Baltic russian institute

The professional higher education programme offers 3 trends related to the art sciences: Fine arts, music, and literature/ theatre/ media, the compulsory choice subjects are based on them: management science, information technology, pedagogy, psychology of philosophy, social pedagogy, sociology, and cultural policy/ management of culture.

The connection between the art and cultural practices and scientific work is being realized in different ways. The classical art- fine arts, music, literature, and theatre- offer established values and heritage. Equally important forms of expression are cinema, video and electronic media. The aim of the studies is to develop the students’ artistic competence to be able to work within the chosen profession connected to the popularization of culture.

Integration of theory and practice helps to avoid dry “books” knowledge offered by the strictly academic scientific approach. Therefore practices have a great importance in the study process, as well as practical assignments- seminars and projects- do. Since 1992 the Hildesheim University have been offering the project semesters (take place every 2^nd year), during it 3 days per week the students work in the recor studios, art workshops, publishing houses and stages. At the end of the semester their works are prezented at the exhibitions, concerts, editions, and films.

Not only do the studies aim at the provision with the general education, but also at the development of the students’ “opening qualities”, e.g. skills necessary for the future profession, development of their personalities by getting them acquainted with the cultural values for the practices and needs of different cultures.

The studies (9 semesters) consist of 2 parts- base studies (4 semesters, 70 HWS), at the end the pre-diploma exam shall be taken, and basic studies (5 semesters, 70 HWS), at the end the students take the diploma exam and hand in the diploma work. The total credit value of the study course is 140 HWS (hours/ per week/ per semester), on the average 17 HWS per semester. Out of them 45% (32 HWS x 2) are compulsory subjects, 20%- compulsory choice subjects (14 HWS and cultural administration 10 HWS), 15% are choice subjects (14 HWS).

Studies content

Compulsory subjects (3 trends)

1. Fine arts

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  Historic and systematic art science
  
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  Theory of aesthetical practice and upbringing
  
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  Art practice and its presentation
  
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  Interdisciplinary connections
  

2. Literature/ theatre/ media

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  History of literature/ theatre/ media
  
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  Theory of literature/ theatre/ media
  
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  Practice and presentation of literature/ theatre/ media
  
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  Interdisciplinary connections
  

3. Music

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  Historic and systematic musicology
  
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  Theory of music
  
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  Practice and presentation of music
  
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  Interdisciplinary connections
  

Cultural policy/ management of culture

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  Cultural policy and management of culture
  
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  Theory of culture and education
  
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  Practice of cultural administration
  

Choice subjects

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  Management marketing
  
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  Book-keeping
  
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  Innovative management
  
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  Information technology
  

Basics of informatics

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  Theoretical informatics
  
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  Programming
  
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  Data base
  
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  Webs
  
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  Internet
  
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  Multimedia
  
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  Software
  

Practices

The important feature of the study process is a close connection between theory and practice, especially within the speciality of cultural sciences and aesthetical communication. Starting with the first semester theoretical studies are supplemented with the practice. The practice places are offered by the University’s partner institutions in the Lower Saxony region, as well as other German and foreign partners. During the practice the student get to know the professional possibilities in the field of culture better, as well as mountain contacts with potential employers. Mountenance of this professional connections is very important for the students’ further involvment in the labour market. During the 9 semesters long study period the students have to pass 3 practices, provided that each is at least 6 weeks long. The concrete time and duration of the practice is flexible and shall be set according to the individual application and agrement with the responsible lecturer and institution, however, the practice shall take place out the lectures time. The practice is the part of the studies and is taken into consideration as the factor determining the possibility for a student to take the pre-defense or the qualification exam.

The educational aspects of the practice are as follows:

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  Introduction into the culture, artistic, scientific aims and tasks of an institution/ establishment;
  
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  Review of the organization of an institution, its management, topical legal and management problems;
  
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  Consultations about the possibilities of the solution of cultural, artistic, scientific problems of an intitution/ establishment;
  
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  A independent accomplishment of the particular clearly defined tasks by a student engaged in the practical work.
  

A student has to hand in the report in writing about the practice within 10 weeks after the practice accomplishment. Later on it shall be discussed with the responsible lecturer.


Comparative table of the programmes.

	The Hildesheim University (Universität Hildesheim), Germany	BRI
Title of the programme	Professional study programme “Cultural sciences and aesthetic communication” (Kulturwissenschaften und Ästhetische Kommunikation)	Professional BA programme „Cultural administration”
Implementation of the programme and duration of the programme	Full-time, 9 semester	Full-time, 8 sem. years Part-time, 9 semesters
Diploma	Certified scientist in the field of culture	Professional BA degree in cultural administration
Acquired professions	Organization of cultural processes, cultural education, art production, journalism production	Manager of cultural projects
Credit value	140 HWS (hours/ per week/ per semester),	240 ECTS (160 CP)
Individual research and practice	3 practices, each lasts at least 6 weeks, no study work, but stipulated for the drafting of individual projects, diploma work	2 study works, 26 weeks of practice (divided into 6 different types of practice), study project, bachelor paper
Cources’ similarity	Similar cources in the history and topicalities of art and literature, politics and theory of culture, cultural management. There are also cources of general education.	There are cources of general education, theoretical and specific professional cources of the speciality.
Devision of the cources in the blocks	Compulsory, compulsory choice, and free choice cources. Blocks: 3 trends of compulsory subjects: Fine arts / literature/ theatre/ media Music	Compulsory, compulsory choice (so called proficiency cources), and free choice cources. 3 trends of the proficiency choice subjects: Professional art, popular culture, intercultural projects.

When evaluating the BRI programme “Cultural administration” and the Hildesheim University programme “Cultural sciences and eathetical communication” (Kulturwissenschaften und Ästhetische Kommunikation)”, it should be pointed that both programmes have very similar conception in what concerns the preparation of specialists and tutoring the study disciplines, as well the drafting of the professional practice. Ib both programmes there are blocks of compulsory and free choice study cources, both programmes are based on the mastering of theory and its implementation in practice. In the Hildesheim University half of the contact hours are practical tasks. It should be pointed that the specific cources of the culture and art problems in both programmes are very similar, but the Hildesheim university programme stresses the students’ creative work more. It should be taken into consideration that only people with due education in a particular field of art can apply for this programme. It shall be concluded that the Hildesheim University programme stipulates for the preparation of wider profile specialists and therefore offers 3 specialization trends in the block of compulsory subjects. In the programme “Cultural sciences and eathetical communication”, contrary to the BRI programme, the block of the management disciplines is offered as the free choice subjects, no subjects related to the drafting and management of cultural projects are exposed, in turn, there is a wide block of the Information Technology disciplines (the part of this technology mastering in the BRI programme is included into the professional disciplines). The differences in the structure of the programmes can partly be explained with the differences in the education standards in Latvia and Germany. The Hildesheim University programme isbeing implemented during 9 semesters, the programme stipulates for the 18 weeks of practice, whereas the BRI programme duration is 8 semesters (full-time) and there are 26 weeks of practice in compliance with the higher profesional education standard. The Latvian higher education standard does not stipulate for the complex test after the 4. study semester.