Educational Equality is Key to Eliminating Corruption
On April 8, Eric Uslaner, Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland - College Park, presented a keynote lecture called ‘The Historical Roots of Corruption’ on the second day of the XVI April International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development at HSE. Professor Uslaner is a widely recognized expert in political science, with specific interests in political economy, political behaviour, equality, trust and corruption. Among his more recent books is Corruption, Inequality, and the Rule of Law: The Bulging Pocket Makes the Easy Life published by Cambridge University Press in 2008.
One of the main ideas he presented in his lecture at the April Conference was that levels of education across 78 countries in 1870 strongly predict corruption in 2010. Historical levels of education reflect levels of equality across countries, which demonstrate strong ‘path dependence’ over time.
The relationship between historical levels of education and corruption remains strong even when controlling for changes in the level of education, gross national product per capita, and democratic governance. Regime type is generally not significant.
In his presentation, Professor Uslaner traced early education to levels of economic equality in the late 19th to early 21st centuries, arguing that societies with more equality educated more of their citizens. Greater education gave their citizens more opportunities and power, thereby reducing corruption. Historical evidence from Europe and from Spanish, British, and French colonies shows that strong states provided more education to their citizens and that such states were themselves more common where economic disparities were smaller.
Professor Uslaner stressed that countries have responded to major external threats by increasing the level of education, and the need for increased state capacity was a strong motivation for introducing universal education in many countries. Education provided by state also replaced the influence of the church.
Only four countries in the world have truly done a good job in terms of education according to Professor Uslaner: South Korea, Japan, Finland and Italy. Finland improved the level of education in order to break away from the influence of the Soviet Union. Japan had no choice; it had to reform its education system after the Second World War. After the Korean War, South Korea was also forced to prove that it was different, including by means of education reform.
Professor Uslaner also showed the extent to which the level of corruption is closely linked with the level of education. The higher a country’s education level, the less corrupt it is. Societies with more equal education have given citizens more opportunities and power to oppose corruption. During the discussion after the lecture, it was remarked that ‘Nobody likes corruption but some people can’t find a way to avoid it’.
See also:
‘The World Is Becoming More Complex and Less Predictable’: What Scientists Say about the Future
The future is now more difficult for researchers to forecast, and events that are hard to predict are playing an increasingly significant role. But there is good news too: scientists are confident that humanity will adapt to any changes. This was the focus of discussion at the International Symposium ‘Foresight in a Rapidly Changing World,’ which took place as part of the 25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference.
Fragmentation and Bloc Formation: How the Global Economy is Changing
Sergey Dubinin, former head of the Bank of Russia and Professor of Finance and Credit at the Faculty of Economics at Moscow State University, has delivered an honorary address at the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference. He spoke about the transformation of the global monetary and financial system, as well as the Russian economy.
More Children, More Happiness: HSE Experts Study Impact of Number of Children on Russians' Assessment of Happiness
Russians with children feel happier than those without children. At the same time, the number of children influences the assessment of happiness: the more children Russians have, the happier they feel. These conclusions were outlined inthe report ‘More Children, More Happiness: The Impact of the Number of Children on Russians’ Assessment of Happiness,’ presented at the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development, held on April 15–18 at HSE University. The study was conducted by Elena Churilova, Senior Research Fellow, and Dmitry Jdanov, Chief Research Fellowat HSE International Laboratory for Population and Health.
HSE Expands Cooperation with Gulf Countries
HSE University and the Centre for International Policy Research (Qatar) have agreed to collaborate in the field of social sciences, with plans for joint research, academic exchanges, and regular expert engagement. The agreement was signed during the roundtable ‘State Capacity and State Resilience in the Global South,’ held as part of the 25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference at HSE University.
‘We Grow Old before We Become Rich’: How BRICS Countries Can Achieve Economic Growth
Due to population aging, many countries aiming for economic prosperity have limited time left to undergo economic transformation, according to the honorary report Narratives Versus Reality on Employment and Demography: How Undermining Institutions Can Push Countries Out of the ‘Narrow Corridor’ by Santosh Mehrotra of the University of Bath. The report was presented at the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference.
XXV Yasin (April) Academic Conference Kicks Off at HSE University
The anniversary 25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development will take place from April 15 to 18. This year, over a thousand applications were submitted to present at the conference, of which the Programme Committee selected 381 of the best research papers in their respective fields.
HSE University Represents Russia at Leading International Educational Exhibition APAIE
HSE University was the only participant from Russia to hold its own expert sessions at the annual conference and exhibition of the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education (APAIE). The delegation was headed by Anna Tyshetskaya, Director of HSE University–St Petersburg.
HSE University Announces Call for Proposals to Attend Anniversary Yasin Conference
HSE University invites submissions of proposals with academic reports for participation in the 25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference (YIAC). The conference programme, centred on five research themes addressing issues of economic and social development, will retain its interdisciplinary focus and welcome participation from leading scientists in Russia and around the globe. The key events of the 25th Yasin Conference will be taking place in Moscow from April 15 to 18, 2025.
'You Find Yourself Thinking about Your Research 24/7'
Daria Gracheva, expert at the Institute of Education, turned to science in pursuit of methods to discern between a poorly constructed test and a well-designed one. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, she discusses the '4K test,' which is intended to measure critical thinking and communication skills, shares insights on the model named after Georg Rasch, and explains how setting up an aquarium for a crab can help assess soft skills.
HSE University-St Petersburg Represents Russia at International Conference in Australia
The delegation of HSE University-St Petersburg participated in the largest educational forum-exhibition of the Asia-Pacific Association for International Education 'APAIE 2024'. The 20th anniversary conference was held in the Australian city of Perth.