the Faculty events. The Faculty of Journalism can boast a long and eventful history of success, and numerous prominent alumni are the best illustration of its efficiency. Contrary to popular belief, fundamental theoretical background is an important prerequisite for the success in journalism, because it fosters critical thinking and inculcates a deeper understanding of people and society. Besides, the Faculty education is not limited to theoretical disciplines and provides opportunities for students to acquire much- needed experience.

Being an illustrative example of successful woman in science, Professor Vartanova reflects upon the role of women in journalism and concludes that feminization of journalism is yet to bear fruit. Talking about her own experience, she says that, though administrative obligations do not leave much time for science and teaching, she is proud to prove that women can be successfully in charge of educational institutions and motivate other women to break “the glass ceiling”, which prevents them from assuming top-management positions. Elena Vartanova also shares her unique approach to the Faculty management, which can be paralleled to homemaking, and says that her major goal was to make the Faculty a pleasant place, full of light and freshness.

Closer to the end of the conversation Elena Vartanova is prompted to talk about personal experiences and, when asked to reveal the secret of her beauty, she talks about her inexhaustible optimism and habit of smiling, which serves as a natural antidepressant. Her optimism is also the reason, why she could never even start to think of giving everything up. This is a mode of thinking, characteristic of a true leader: never let destructive thoughts even occur; always think of numerous unexplored opportunities, which are waiting just around the corner.