Registration for the Open Doors international intellectual competition for international students and young researchers is nearing completion. Winners and runners-up will have the opportunity to study tuition-free at leading Russian universities, including HSE University, under the Education Quota for foreign citizens in the Russian Federation and may also receive additional government grant support.

The first-ever International Space Games (ISG) have officially opened in Moscow. Students and early-career lecturers from seven countries—China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mexico, Pakistan, and Uzbekistan—have travelled to Russia to take part in this unique new engineering competition. The Russian team consists of students from leading Russian universities who have participated in, won prizes at, or won the National Technology Olympiad (NTO). HSE University is the operator of the ISG.

Sixth-generation (6G) communication will require new devices and technologies, and a development team at HSE University is working on solutions in microelectronics and photonics as part of the university's Strategic Technological Project 'Trusted 6G Communication Systems Technology Suite.' In 2026, the researchers developed models and prototypes of devices, experimentally tested their characteristics, and agreed with industrial partners on formats for collaboration. 

In mid-October 2026, HSE University held its first scientific conference on Stochastics, Artificial Intelligence, and Mathematical Finance (SAIMF 26). HSE researchers, leading mathematicians, and financial sector specialists discussed fundamental mathematical problems, modern artificial intelligence methods, and their applications in finance.

Researchers at HSE MIEM have analysed semi-fragile digital watermarking schemes for images published over the past ten years. Such watermarks survive benign processing, such as compression or brightness adjustment, while breaking under malicious modifications, such as unauthorised insertions or face-swapping, and revealing the forgery. The authors propose a classification of these schemes and identify key challenges that remain unresolved. The results have been published in Computer Science Review.

HSE University students have won four major information-security competitions. HSE teams took first place in the ENOWARS, RCTF, CTFZone, and PSUTI CTF tournaments, with four teams finishing in the top ten at the last of these. Next up are the in-person finals of international tournaments in Romania, India, and Saudi Arabia, for which our sportsmen have qualified.

On October 19, 2026, the second international research seminar in the series ‘Family Policy and Fertility Support Policies in Northeast Asian Countries’ took place. The event focused on the relationship between housing affordability, family behaviour, and fertility in Russia and South Korea. It was organised by the HSE Institute for Social Policy, the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, and the Seoul National University Population Policy Research Centre.

The Science Republic, in partnership with Russian animated television series KikoRiki, held a joint film lecture as part of the Extra student life festival. Five HSE bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD students presented their research through the plots and characters of the popular animated series, demonstrating how familiar stories can provide a starting point for discussing complex scientific topics.

The final of the ninth season of Science Battles took place at the HSE Cultural Centre in late September. Researchers presented four projects. The speakers explored the boundaries between humans and artificial intelligence, digital platforms and their users, the state and social infrastructure, as well as the distinction between how society defines an individual and how that individual defines themselves.