In the 1970s–80s, the Soviet Union made an unexpected discovery: in a society built on collectivist ideals, loneliness had become a significant social problem. In his study, Mikhail Kulagin, a postgraduate researcher at the HSE Faculty of Humanities, shows that the state not only acknowledged this paradox but also attempted to solve it through special ‘social technologies’ —including dating clubs, newspaper personal advertisements, and even early computer matchmaking systems.

In late January 2026, HSE University hosted a discussion titled ‘Development and Urban Planning: Which Specialists Is the Market Waiting For?’ The event marked the launch of a new Bachelor’s programme in Development and Urban Planning created by the HSE Faculty of Urban and Regional Development in partnership with a consortium of developers, whose key members include MR and A101 Group.

The HSE University Moscow Tikhonov Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (MIEM) has established a new Department of Cybersecurity. This move consolidates MIEM’s educational, scientific, and expert resources in information and computer security, expands its portfolio of educational programmes, strengthens partnerships with industry leaders, and enhances HSE’s position as a leading centre of cybersecurity competence.

Michael Appiah, from Ghana, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the International Laboratory of Intangible-Driven Economy at HSE University–Perm. He recently spoke at the seminar ‘Artificial Intelligence, Digitalization, and Climate Vulnerability: Evidence from Heterogeneous Panel Models’ about his research. Michael told the HSE News Service about the academic journey that led him to HSE University, his early impressions of Perm, and how AI can be utilised to combat climate change.

What path does one have to follow to become a theoretical mathematician? Is there such a thing as a ‘mathematical personality’? And is it really true that all mathematicians are a bit eccentric? Valery Gritsenko, Professor at the Faculty of Mathematics and Head of the International Laboratory for Mirror Symmetry and Automorphic Forms, talks about 13-year-long referee reports and good films about mathematics.

HSE University and the InfoWatch Group of Companies marked the start of a new stage in their collaboration with the signing of a new agreement. The partnership aims to develop educational programmes and strengthen the practical training of specialists for the digital economy. The parties will cooperate in developing and reviewing curricula, and experts from InfoWatch will be involved in teaching and mentoring IT and information security specialists at HSE University.

Arina Kurbetyeva is a third-year student of the Bachelor’s in Digital Technologies and Telecommunications run by the HSE Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (MIEM). During her second year, she spent one semester in China at CUHK-Shenzhen University as part of an academic mobility programme. The student shared her experience of studying in China with the HSE News Service.

Gabriella Leelee Enchill is a third-year student at the HSE University Doctoral School of Sociology. Her research focuses on gender inequality in rural Ghanaian communities. Gabriella spoke to the HSE News Service about what her studies have uncovered about inequality in the region, how women can gain agency by banding together, and why studying these communities helps empower women around the world.

HSE University, the National Research League of Cardiac Genetics, and the Central State Medical Academy of the Administrative Directorate of the President will hold the Second ‘Genetics and the Heart’ Congress with international participation. The event will take place on February 7–8, 2026, at the HSE University Cultural Centre.