RUDN student shared about his projects and productivity secrets

Lectures, popularization of science, development of creative projects… It seems that the philology student of the RUDN Dmitry Rysayev will succeed in everything he sets his mind to.

He works at the Central Council of the NSO, lectures for the Russian society “Znanie” and the festival “Science 0+”. And quite recently he became a scholarship holder of the Potanin Foundation and the charitable foundation “Sistema” in the nomination “Technologies in the creative industry and folk crafts.” We talked to Dmitry and found out what PR techniques help him capture the attention and love of the audience during lectures and how he manages to combine studying, social workload, and scientific work.

You are the winner of the Potanin Scholarship competition, known for its complex multi-stage selection system. Which stage seemed the most interesting or, conversely, the most intense?

It is possible to talk incredibly much and for a long time about the Potanin scholarship because every step has been selected over years and millions of people who have gone through this truly long path. Strangely enough, the most intense and at the same time the most interesting stage is the business game, which completes the second stage of selections. Thanks to the game, not only leadership qualities are revealed, but also your value as a specialist and as part of a team, which is required in various situations and projects.

You also became a scholarship holder of the “Sistema” Foundation, passing the selection among 18 thousand participants. What project did you present to the competition?

In the scholarship program of the “Sistema” foundation in the direction of “Creative Industries,” as I now believe, this is an “uncharted field,” where literally anyone can find a place for themselves and implement their project. My project was at the intersection of the convergence of cultural and national identity elements of the peoples of Russia, supplemented by reality with the creation of an interactive route through the cities of our country. All the details of our everyday life — benches, walls, and steles — in my opinion, turned out to be an opportunity not only to enliven art but also to “merge meanings,” making them understandable to the youth.I developed a project taking into account the presence of unique regional ornaments of Russia with the possibility of scaling throughout the entire country!

In addition to successes in various competitions, you are engaged in scientific communications and serve as a lecturer for the projects “Knowledge” and “Science 0+”. In your opinion, what is more important today: to popularize science among young people or among an adult audience? And why did you choose this path?

I have always believed that it is necessary to instill interest from a young age. Most people think that science is complicated and incomprehensible things, but this is not true. Every time I prepare for my lectures, I tell that science and discoveries are about everything around us, and you only need to “reach out your hand” and take the first step. The future is created by those who come after you, so I think that forming continuity and passing on experience to young people are the main tasks of modern science. For me, for example, science and education are opportunities, growth, and development. It is important for me to learn something new every day, study it, and share it with others.I look at the world as a place where I will never stop asking questions and seeking answers.

You are speaking as a lecturer at a major venue. Tell us about the most unusual or memorable experience of interacting with the audience. Was there an occasion when a listener surprised you with a question?

The most amazing questions are simple ones that no one has ever asked themselves. At the “Science 0+” festival, I was asked: “How to instill interest in science in children?” It’s a good question because when you understand that the fate of future generations is in your hands, your first priority is to inspire a love of learning in your children, to nurture and create an atmosphere of knowledge with your own efforts, and to see in their eyes an interest in why humans were created: to explore themselves and the world.

Your field of study at RUDN is “Advertising and Public Relations.” How do the skills of a PR specialist help in popularizing science? Is there a secret “PR trick” that works best for promoting scientific knowledge?

I would like to highlight the contribution of my department — the Department of Mass Communications. PR techniques that have been used for a long time have changed little. The main thing is to get acquainted with them and learn them. Perhaps the coolest technique is to add personal experience and narrative to my presentations. If we talk about specific skills, then packaging information and its proper presentation can show familiar facts from a new and interesting perspective. Therefore, I would attribute exactly this to the secret PR technique. Packaging knowledge helps me make science clearer and communicate simple things to others.For example, I really like to tell that I have a scientific article in my basket in the Wildberries app. When I show by my own example that it is possible to research everything, people are more interested in what I am telling.

In addition, you are still studying at the qualification college under the Ministry of Education of Tatarstan. How do you manage to combine a serious social workload with study and scientific work?

I don’t want to say that I don’t know how to relax, but my schedule is almost always busy. When you are engaged in your work, time passes quickly, and you feel needed and important. Science and education — my field — often intersect in different places and positions. In the morning, I listen to reports from schoolchildren at the Ministry of Education of the Republic, later I speak at a conference about the importance of supporting students’ scientific research, and in the evening I write a post popularizing science among young scientists. The fields are extensive, so when you can bring experience from one field to another, you become a versatile professional.Learning has always been simple. I wanted to know more than what is in the program, so I began to delve deeper and try to instill in other people the importance of education.

From the position of a person who evaluates footage and works with students, what, in your opinion, is most important today for a young specialist to be in demand?

In fact, everything is very simple. I believe that the most important thing is adaptability. If you use the tools that appear and do not follow the “fossilized” path just because it’s easier, then you are at the forefront. To be able to be “in the flow” of a constantly changing world is not only a quality of a PR specialist but also a necessity for each of us now. The world is changing, and we change together with it.

If you had the opportunity to launch a federal project right now at the intersection of your interests (PR, science, technology, creativity), what would it be about?

An incredible desire to realize an educational project on developing public speaking skills. In this era of “digital,” we communicate more and more through messengers and speak less live. And taking into account the trend of defending projects, coursework, and theses — this is a necessary skill both in life and in future professions. Therefore, developing proper speech so that people want to listen to you — is a basic necessity, which is becoming a rarity.

I would like to ask a few more personal questions. With such an impressive portfolio of achievements, do you have a “mentor” or role model whom you look up to on your path?

I have an indelible dream — to know, I would have been proud of myself five years ago if I had seen my future path in advance. I never planned to become someone specific, so I never compared myself to anyone. A very good thought that my friends instilled in me: this is your path — why should you compare yourself to someone if you are following your own?

And how do you usually restore your energy with such a tight schedule? Do you have a hobby that helps you switch between work at NSO, lectures, and studying?

Again, my friends are my solace. First and foremost, I am a person who deeply values those close to me. With friends, I can be not a lecturer or a winner, but simply Dima, who is valued both offstage and outside university. Therefore, a couple of hours in the company of pleasant people already gives me strength for life and for new achievements.