Laboratory classes at the School of Molecular and Theoretical Biology
I learned about the School of Molecular and Theoretical Biology a few years ago at a science education roundtable at Stony Brook University. This unique nonprofit summer internship program brings together leading scientists and curious high school students from more than 20 countries each year. Under the guidance of faculty and postdocs, students work in university laboratories on unsolved scientific problems. I spoke with the founder of the school, Fyodor Kondrashov.
Julia Brodsky: What motivated you, an accomplished scientist, to start an international summer school for high school students?
Fyodor Kondrashov: To a large extent I attribute my fate to become a scientist to the support I received from the scientific community from the beginning. I feel that I am not good enough to carry out research and publish the results – I feel a moral obligation to help the next generation of scientists while sensitizing them to the responsibilities of science in the modern world.
JB: What are the guiding principles of your educational philosophy?
FK: Our first principle is to give students an initial sense of what authentic science is all about. They can spend up to five hours a day in the lab, working side-by-side with researchers. Science immersion practices make students feel part of the international scientific community, observe how scientists think about the unknown, and develop a growth mindset. Scientists, too, are inspired by students’ questions. Our second principle is inclusiveness, empowering and supporting students of all educational and cultural backgrounds. Our goal is to create a supportive and comfortable space where every student feels accepted and respected. Such an environment has a tremendous impact on students’ academic success.
JB: What are some of your steps to ensure inclusivity?
FK: We start with inclusive admissions practices. Our process is designed to enable a fair comparison between students from, say, an urban school in Boston, and a rural school in Malaysia. Our experts are sensitive to cultural and social differences and have experience evaluating the individual abilities and potential of each student. We make sure to invite a very diverse pool of teachers who serve as role models. The central tenet is a personalized approach to the needs of each student.
JB: And what happens after the student is accepted?
FK: We make sure to accommodate for their financial or social constraints that otherwise could prevent them from attending school. Recently, for example, we received applications from women whose countries do not support women’s participation in science. His parents were afraid to let him fly alone, but we were ready to arrange one of our employees to accompany him on the flight.
JB: How did you get the idea of a bilingual school?
FK: In many countries, it is rare for teachers to encourage their students to start science by taking English classes. Yet English is the language of modern science, so we teach our classes in English. Learning scientific terms in English allows many of our students, such as those from the former Soviet republics, to read original research and communicate with scientists around the world. Meanwhile, we make sure that students who don’t know much English also feel comfortable (which is another aspect of our inclusivity mission). We have accumulated extensive experience in running bilingual science schools and will be happy to share our model and best practices with anyone who may be interested in running a similar program.
JB: How has the war in Ukraine affected your program?
FK: This conflict has greatly affected many of our students and our school strongly condemns the violence that occurs. We have tried to adapt to the situation. With the help of our Ukrainian alumni, we were able to add an afternoon science program for Ukrainian school children, and while the current program is taking place in Estonia, we also run an online program for children who cannot attend in person.
JB: What happens after students complete your program?
FK: We focus on supporting and growing our community. We have a separate program for our alumni, which helps them to stay in touch with their mentors. Notably, more than half of our alumni choose to stay in STEM fields and continue their graduate studies.
JB: What can you say about the people who support your business?
FK: The school is driven by enthusiastic scientists who share our values and are willing to donate countless hours to help students learn. It is hosted by a rotation of amazing colleges and universities that give us access to their labs and equipment. We couldn’t do this without the help of our organizers and coordinators, who do the lion’s share of ensuring a welcoming experience for students. Finally, we would not exist without the generous financial support of the Zimin Foundation.
Kondrashov hopes that the School of Molecular and Theoretical Biology will be an inspiration for new authentic and inclusive programs in the years to come.
