Alexander Surmava Speaking Tour
September/October 2006
Australia - U.S.A. - Britain
Sponsored by the Victorian Peace Network, Psychogists for the Promotion of World Peace, the Education Faculty at Monash University and others.
As Head of the Department of Practical Psychology at The Vygotsky Institute of Psychology, Alexander Surmava is a leader in the current of psychology and philosophy going back to Lev Vygotsky.
Sasha will be giving three talks:
- “A new definition of the psyche based on Spinoza, Vygotsky and Ilyenkov.”
- “What you can do for Peace. The point of view of a Cultural-Historical Psychologist.”
- “The Vygotsky Tragedy: The former USSR and modern Russia, the best and worst place for Marxism.”
Background Information
 |
| Alexander Surmava |
- Synopsis of Sasha’s current work.
- Curriculum Vitae.
- Alexander Surmava’s Personal Home Page.
- Sasha’s CV. (DOC Format)
- Autobiographical Sketch
Sasha's tour is in just the initial planning stages. It is hoped that Sasha will be able to speak to academics and students in psychology, linguistics, philosophy and education, as well as addressing public meetings about the past and future for Russia, and his views of globalisation.
Sasha and his colleagues were dissidents under Brezhnev, frequently raided by the KGB, and have remained a dissident and progressive force in Russia throughout. Sasha's visit will be a rare opportunity to discuss the exciting developments in Sasha's specialised field. This School worked for several generations in isolation from the West, and developed its own distinctive insights into the human condition.
Sasha is currently working under Elena Kravtsova, L S Vygotsky's granddaughter, and has previously worked with Evald Ilyenkov and Vasiliy Davidov, and currently with Feliks Mihailov, leading exponents of the philosophical legacy of the Vygotsky School (Cultural-Historical Activity Theory) of the previous generation.
Program
Australia. 21st September - 2nd October
Perth
Tuesday 19th September: Invitation only meeting hosted by Bill Game.
Wednesday 20th September: Lunch with students at UWA and dinner with Perth Pyschologists for Peace.
Thursday 21st September: Visit to Perth Psychologists for Peace Conflict resolution program; contact Manita Beskow.
Thursday Evening Lecture at the Institute for Advanced Studies, UWA
Contact Susan Takao.
Friday 22nd September: lunch with Psychology academics at UWA.
Melbourne
Monday 25th September: 4pm. Colloquium at the Philosophy Department, University of Melbourne;
Contact Francois Schroeter
Public Lecture in the evening, Contact Bill Deller.
Tues/Wednesday 26th/27th September: Seminar and public lecture
Hosted by the Centre for Childhood Studies at Monash University
Contact Marilyn Fleer.
Adelaide
Monday 2nd October: Day's excursion to Barossa Valley with SA Pyschologists For Peace
Contact Liz Alpers 08-8379 4493 for details of events.
Tuesday 3rd October: Lunch with SA committee of Psychologists for Peace
2pm: Seminar at the University of Adelaide, Rm 322 Hughes Building University of Adelaide
United States. 5-10 October
University of California, San Diego
Thursday 5th /Friday 6th October: Seminar Hosted by Professor Mike Cole
Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg
Monday 9th /Tuesday 10th October: Seminar Hosted by Professor Dot Robbins
Britain. 12th October
London
T.B.A.
Supporters of the tour include: Victorian Peace Network, Psychologists for the Promotion of World Peace, Central Missouri State University, Institute of Advanced Studies at UWA, The Philosophy Department at the University of Melbourne, the Education Faculty at Monash University, and The Laboratory of Comparative Human Cognition at the University of California, San Diego.