Economists’ Day is celebrated in Russia on November 11. The date of the holiday was approved by the order of the Ministry of Economic Development of the country 8 years ago in honour of the founding in 1765 by Empress Catherine II of the Free Economic Society of Russia.
On this day, we want to introduce you to Professor of the Department of Economic Theory and National Economics Georgii Cheremisinov and tell you about the professional training of economists at Saratov State University.
In the interview, Georgy Alexandrovich talks about current economic trends, explains why specialized education is important and why Economist's Day can be considered a holiday by almost every one of us.
Today, the Faculty of Economics of SSU includes three departments – economic theory and National Economics, Management and Marketing, Finance and Credit. The educational unit trains students in 5 bachelor's degree courses and 7 master's degree profiles.
– Georgii Alexandrovich, what values does your professional holiday bring?
– First of all, I would like to talk about the meaning of the word. Economics is translated from Greek into Russian as "domostroy" – house building or farming. Therefore, almost every person, engaged in their economic activities in adulthood, is an economist. Therefore, this holiday can be considered a national one. Professionally, an economist is not someone who sells seeds, but someone who can calculate whether it is profitable or unprofitable to do this, what benefit or loss such an activity will bring. A good economist should calculate all possible scenarios.
– How is the holiday celebrated at the Faculty of Economics of SSU?
– The tradition of celebration is gradually taking shape. There are certain prerequisites for this at the faculty. The Faculty of Economics began its work in February 2006, its formation was caused by the objective need to develop humanitarian education at the classical university. However, the history of the faculty began long before its opening: in 1917, the Department of Political Economy and Statistics was established at our university. Its first head was L.N. Yurovsky, who moved to Saratov in November 1917 and worked there until the autumn of 1921 as a professor, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Saratov University, rector of the Institute of National Economy organized in 1918, a member of the provincial planning commission. Subsequently, L.N. Yurovsky became one of the leading specialists in the People's Commissariat of Finance and actively participated in the successful implementation of the monetary reform of 1922, during which a full–fledged, convertible currency, the Soviet chervonets, was put into circulation. It is worthy to be proud of such a founder of economic education in Saratov.
– What else are the department and faculty famous for?
– The department has been university-wide throughout its existence. The relocation of scientists from the largest cities to the province played an important role in its development. During the Great Patriotic War, Leningrad University was evacuated to Saratov – this firmly linked the scientific traditions of the SSU with the all-Russian ones. An economic institute has been singled out from our classical university: This suggests that SSU was a center that generated the development of higher education and science in the city and the region.
I graduated from the Institute of Economics, and there they trained specialists to work in various sectors of the national economy: industry, agriculture, and the banking system. And SSU has always produced economists with an academic vector and has been the flagship of fundamental economic education. On the basis of fundamental knowledge, it is much easier to get a specialization later. Our graduates are in demand: there is a rare situation when applications for our graduates exceed the number of graduates of the faculty. This indicates that we are training very high-quality specialists, our staff is in demand and is being used.
The status of our university is national research, which allows our professors to act as opponents in the defense of PhD and doctoral dissertations throughout the country. The journal "Izvestia of Saratov University. A new series. Series: Economics. Management. We graduate law together with the Faculty of Law, and it is included in the first quartile of the Higher Attestation Commission.
– What courses do you teach at the faculty?
– I have a fairly broad profile: I can teach general courses in micro- and macroeconomics. But mostly I teach courses on the history of economics and economic thought, state regulation of the economy, and modern Russian economy. At the faculty, we provide knowledge that is relevant and relates to the current stage of economic development. I am the head of the master's program "Economics of innovative Development", where I teach the course "Theory of innovative development and competitive advantages", conduct scientific and methodological seminars.
– How do students get practical training?
– Students have extensive internship opportunities. SSU has signed cooperation agreements with Sberbank, Norilsk Nickel and other large corporations. Students can also practice in other organizations where they would like to find a job. Students participate in the program "Startup as a diploma", in the events of the "Entrepreneurial Boiling Point of SSU".
– What current trends in the economy could you mention?
– I usually tell students, "Yes, we like to talk about a post-industrial digital society. But the same bankers and programmers need to be fed, which means that agriculture is needed, light industry needs to be clothed, and the construction sector needs to be provided with housing. All industries form a single national economic complex." If some individual industries come to the fore now, it does not mean that they will always be visible. As one poet said: "Different people are needed, different people are important."
I am very interested in researching the development of the Russian economy over the past 100 years. Some aspects of my study are reflected in the article Century of Mobilization Development of the Russian Economy. Russian society today has to overcome two gaps in our history – the civil war and the collapse of the USSR. Moreover, both of these events had ideologies that negate previous experience. If we don't have our own history, then we don't have a future. It is necessary to show how these fractures occurred, what kind of state policy and what socio-economic processes preceded them. Students should understand the logic of these events and understand how not to do it. On the one hand, I explain the experience that has already developed, on the other hand, I share forecasts of what processes may occur in the country. A comprehensive understanding of socio-economic trends gives young people a wide horizon of opportunities for scientific and practical activities.
– What else can be noted in the modern development of the Russian economy? Now, for example, there is a pilot implementation of the "Digital Ruble"…
– There have been situations in history when economic imbalances or crisis disruptions reached a certain point, when the monetary system was completely destroyed. We have experienced two periods of natural barter – the exchange of goods for goods – in 1918-1921 and in 1992-1994. Non-cash money circulation works well when everything is calm in the economy. What does the idea of a "digital ruble" give to the economy? How will the ruble be valued in conditions of possible inflation? It seems to me that in the context of the global crisis that began in 2008, the introduction of all kinds of non-cash payments will not work. If strong inflationary processes begin, then they switch from non-cash circulation to paper money. If they also depreciate, then precious metals are involved in the calculation. If this is not enough, then people switch to the system of exchanging goods for goods. Cash is money of the highest efficiency, the most valuable money. I think that the introduction of the digital ruble is an ambiguous process in the current situation.
– What use do future economists find for their knowledge?
– Economic education allows a person to find application in many fields of activity. If a young person wants to engage in small business, he needs to be an economist. You need to know accounting, be able to calculate your income and expenses, and be able to organize a business so that it generates income. Economic training allows you to be the head of financial or industrial complexes. Our graduates are the hallmark of the university. They find application in the academic and financial spheres, due to the high level of knowledge, which is at the same level, and sometimes even ahead of the capital's universities.
In addition, if a person runs a household and knows how to count expenses and income, then the family economy will not have a "hole" in the budget. Economic education forms a pragmatic approach to life and the management of one's means in a person. Now for many specialties there is a course "Fundamentals of economics and financial literacy", which forms people's own value system, helps to understand various aspects of the economy. If a person goes to work by profession and chooses, for example, the field of production, he is doing a good deed, ensuring the vital activity of his country and region.
It seems to me that the motto of the economic specialty could be the words of the outstanding aircraft designer O.K. Antonov: "Saving on calculations is the same as saving on aiming during shooting."
– What is the peculiarity of the master's program "Economics of innovative development", which you lead?
– In Russia, this program is the only one of its kind; it was created "for growth", for the future. Our students learn to understand what innovative activity is and how to create economic conditions for its successful implementation. Innovations include the introduction of new products and technologies, changes in the management structure and organization of production. The training of undergraduates is aimed at the academic vector. They study not only a block of fundamental and applied economic disciplines, but also get acquainted with related branches of knowledge – for example, geoinformation technologies and systems. The advantage of a classical university lies in the fact that teachers from different educational departments of SSU participate in the training of students and bring the best and necessary to the training of highly qualified specialists.
Text by Daniil Pronin
Photos by Dmitrii Kovshov
Translated by Lyudmila Yefremova
