MSU – MSU: A Time-Tested Collaboration

The article examines the collaboration between departments of two Russian universities: the Faculty of Arts at Lomonosov Moscow State University and Institute of National Culture at National Research Mordovia State University. The relevance of the study stems from the need for a holistic, systemic study of contemporary university culture and its potential in overcoming the crisis in culture and education. The aim of the study is to demonstrate the dynamics of the relationship between the two universities in the fields of cultural studies and art history, presenting these relationships both in historical perspective and in the context of today’s realities. This is the first study of its kind. The research material represents the experience of collaboration between the Faculty of Arts at Lomonosov Moscow State University and the Institute of National Culture at National Research Mordovia State University in the field of culturology and art history. The main method used in the study is the historical-logical method; the following general scientific methods were used as auxiliary ones: theoretical (analysis, synthesis), empirical (observation, document analysis). The article demonstrates that the collaboration between the two university teams is based on the principle of “cooperation” rather than competition (M. M. Bakhtin). The two teams successfully implement joint scientific and creative projects (research, publications, etc.). Both universities host scientific conferences to discuss the semantic realities of culture and art. Young scholars, graduate students, and undergraduates actively participate in these events. Creative laboratories and practical classes facilitate their acquisition of professional experience. An important aspect of this collaboration is the training of doctors and candidates of science to supplement the pedago­gical resources of universities. The study cites specific names of scholars and specialists working at both universities and introducing young people to the world of beauty and knowledge through books, new educational programs, and modern technologies.