Overall, I was delighted with the enthusiasm and quality of my students. I marveled at their command of English as I struggled to learn Russian. They were bright, capable, and open to new ideas. None of them wanted to turn back the clock and follow those who call for a return to Communism. Before I left the United States, I was warned that the Russian educational system was traditionally based on lectures alone, with little opportunity for discussion or expressing different points of view.
Students take notes and return the material verbatim on exams.
But in my classes I was pleasantly surprised. I had some great discussions as part of my classes, and most students were willing to speak their minds. Only a few at the Faculty of International Relations seemed willing to criticize U.S. foreign policy in my class, but I seemed to get more independent thinkers in the law school. This may be in part explained by their level of English language skills and their legal training. At the law school and at the Faculty of International Relations, we discussed the ongoing impeachment proceedings in the United States.