The International Laboratory for Social Integration Research (ILSIR) at HSE University studies the challenges faced by vulnerable groups and explores ways to help them participate fully in everyday life. To develop effective solutions, the laboratory’s researchers combine cutting-edge methods with practical fieldwork. In this interview with the HSE News Service, Laboratory Head Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova discusses the laboratory’s work.

The classical model of geographical education that emerged in the 20th century, primarily to study, assess, and develop territories and natural resources, is no longer suited to the complexity of modern spatial systems. Geographers need to learn how to work with big data and GeoAI, model nonlinear changes, and make decisions under conditions of uncertainty, while also bringing together knowledge of natural and socio-economic processes.Nikolay Kurichev, Dean of the HSE Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technology, said this on August 18 at the international scientific session ‘BRICS Geographers Day.’

Last year, Daria Davydova earned her master's from the HSE Graduate School of Business and launched a new line of business at Alfa-Bank. Earlier this year, she won a prize at the TECH & AI Awards for the best AI solution for business process optimisation. In an interview with Success Builder, Daria talks about her background in consulting, 'going to the gemba' at the Revda Non-Ferrous Metals Processing Works, the benefits of having tea with sweets, and the real potential of AI.

Twenty-seven students from Chinese universities took part in the international summer school ‘Digital Product Management’ organised by the HSE Graduate School of Business and Alfa-Bank. Over the course of a week, participants explored the Russian economy and business environment, learned about current technology trends, and worked through the key stages of digital product development step by step—from researching user needs and defining a problem to developing a prototype and presenting their final project.

Timur Khusyainov, Deputy Dean of theFaculty of Humanities atHSE University–Nizhny Novgorod, took part in two international conferences—the XVI World Congress of Rural Sociology in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and the 36th Annual Conference of the Alliance of Digital Humanities Organisations (DH2026) in Daejeon, South Korea. On his way to the conferences, the researcher also visited several other places, where he presented the experience of the Pochtovoe educational project.

Jean-François Mehdi Jabir, a Senior Research Fellow at the Laboratory of Stochastic Analysis and Its Applications originally from France, has been working at HSE University since 2017. He was drawn to HSE by the opportunity to conduct joint research with leading Russian and international scientists, the freedom of academic discussion, and the openness of the university. Jean-François shared his thoughts on HSE University and Moscow in general with the HSE News Service.

Large vortices with characteristic spiral arms are often observed in the atmosphere and the ocean. Physicists from HSE University have explained how these structures form and why they retain their shape. The findings have been published in Physical Review Fluids.

Students from the HSE Faculty of Computer Science (FCS) and Faculty of Mathematics have won six gold medals at the International Mathematics Competition for University Students (IMC). HSE students also received silver and bronze medals. One of the world’s most prestigious international university mathematics competitions, IMC 2026 was held in July–August this year in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria.

Having a sweet tooth may be linked not only to eating habits but also to the way people make decisions. Researchers at HSE University have found that people with a preference for sweet foods tend to behave more impulsively—not because they want immediate rewards, but because they are less willing to tolerate uncertainty. These findings may help improve treatments for addiction. The study findings have been published in Frontiers in Psychology.