'HSE University Taught Me to Think Critically'
Alexandra Kislyonkova, 27, originally from Kazakhstan, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Social Informatics from HSE University in St Petersburg. After completing her bachelor's, Alexandra pursued a master’s in the 'Science of Learning and Assessment' programme at HSE University in Moscow. Alexandra is currently a PhD student in the Quantitative Methods, Measurement, and Statistics programme at the University of California, Merced, where she also holds a teaching position in the Psychology programme. We asked Alexandra about her studies at HSE University, her scientific interests, the subject of her dissertation, and... how to marry an HSE University student!
Alexandra Kislyonkova
—Why did you choose to pursue higher education abroad? What attracted you to HSE University?
—I was interested in sociology, so during my final year of high school, I participated in the Sociology Olympiad held by HSE University in Kazakhstan. As an Olympiad winner, I was offered admission to the sociology programme at HSE University, either in St Petersburg or Moscow. I chose St Petersburg because the programme there included both sociology and social informatics. I knew this meant we would be taught programming, and this knowledge turned out to be very useful for me.
—What topics interest you in sociology?
—Currently, the most appealing aspect for me is studying educational processes. This includes, for example, understanding what motivates learning, how to develop and sustain this motivation, and to what extent these goals can be successfully achieved.
Among the subjects I studied at HSE University, I particularly remember social theory. That was the first time I realised that many things I take for granted are actually social constructs. This helped me step back from my usual life and view it from a scientific perspective.
Incidentally, it was during my bachelor's studies that I realised I was using education as a means of social advancement—a social elevator.
I hadn't thought about it before, but when we analysed in detail how people can change their socioeconomic status through higher education, I realised that this applied to my own life.
I was truly inspired to study sociology by my academic supervisor Ksenia Tenisheva and Daniil Alexandrov who was the Dean at the time. Our instructor, Ilya Musabirov, believed in all his students, which was incredibly helpful.
In my PhD studies today, I draw on the theoretical knowledge I gained during my bachelor’s and master’s programmes, including the fundamentals of psychometrics, modern test theory, and classical test theory. I am a PhD student in the Quantitative Methods, Measurement, and Statistics programme at the University of California, Merced.
—You continued your studies in sociology in the master’s programme at HSE University in Moscow. Why did you decide to pursue a master’s degree?
—I chose to pursue a Master’s degree because I wanted to learn more about the field of psychometrics. It is essentially a study of measuring unobserved traits or attributes, like motivation and anxiety, for example. I was accepted into the only psychometrics programme in Russia. During my master’s studies, I further refined my understanding of statistics and methodology.
My academic supervisors were very supportive, making it easy for me to study, and I truly enjoyed the learning process.
—How did you navigate student life in another country and in two different cities?
—I was able to make friends quite quickly. They explained to me how things functioned. In both Moscow and St Petersburg, people shared their life hacks with me. I also enrolled in a mentoring programme for international students and was paired with a girl from Moldova—Ekaterina Rasokha, a fourth-year student. She was very helpful and kind.
—You were employed throughout your studies. Tell us more about your work experience.
—I was struggling financially but wanted to be independent and stand on my own two feet. Starting in my second year of the undergraduate programme, I began working alongside my studies. First, I taught English online, and then I got an internship position in the laboratory at HSE University. While at the laboratory in St Petersburg, I conducted fieldwork such as visiting schools and administering surveys. In Moscow, I also worked in a laboratory, but my role was that of processing results, without any fieldwork. In addition to the lab work experience, during my Masters’s I was an intern at a psychometric company FORMATTA. Currently at the university where I am writing my PhD dissertation, I also hold a teaching position in the Psychology programme. I teach social science students the fundamentals of statistics and data analysis.
—What is the subject of the dissertation you are working on to complete by next spring?
—The subject of my PhD Candidacy thesis is 'Rating Scale Cognitive Diagnosis Model with a Dispersion Parameter.' I am developing a statistical model that will help categorise individuals based on their responses and identify their inclinations. For example, whether a person is more extroverted or introverted, and other traits. This model is based on previous research in the area of Cognitive Diagnosis Modelling, and I will test it to demonstrate its effectiveness.
—What soft skills did HSE University help you develop, and which skills would you advise HSE students to focus on?
—If we are talking about the soft skills, I would advise HSE students to focus on maintaining their concentration on coursework throughout their years at the university; it will pay off.
HSE University taught me to think critically. This is one of the essential skills I rely on consistently. I was taught to question everything, examine the details, consider the essence, and determine whether something is truly the case, ultimately leading me to form my own opinion.
I was also encouraged to maintain a broad network of social contacts. Because you never know what you might need. 'Weak connections' can also be beneficial. This term refers to acquaintances who may not be close friends but can still provide useful information.
—Was it through networking at HSE University in Moscow that you met your husband?
—Yes, we joke that I specifically moved from St Petersburg to Moscow to pursue my master's degree just to meet my husband. My husband, Alexander Levin, is a graduate of HSE University's master's programme in 'Applied Statistics with Network Analysis Methods,' which is now called 'Data Analytics and Applied Statistics.'
After I graduated from HSE, we moved to California to pursue our careers, me in academia and him in machine learning engineering. Eventually we got married in the USA. We both enjoy hiking together—taking mini-hikes on weekends. In California, we have mountains, lakes, and the ocean for this activity, so we are fortunate.
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