On November 22, 2024, the International Laboratory of Financial Economics hosted the 13th International Moscow Finance Conference, bringing together researchers and experts from various countries to discuss current issues in financial economics. In his welcoming speech, Vladimir Sokolov, Head of the Laboratory, emphasised the significance of financial market research for the global economy.

The digitalisation of the economy and the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies pose new challenges for antitrust authorities worldwide. Major players in the AI market, equipped with significant resources, can block new entrants and set anti-competitive prices. Additionally, the use of AI raises increasingly complex ethical questions for which the global community has yet to develop answers. These and other issues were discussed at the Third BRICS+ Digital Competition Forum.

In mid-November, HSE University hosted a meetup where faculty, researchers, and administrators presented their projects and shared experiences with using AI technologies in education and research. The meeting was part of the continuing professional development programme 'Artificial Intelligence in Education and Research.'

Yandex Education and the HSE Faculty of Computer Science have concluded the first joint Artificial Intelligence and Data Analysis Olympiad (AIDAO). The winning team, AI Capybara from ITMO University, developed an AI model that detects defects in vehicle exteriors and interiors. The challenge for the competition was devised by the Yandex Taxi machine learning team, who will evaluate the feasibility of implementing the AI model in practice.

An international online hackathon dedicated to solving environmental problems was held at HSE University in Nizhny Novgorod. Students employed artificial intelligence and computer vision to develop innovative solutions for image segmentation, predictive modelling (forecasting future events based on data from the past) of emissions and creating chatbots for nature reserves and national parks.

In autumn 2024, Yea Rem Choi, from South Korea, Junior Research Fellow at the International Laboratory for Supercomputer Atomistic Modelling and Multi-scale Analysis, defended his doctoral dissertation on applied mathematics at HSE University. Yea Rem Choi talked to the HSE News Service about the soft skills that helped him in his research, how he is building a career, and why he chose HSE University for his doctoral studies.

Artificial intelligence is becoming an indispensable part of higher education. Both students and teachers use it to reduce the volume of routine tasks and expand their capabilities. The limitations and prospects of AI are discussed in the report ‘The Beginning of the End or a New Era? The Effects of Generative Artificial Intelligence in Higher Education,’ published in the journal Modern Education Analytics, under the scientific supervision of HSE Academic Supervisor Yaroslav Kuzminov.

Jorge Luis Méndez-Martínez, Research Fellow at the International Laboratory for Logic, Linguistics and Formal Philosophy, was named the winner of a competition of the National Council for Sciences, Technology and Humanities of Mexico. The HSE News Service talked to Mr Méndez-Martínez about the competition, his projects,and how playing the guitar helps him conduct research.

Ekaterina Alexandrova, Academic Supervisor of the Egyptology programme at HSE University, has studied the funerary practices of ancient Egyptians. Traditionally, it was believed that Egyptian religion was built on the fear of death. However, an analysis of texts reveals that ancient Egyptian beliefs were not merely reflections of a fear of death, but a complex system aimed at preserving order and stability both in life and the afterlife.