The Independent Studies Period (ISP) is a three-week term in January during which faculty and students are freed from the rigors of regularly scheduled classes for flexible teaching and learning experiences, research, and independent study. All members of the Skoltech community (e.g., students, faculty, staff, Founding Faculty Fellows, alums, visiting faculty/staff/experts, etc.) are encouraged to create courses, seminars, workshops, etc. aimed at sharing an expertise or interest with others, including ones not necessarily related to their day-to-day Skoltech roles. The ISP is a time to learn new skills and ideas and also to broaden the sense of community by learning something new about one’s fellow students, friends, and colleagues. It is also a time for students to practice the skill of organizing an event or class—they are expected to do the majority of the work involved in turning their idea into an actual activity.
During ISP students are encouraged to explore Skoltech’s educational resources by pursuing options not possible during the semester, either on or off campus. Students can not only organize and participate in ISP activities but also set their own educational agendas, pursue independent projects and work with faculty. Faculty members are encouraged to try new teaching methods and learning formats or introduce innovative educational experiments as ISP activities.
Read some more about ISP here