On April 4–14, HSE University will host the XXIV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development. Every year, the conference provides a forum for leading Russian and international experts and government officials to discuss timely issues related to the economy and social policy.

The Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technology opened at HSE University in 2019, enrolment in the first bachelor’s programme took place in 2020, and the first master’s programme was launched in 2022. Nikolay Kurichev, Dean of the Faculty, describes how the idea to train geographers within the walls of HSE University originated, what results have been achieved, and what difficulties have been encountered over the years.

The HSE University Art and Design School and the Russian-Armenian (Slavonic) University, in collaboration with the Sergei Parajanov Museum and the Artists' Union of Armenia, have announced an open contest dedicated to the centenary of Sergei Parajanov’s birth. The contest starts on March 7.

HSE University and the Presidential Academy have concluded a cooperation agreement. The document was signed by HSE University Vice Rector Elena Odoevskaya and RANEPA Vice Rector Alexey Anopchenko.

The diverse HSE University community includes people from different countries and continents who can share their cultural experiences and generate novel ideas with their never-ending creativity and love for art. The Master's programme 'Arts and Culture Management' welcomed several students from Nigeria last year. Today, they are happy to share their sources of inspiration and their expectations of the programme and their future life.

Cost of living, COVID regulations, extracurricular activities, and advice for international students: Yesuigen Tsogjavkhlan, from Mongolia, reflects on her experience as an international student majoring in ‘Public Policy and Analytics’ at HSE University-St Petersburg and shares her story of coming to Russia.

On March 16, the results of the Open Doors International Olympiad for master’s and doctoral applicants were announced. The competition is organised by the Association of Global Universities. The winners of the olympiad will be able to study at Russian universities for free under Russian government quotas for foreign citizens. HSE University is one of the Olympiad’s organisers and the site of its distributed project office.

On March 15, Judas Everett defended his doctoral dissertation ‘The Effect of the Patterns in the Dissolution of Communism on the Transition to New Systems in Eastern Europe’, which investigates the relationship between the demise of communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe and the quality of democracy in the post-communist regime. In his interview, Judas talks about the topic of his research and explains why political science is more important than ever.

A team of Russian scientists, including HSE MIEM researchers, have presented a 3D model of SARS-CoV-2 S-protein transmembrane domain. The researchers believe that the model they have created can contribute to a better understanding of viral mechanisms and potentially lead to the development of novel antiviral drugs. The study has been published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.