Ok, everyone, we should answer the questions of Stanford students.

The idea: you can see the questions here, to answer add comments. Just put the number of a question and your answer.

What happens next is I (or someone) gather everything in a .doc (Microsoft Word document) file and we send it to Stanford.

And it is all right if we will have multiple answers to one question!

Some questions will probably be answered at the videoconference.

1 What is the correct pronunciation of Khabarovsk? :)

2 Do people in Khabarovsk identify more with Asian or European culture… or neither particularly?

3 How does your geographical location in eastern Russia affect your identity?  

4 How much does Asian culture influence lifestyles and identities in Khabarovsk?

5 Are there ethnic or religious tensions in your region? 

6 What kind of cultural activities do you enjoy (for example, concerts, festivals, museums…)? 

7 What sort of music (genres and artists) do you listen to?

8 What musical instruments do you play?

9 Why did you decide to attend Khabarovsk State Academy of Economics and Law?

10 Have you ever been to the United States? Would you ever consider living in the US?

11 What do you think of Barak Obama being elected President of the United States?

12 Although we in the U.S. grapple with our diversity at times, we enjoy a lot of it, and one of Stanford University’s core values is to cultivate diversity of all sorts. What does “diversity” mean in Khabarovsk and at your university?

13 Does your university seek actively to enhance diversity among its student population?

14 Most undergraduate institutions (public or private colleges and universities) promote a “liberal arts” education. That is, students are expected to take classes across a range of disciplines in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, especially in the first year or two of their studies, before concentrating on their major fields of study. How is the university educational system in Russia different?  

15 How would you characterize your history/social studies classes in high school and university? To what extent do these classes emphasize regional, nation, and/or world history and social/political issues?  

16 How large a role does preparation for careers play in Russian schools?  

17 Through what process do students choose the universities they attend or the careers that they pursue?

18 How do you feel about learning English when comparatively few students in the U.S., the U.K. and elsewhere learn Russian?

19 I noticed that there is a “Jewish Autonomous Region” near Khaborosk. How does an “autonomous region” work and what is special about it?

20 What is a typical school day like for you?

21 Do you enjoy the (cold) weather?

22 Do you have a job in addition to studying? If so, what do you do?

23 Is there a general consensus about climate change/global warming at your university?

24 What are your opinions about climate change/global warming?

25 To what degree has American or European culture has affected your culture? In what ways positively, and in what ways negatively?

26 How has life changed in Khaborovsk since the break-up of the Soviet Union? How has this change affected the educational system?  

27 Is your town and region prospering economically? 

28 What type of geography does your region have? Do Russians have strong regional attachments and identities? Are these as strong as national identity?  

29 What are the range of your opinions about Vladimir Putin’s leadership and his role in world politics? (Ask us about George Bush! Please!)

30 How much of a role does religion play in your education and in your daily lives?

31 What question(s) did you think we would ask you? :) 

You are welcome to answer!