Ahead of the holiday season, the HSE News Service talked to some international students about their reflections on the past year, expectations of the year to come, and plans for the winter break. Below, Hasnain and Syed, both from Pakistan, talk about their experiences as international students in Moscow, share their tips for successful personal growth, and send wishes to their fellow classmates.

Historical sabre fencing is actively developing at HSE University. In 2024, a student club dedicated to this martial art was established, and recently the HSE Open Cup was held in the atrium on Pokrovsky Bulvar. The tournament brought together representatives of 21 universities from different regions of Russia and the Republic of Belarus.

Researchers at the HSE Institute of Education have identified how much time students should ideally devote to their studies, extracurricular activities, and personal life to maintain strong academic performance without compromising their mental health. An analysis of responses from 2,753 students, combined with their academic results, revealed risk factors—such as excessive homework—as well as positive factors, including sufficient sleep, exercise, and participation in projects. 

In December 2025, HSE University hosted the first Forum of the BRICS Law Schools Consortium organised by the HSE Faculty of Law. The forum brought together 42 international delegates from 14 universities in Belarus, China, South Africa, India, and Indonesia. The programme included the adoption of decisions on the future areas of activity of the BRICS Law Schools Consortium, which was established at the initiative of the HSE Faculty of Law.

HSE students delivered an outstanding performance in the semi-final round of the International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC), which took place in St Petersburg on December 15–17, 2025. Two teams—FFTilted from HSE University–Moscow and Muffix Sassif from HSE University–Nizhny Novgorod—will represent the university at the ICPC World Finals, scheduled for 2026. Other HSE teams also won gold and bronze medals. 

A new cryptographic data protection mechanism has been jointly proposed by experts from HSE MIEM, Sber, and QApp. The researchers have developed a postquantum ring signature scheme that ensures anonymity, as well as the integrity and authentication of the source of digital transactions, even in the presence of an adversary equipped with a quantum computer.

The HSE Art and Design School has opened its major exhibition ‘The Great Disorder’ at two venues—the Winzavod Centre for Contemporary Art and at the Ekaterina Cultural Foundation. The main theme of the project was reflections on chaos as an integral part of life in the modern world.

On December 4, an award ceremony for participants of the AIM2Flourish international programme on sustainable business was held at the HSE University Graduate School of Business. This year, the initiative involved second-year students of the Master's in International Management united by their interest in innovative business models aimed at achieving the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

On December 12, HSE University welcomed a delegation from the China Academy of Art — one of the most prestigious creative universities in Asia. The parties discussed ideas that could form the foundation for long-term partnership—from digital reconstructions of historical spaces to joint educational programmes and research initiatives.