On December 12–13, 2025, the School of Finance of the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences will host the Third International Annual Conference ‘ESG Corporate Dynamics: the Challenges for Emerging Capital Markets.’ Representatives of leading Russian and international universities will discuss the issues involved in companies’ transition to sustainable development principles and in managing new types of risk.

In early December, Vice Rector Alexey Koshel hosted his traditional welcome meeting with new international faculty members. In 2025, HSE University welcomes 44 successful candidates for tenure-track positions and postdoctoral fellowships.

Andrija Djokic, from Serbia, got his master’s degree with honours from the HSE Graduate School of Business in 2022. In his interview with the HSE News Service, he talks about the advantages of studying at HSE University, the importance of a knowledge-based approach to HR management, and the challenges of pursuing a career in a foreign environment.

The HSE Art and Design School, together with the French design school École intuit.lab and the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, has launched the international competition Culture Mirror—a project in which students from Russia, France, China, India, and Brazil explore iconic films from other countries and create contemporary visual and communication brands inspired by them. Submissions are open until January 15, 2026.

HSE University is inviting researchers and lecturers to present concepts for new digital products based on artificial intelligence. The best projects will receive expert and technological support. Applications are open until December 19, 2025.

EFKO, a Russian food manufacturer and one of the country’s largest agro-industrial holdings, has launched the Assistants programme in partnership with HSE University. This practice-oriented module gives selected HSE students the opportunity to learn the fundamentals of management directly from EFKO’s Chairman of the Board and Innovation Director.

Economists from HSE University, MGIMO University, and Bocconi University have found that financial crises have a significant negative impact on biodiversity and the environment. This relationship appears to be bi-directional: as global biodiversity declines, the likelihood of new crises increases. The study examines the status of populations encompassing thousands of species worldwide over the past 50 years. The article has been published in Economics Letters, an international journal.

Following the results of the 2025 Eventiada international communications awards, students of the School of Communication at HSE’s Faculty of Creative Industries won in key youth categories, including Student of the Year and Best Youth ESG Project. The award ceremony took place at the end of November at the press centre of MIA Rossiya Segodnya.

When we watch someone move their finger, our brain doesn’t remain passive. Research conducted by scientists from HSE University and Lausanne University Hospital shows that observing movement activates the motor cortex as if we were performing the action ourselves—while simultaneously ‘silencing’ unnecessary muscles. The findings were published in Scientific Reports.