.jpg "A Series of Educational Events by the “Sochi Dialogue” Forum Held in Vienna")
A Series of Educational Events by the “Sochi Dialogue” Forum Held in Vienna
As part of efforts to develop bilateral cooperation and strengthen academic ties, Darya Kozlova, Deputy Director of the Russian-Austrian Public Forum “Sochi Dialogue” and a member of the Coordination Council for Youth Affairs in Science and Education, paid a working visit to the Republic of Austria.
The programme brought together a series of popular science lectures, discussions, and cultural and educational events held at leading educational institutions in Vienna, including the Meridian Language Centre and Schottengymnasium, one of the capital’s oldest secondary schools.
The series of events began on 24 September at the Meridian Language Centre with a lecture entitled “Political Ideas in the Myths and Fairy Tales of Different Peoples.” The participants discussed how folklore and fairy-tale narratives lay the foundations for society’s fundamental values, convey ideas about justice, and shape models of socio-political behaviour.
The following day, the educational programme continued at one of the oldest secondary schools in the Austrian capital, Schottengymnasium. For 11th-grade students, Darya Kozlova conducted an interactive German-language class entitled “Warum lesen Politikwissenschaftler Märchen?” (“Why Do Political Scientists Read Fairy Tales?”). The students explored so-called migratory plots and classic archetypes. Using examples of characters from folklore and contemporary animation, they examined how the methodology developed by scholar Vladimir Propp can be used to trace the evolution of representations of power and understand how fairy-tale images influence the real world.
On the evening of 25 September, the Meridian Language Centre once again brought together an audience interested in innovative approaches to the humanities. The lecture “Contemporary Approaches to the Study of Politics: From Fairy Tales to Video Games and AI” focused on unconventional objects of political analysis.
The discussion centred on three key areas:
1. Algorithms and artificial intelligence — how neural networks participate in constructing political images and shaping social discourse.
2. Digital culture — how video games are becoming spaces for communicating ideas and studying political interaction.
3. Politics of memory — the role of cinema and museum exhibitions in interpreting history and preserving historical experience.
The “Sochi Dialogue” Forum expresses its sincere gratitude to the management and staff of the Meridian Language Centre and Schottengymnasium for their warm welcome and assistance in organizing the events. We also thank all the participants for their lively interest, substantive discussions, and personal contribution to strengthening Russian-Austrian humanitarian dialogue.
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=link}