Research & Expertise

International academic and educational cooperation is a vital aspect of activities for Russian universities. At the beginning of the new academic year, Vice Rector Victoria Panova addresses HSE's initiatives in this area.

An international consortium of research organisations from China, India, and Russia, including HSE University’s Faculty of Urban and Regional Development represented by experts from the Vysokovsky Graduate School of Urban Studies and Planning and the Centre for Social Research and Technological Innovation (CITY), is developing an index of technological and spatial urban development (the Urban & Innovation Environment Index). Recently, a list of the top 10 largest cities of the BRICS countries was published on the project’s website. The Russian capital took the first place in the ranking, followed by Beijing, Shanghai, Sao Paulo, and Guangzhou.

Russian and African civil servants are to exchange experience in the field of digitalisation. The programme was presented by HSE University’s Centre for African Studies in cooperation with the Innopraktika company. The programme organisers are also ready to carry out educational events in any country on the continent.

At the Russia-Africa Forum held last week, HSE University’s International BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre, in collaboration with the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia, organised a discussion on ‘The Fight against Anticompetitive Practices of Large TNCs, Cross-Border Cartel Combatting, and International Cooperation.’

The first international Forum of African Graduates of Russian and Soviet Universities has come to an end. The forum was held at HSE University in St Petersburg as part of the second Russia–Africa Summit.

People who are fluent in two or more languages are less susceptible to age-related mental disorders. They more quickly process information and make decisions, have better memories, and can even better identify emotions. Scientists from various countries discussed the influence of a second language on the processes of cognitive aging at the international symposium ‘Bilingualism: Proper Learning, Effective Communication, and Pleasant Old Age’ hosted by HSE University.

Researchers from the HSE Faculty of Social Sciences will study social processes in African countries, the issues and features of the continent’s demographic development, and problems related to the causes of separatism and decentralisation in particular African states during a multi-day scientific expedition that will be launched in June 2023.

Throughout the year, the HSE International Laboratory for Social Integration Research (ILSIR) is hosting consulting seminars on ‘Care and Welfare in Post-Socialist Eurasia: Institutions, Discourses, Identities’ with presentations by leading foreign experts. The first seminar in the series, ‘Conceptualising Social Activism’ was held on April 4 with the participation of Professor Linda Cook, Academic Supervisor of HSE ILSIR. The second one will take place on April 18.

Africa has the potential to become a new economic giant. Today, African countries are interested in comprehensive cooperation and strengthening their positions in the global arena, and they look forward to receiving assistance from Russia and China in developing their technology, economy, and social sphere. Effective engagement with Africa requires training a greater number of professional African studies specialists. The XXIV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference at HSE University featured a plenary session on 'Africa in a Changing World'.

The 10th anniversary scientific conference ‘Neighbours in Research’ was held at HSE University in Perm. This year it received the status of an international event—research was presented by scientists not only from different regions of Russia, but also from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. The conference's key concept is interdisciplinarity, and as a result, reports were presented from various branches of science, including economics, linguistics, sociology, law, digital technologies, and neuroscience.