With this initiative, ITMO students can defend social projects as their graduation theses.
General description
Within the social project as thesis initiative, students develop, implement, and defend projects that aim to solve a specific social problem.
One key aspect of the initiative is service-learning, an educational approach that integrates academic education with its practical implementation that benefits society. In this case, students don’t just write theoretical papers, but apply the competencies they acquired at university to solve real-world issues for various communities, non-profit organizations, or governmental bodies. In the process, students integrate this experience into their personal and professional growth.
Goals of the initiative
- For students: provide a chance to demonstrate their professional competencies within a socially-relevant product, service, or solution.
- For the university: establish stronger connections with local and professional communities and fulfill its “third mission.”
- For society: gain measurable and sustainable benefits from the implemented project.
Target audience
This thesis format is available to students whose professional competencies can be used for public benefit:
- Engineering specialists (IT and mechanical): accessible IT solutions for non-profits, assistive technologies for people with disabilities, etc.;
- Management and economics majors: business models for social enterprises, fundraising strategies, business processes optimization for non-profits, etc.;
- Designers and urban planners: inclusive urban environment, branding for social initiatives, etc.
- Social and political scientists: research for a particular area or social group, etc.
- Media and communications specialists: communication strategies aimed to attract public attention to a social issue, etc.
- Ecologists: educational programs for non-profits, production optimization for sustainability, etc.
Key requirements for social projects as theses:
- Social impact. The project has to aim to solve an existing problem backed by data and/or request from a partner organization (stakeholder).
- Partner. The project has to be conducted in partnership with an external organization (non-profit, governmental, or action group) that formulates the request and acts as a beneficiary of the project.
- Integration with an educational program. The project has to be clearly connected to the student’s specialization in terms of methodology and expertise.
- Measurable results. The project needs to have concrete, measurable qualitative and quantitative KPIs.
- Sustainability. The project needs to be planned in a way that makes its results applicable after it’s implemented (it shouldn’t be a one-time solution).
Thesis defense procedure
The defense is held in the form of a public project presentation before the State Examination Committee. Partner representatives or experts in the social field can be invited as consultants to the committee.
Resources and support.
- Methodological support: Social Initiatives Development Center; Center of Social Sciences and Humanities;
- Potential partners: Dobro.ru social project platform and ITMO University’s partners.
- Expertise: experts from partner non-profit and governmental organizations as project consultants.
Contacts
For any questions about the initiative, please reach out to Yury Kuporosov, kuporosov@itmo.ru / +7 921 956-75-66.
