Moscow State University / Buffalo State College Partnership Initiatives

May 2008

In May of 2008,  Ted Turkle, Director, The Research Foundation,  Ben Christy, Ph.D.,  Dean, School of Arts and Humanities, Brad Fuster, Chair, Music Department and Lin Xia Jiang, Chair and Professor, Fine Arts Department from Buffalo State College, traveled to meet with Moscow State University department faculty members of the Fine Arts, Philosophy and Psychology Departments. The pinnacle of the meeting resulted in Buffalo State College becoming the first SUNY School to sign a partnership agreement with Moscow State University. Several initiatives were identified in pursuit of faculty and student exchanges as well as joint research and publication.

An agenda of projects to be initiated immediately is as follows:

• The Fine Arts Department’s Dean and faculty members of Moscow State University will visit Buffalo State College in November, 2008.  They will be providing such presentations as a piano performance on the Klein Piano Series and presentations in music theory and psychology of visual arts.  They plan to hold a discussion regarding a student art show exchange involving such topics as: General Theory of Art; The World Culture and Fine Arts Against Terrorism; Semiotics of Fine Arts Psychology of Fine Arts; History of Fine Arts; Phenomenology of Fine Arts; Art and Computer Technologies; Literature Plot in Fine Arts, Modern Problems of Theory of Fine Arts, and Language of a Speciality.
• In cooperation with the Philosophy Department at Moscow State University, Buffalo State College faculty and Moscow State University faculty will submit papers for consideration of publication in Moscow State University publications. Faculty collaboration will address the Philosophy of Art and Aesthetics, consider a dual degree at the masters level, as well as a summer or intersession short session in 2009 for Buffalo State College Students.  An Exchange Student and Faculty Program will be established, concentrating on Buffalo State College students who speak Russian.  Topics of study will include:  Philosophy of Art; History of Philosophy; History and Theory of Culture; Communication Theory and Aesthetics and Political Psychology.
• Faculty of the Psychology Department of Moscow State University will provide a key-note speaker for the joint October 2008 Conference on Terrorism, Islam and Women Suicide Bombers.  Further topics of collaboration will include:  Psychology of Art; Social Psychology; Social Ethnography; Cultural Science; Exchange in the Development of Advanced Methods of Teaching; Cross-Cultural Research, and Opportunities for Joint Publication in USA and Russian Psychological Editions.