In December 2025, HSE ICEF held a student meeting with Stefan Dürr, founder and President of the EkoNiva Group. The entrepreneur spoke about his journey from running a small farm in southern Germany to building the largest agribusiness in Russia. The event continued a series of meetings between ICEF students and prominent Russian practising economists and business leaders.

The School of International Regional Studies at the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs (WEIA) held the International Conference ‘The World Majority and the West amid Geoeconomic and Civilisational Transformations.’ This was the seventh time the conference had taken place, bringing together researchers from 13 countries.

An international team that included Prof. Marina Butovskaya from HSE University studied how willing parents are to care for a child depending on the child’s resemblance to them. The researchers found that similarity to the mother or father affects the level of care provided by parents and grandparents differently. Moreover, this relationship varies across Russia, Brazil, and the United States.

HSE University–St Petersburg has hosted the third expert meeting devoted to social entrepreneurship. The event featured presentations of two books that explore the roles of universities and business in creating conditions for developing a socially responsible society.

HSE University participated in the Moscow International Video Games Week. HSE MIEM hosted an open day for its online Master’s programme and a workshop ‘Gamedev Automation: How AI is Changing the Approach to Virtual Simulation Design.’ The ‘Game Engineering and Interactive Systems’ workshop and indie studio Bear Head Studio showcased their new game engine—the Claw Engine. Experts of the HSE Faculty of Computer Science joined in panel discussions.

The Сentre of Digital Technologies for Nature-Based Solutions at HSE University and the Kazakhstan-based company SAFC are planning joint work on the implementation of climate projects in Kazakhstan. Specialists from the HSE centre visited the site of the country’s first forest climate project and signed a cooperation agreement with SAFC.

Mohammed Yassir Ali Osman, from Sudan, graduated from HSE’s Master’s Programme in Population and Development. He is now a doctoral student and conducts research at the Laboratory of Social and Demographic Policies. Recently he presented his dissertation on the migration intention of African students in Russia. In this interview with the HSE News Service, Mohammed shares the highlights of his research, his future plans, and his advice for prospective researchers.

The HSE University Academic Council has elected to launch a new Master's programme in Neurobiology for students majoring in Biology. Students of the programme will have access to unique equipment and research groups, providing them with the knowledge and experience to pursue careers in science, medicine and pharmacy, IT and neurotechnology, and education and HR services.

How are investment decisions changing under conditions of inflationary shocks and the application of machine learning methods? Can financial risks be predicted using new metrics? What is the role of banks' climate resilience? These questions were at the centre of discussion at the 14th International Moscow Conference on Financial Economics organised by the International College of Economics and Finance at HSE University.