Current Expert Comments: TASS, Izvestia, Radio Russia

TASS: Monday is more often perceived as a difficult day if Saturday and Sunday were spent in passive activities like watching movies on the couch. Moderate activity on weekends can improve the perception of the first working day, shared Maria Odintsova, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Distance Learning, MSUPE.

Rastim Detei (Raising Children): Questions about why children spend so much time on their phones and what attracts them there regularly arise among parents. Certainly, spending hours "glued" to a phone is linked to several psychological reasons. Tatyana Finogenova, Lecturer at the Department of Scientific Foundations of Extreme Psychology, Faculty of Extreme Psychology, MSUPE, examines the key factors explaining adolescents' high involvement in the digital environment.

Program "Our Time," Radio Russia: The Governor of the Trans-Baikal Territory called on residents to fight against foul language. Alexander Osipov urged residents to consciously combat profanity. The head of the region raised this topic at an operational meeting in the government. Dmitry Deulin, Dean of the Faculty of Extreme Psychology, MSUPE, shares the reasons for people's use of obscene language and possible ways to address this issue.

Izvestia: Starting from the new academic year, Russian schools will begin the phased implementation of a number of changes related to the content of general education. One of the innovations will be the course "Spiritual and Moral Culture of Russia," which will appear in the curriculum for 5th-grade students. As Sergey Kosaretsky, Vice-Rector for Scientific Work at MSUPE, reported, the discipline will be dedicated to the history, culture, and traditions of the peoples of Russia, as well as the formation of moral guidelines, civic responsibility, and respect for the country's cultural heritage.

Bulletin of Education of Russia: On August 19, the VII All-Russian online conference for educators "Augustovka Uchi.ru – 2026" started, this year's theme being "The Era of Neural Networks: How to Find an Approach to Modern Students and Parents." Over two days, education experts presented methods to motivate today's schoolchildren to learn, discussed the use of neural networks in preparing materials and homework, and spoke about the rules for the safe use of artificial intelligence. Sergey Kosaretsky, Vice-Rector for Scientific Work at MSUPE, who moderated the meeting, noted the need to preserve core values, regardless of what a child interacts with – a book, television, a computer, or a neural network. The core values are moral principles, the ability to think independently and make decisions, a readiness to express empathy and support for others, and a sense of belonging to one's own country and culture.

RIAMO: Videos have become popular on social media in which people try to collect a certain number of rejections from passers-by in response to their requests, for example, to pet a dog or ask for free coffee. Alena Sharapova, Lecturer at the Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, MSUPE, explained who might benefit from rejection training, for whom such challenges are contraindicated, and how to properly get your "100 rejections".

Izvestia: Behavioural grades have significant potential to influence students, but their effect depends on the method of application and the context in which they are used. This was stated by Sergey Kosaretsky, Vice-Rector for Scientific Work at MSUPE. The expert emphasised that grading should not be seen as a universal means of influence. It must be combined with other educational methods, taking into account the context of the behaviour, as well as the child's life and academic circumstances. Using grades as the only tool leads to a decrease in internal motivation, when a student begins to follow rules solely to get a mark or avoid punishment.

Gazeta.ru: Psychologist Maria Odintsova, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Distance Learning, MSUPE, explains that laziness is a signal from the body about overload, fear of failure, or burnout, and urges not to fight it but to introduce special "lazy hours" into the schedule. According to her, moderate idleness helps the brain conserve resources and maintain the ability to produce flawless results, while chronic laziness without the pleasure of rest can be a symptom of depression or anxiety disorder.

Izvestia: In Russian schools, from the new academic year, the course "Spiritual and Moral Culture of Russia" will appear in 5th grade, and the structure of teaching a number of disciplines will be changed, including the division of the subject "Fundamentals of Security and Defence of the Motherland" into two separate courses and the postponement of social studies to a later stage. This was reported to Izvestia by Sergey Kosaretsky, Vice-Rector for Scientific Work at MSUPE.

KRTY: A large thematic forum brought together dozens of educators from the Moscow Region in Krasnogorsk. The agenda included the important issue of child safety for educational organisations. A comprehensive approach is needed to solve this problem, according to the Moscow Region Government. Dmitry Deulin, Dean of the Faculty of Extreme Psychology, MSUPE, notes: "Systemic measures need to be considered; it cannot be reduced solely to parents, or to school, to the teacher, or to the psychologist. It must be comprehensive: this includes the state institution, the law enforcement system, and, of course, the education system, and psychological-pedagogical measures. Only a comprehensive approach can, first and foremost, prevent adverse situations".

Postupi Online (Admission Online): Every year, some universities announce additional admission to state-funded places. Many universities post information about additional enrollment on their websites and social media. Applicants who did not pass the competition in the main round have a chance to try their luck again. MSUPE announced one place as part of the additional admission for the program "Psychological and Pedagogical Education".