How Students Assess Their Careers in the Context of COVID-19

Abstract

The research goal is to present the views of Russian students on the relation between the COVID-19 pandemic and their future career opportunities. The research is based on a survey of 138 students studying for their bachelor’s degree. Comparing the responses given by students of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th academic years allows the author to estimate the differences in their opinions. The survey illustrates that students’ assessments depend on their academic year. Therefore, students of the junior years lack interest in tackling sustainability issues, which probably appear detached from their lives, while the students of the senior years feel more involved in the current situation. The suggested perspectives of Education for Sustainable Development include (1) motivation towards the involvement of students into professional and general life-supporting activities, (2) further development of the interdisciplinary approach in higher education, and (3) development of distance learning with a strong emphasis on professional use of electronic devices instead of using them primarily as a mean of communication.