Round table in the SPbGASU Academic Council Hall
On 20 February, the Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering held a roundtable discussion titled "Socially vulnerable individuals: legal and social support." The event was initiated by the Faculty of Forensics and Law in Construction and Transport. The event aimed to foster a legal culture and increase awareness among students in need of social assistance.
The focus was on young student families, students from large families and families of SMO participants, students left without parental care, as well as students involved in volunteer organizations.
Participants in the roundtable included representatives of the scientific and expert community, government agencies, public figures, and students themselves—from single-parent and large families, orphans, families of SMO participants, and students who themselves took part in the special military operation.
Elena Ivanova, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Forensics and Law in Construction and Transport and a PhD of Juridical Sciences, delivered the welcoming remarks. She emphasized: "At a time when social challenges are multiplying—from economic crises to demographic shifts—legal protection and social assistance are becoming a true shield for the vulnerable. We, the lawyers, social workers, scientists, and government representatives gathered here to communicate a mission: to identify gaps in legislation, strengthen support mechanisms, exchange best practices, and develop concrete steps."
Elena Ivanova (left)
Elena Sergeevna expressed confidence that the roundtable discussion would serve as a foundation for generating new scientific ideas, allow students to deepen their knowledge in the field of social and legal protection, and serve as a foundation for further fruitful collaboration.
During the round table, the invited experts delivered informative reports.
Valentin Kharlamov, Professor at the Department of Criminal Law at the St Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia and Doctor of Laws, examined socially vulnerable categories of citizens from a criminal law perspective. Murat Chakiyev, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Forensic Science at the St Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and PhD of Juridical Sciences, presented statistics on crimes committed against individuals in this category.
Andrey Portnov, Deputy Head of the Personnel Management Department and Head of the Educational Work Department at the St Petersburg University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, shared his experience implementing social guarantees for orphans and students who lost their only parent during their studies. Andrey Vlasov, Deputy Head of the Psychological Work Department at the same university, proposed specific methods for providing psychological support to students in difficult life situations and discussed ways to identify and counter the psychological influence of attackers.
As part of the scientific discussion, representatives of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs' research school "Modern Problems of Criminal Law and Criminology" recognized the most active participants and presented them with commemorative gifts.
Elizaveta Magdina, Assistant at the SPbGASU Department of Forensics, raised the issue of effective assistance to citizens who have suffered fraud. Daria Sergeeva, a student at the Faculty of Forensics and Law in Construction and Transport, spoke about the capabilities of the SPbGASU Legal Clinic to explain social and legal guarantees for citizens.
The event organizers prepared a handout listing key social benefits, useful phone numbers, and official website addresses. This will help students quickly obtain reliable information about the support measures available to orphans and children left without parental care.
The roundtable discussion confirmed that the combined efforts of the scientific community, law enforcement officials, and students contribute to the development of a sustainable system of legal and social support at the university.
