Golden HSE Winners Awarded on HSE’s 27th Anniversary
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On November 27, the HSE University held its 18th annual Golden HSE Award Ceremony in honour of colleagues who have demonstrated excellence in research or have contributed in a meaningful way to the HSE community. The special occasion coincided with the university’s 27th anniversary.
The Golden HSE Award Ceremony is an event that the university community anticipates every year. The award ceremony was first held on November 27, 2001, à la the Oscar’s Ceremony with video tributes and short films in honour of each nominee. Over the years, the awards ceremony has been held at various venues in different themes, and this year the event was held for the first time in the newly renovated large hall of HSE’s Cultural Centre, located in the Pokrovka complex.
HSE MIEM alumnus Grigory Aksenov and Polina Shevchuk, Director of the Legal Support Centre for Expert Assessment and Research, opened the event before inviting HSE’s founders to the stage: Academic Supervisor Evgeny Yasin, HSE President Alexander Shokhin, and Rector Yaroslav Kuzminov.
‘Our university has long passed the threshold into adulthood and is gradually entering its period of civic and political activity. At this age, we can vote and buy alcohol,’ Yaroslav Kuzminov said in an address to guests of the ceremony.
The rector noted HSE’s return to Pokrovsky Boulevard after a seven-year renovation period. The new building is a meeting place for students and teachers who work and study in different locations: some come here on business, while others simply come to enjoy the buildings’ architectural beauty and comfortable atmosphere. ‘For the first time, we have a real campus where you can walk from building to building and which functions year-round, with some areas open 24/7. And we plan to grow more trees here, put in more sofas, and invite museums,’ Rector Kuzminov affirmed.
Mr. Kuzminov recalled that in the early 1990s, when HSE was in its embryonic stages, there was a lot of discussion about what to name the new educational institution. There were doubts as to whether it should be called a higher school, since in those years, universities sought to be called academies and universities. Similarly, there were doubts about the HSE acronym. ‘They told me: you’ve closed your school before you’ve even opened it,’ he recalled. However, it turned out to be viable. As did, incidentally, HSE University itself.
‘Today's event is a great celebration,’ chimed in Evgeny Yasin. ‘I want to congratulate our rector: he deserves recognition more than anyone else. And I, too, a little bit, I suppose, though I can barely stand on my two feet.’ ‘Oh, I think you’re doing quite well!’ Yaroslav Kuzminov objected.
‘My years at this institution have been wonderful. It has been a continual pleasure for me to work with this great university, and it has helped me stay young,’ continued Mr. Yasin. ‘I wish I could give each and every one of you a hug. And I think that each of us should play a role in the prosperity of our university. Be healthy and happy!’
The microphone then went to Alexander Shokhin. ‘Today is an amazing day. On this day of November 27, we celebrate HSE’s 27th birthday at one of our university’s best campuses,’ he said. ‘This creates additional difficulties, however, because it is almost too comfortable here—it’s easy to get distracted from one’s studies. You can go to a café, the 24-hour library, or set up camp on one of the many benches flanking the atrium columns. I hope that we will strike a productive balance between work and rest, and that we will manage to increase our productivity even without transitioning to a four-day work week.’
Alexander Shokhin noted that he is not only the president of HSE University, but of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs as well. In his capacity as president, Mr. Shokhin reminded guests that Russian employers eagerly await HSE graduates. He noted that in a week, the nationwide Russian Forum on the National System of Qualifications of Russia will be held in Moscow, and that he hopes HSE will take the lead in developing the system as well as continue to be a top producer of highly demanded specialists entering the work force, both in Russia and abroad.
‘We invited only our most favorite people,’ said Yaroslav Kuzminov, complementing the guests.
Mr. Kuzminov recalled the pivotal role MIPT played in the founding of HSE: in the 1990s, when a group of young researchers left the Faculty of Economics at Moscow State University to give lectures on alternative economic theory, it was MIPT that welcomed them. And it was that group of researchers who then founded HSE. Today, HSE and MIPT rank closely to one another in the world rankings in various subjects, and the two universities collaborate on joint projects.
Rector Mau, too, played an important role in the founding of HSE in the early ‘90s. During those years, he worked as an assistant to Acting Prime Minister Yegor Gaidar and to a large extent contributed to the timely signing of the decree for the creation of the new university. The order, Yaroslav Kuzminov said, was signed on the last day of Yegor Gaidar’s tenure.
Alexander Klimov was not so long ago a Russian Deputy Minister of Education and Science, tasked with the enormous job of ridding Russian higher education of low-quality universities.
‘A lot has been done under his leadership,’ said Rector Kuzminov. ‘In particular, Plekhanov University, which is headed by Viktor Grishin, has grown significantly. Despite the fact that it has grown to include other universities, the quality of education at the university has not decreased.’
MIPT Rector Nikolay Kudryavtsev said, ‘In Russia, a group of leading universities has emerged that seek innovation and are not afraid to take new paths. HSE is one such university, and it has done a lot for our education. Today MIPT’s leadership includes three HSE alums, and I am very pleased with their work.’
Victor Grishin noted that the university’s real wealth is its people. ‘For 27 years, you managed to assemble a team that sets the tone for all of us today — where to move, what programmes to develop,’ he said. ‘Your team is rapidly improving, and those who graduate from your university are very grateful to you, and they embark upon their lives with this gratitude.’
HSE has always been a place where you can meet a lot of smart people and make plans for the future
In addition, Vladimir Mau praised Rector Kuzminov for his ‘amazing ability to turn the non-material into the material — and execute the most incredible ideas.’ He told HSE staff and students that he hopes they will not regret their time spent on studies and work.
Winners of each nomination were presented their awards by the by vice-rectors, deans, and other leaders of HSE. Before announcing the awardees, presenters opened envelopes containing the winners’ names, thereby keeping nominees and audience members in suspense until the last possible moment.
Before presenting awards to laureates in the ‘Achievement in Research’ nomination category, HSE Vice-Rector Lilia Ovcharova said, ‘When I worked at the Central Economics and Mathematics Institute, I interviewed renowned Soviet economist Stanislav Shatalin about what science is. He answered that science is an opportunity to satisfy one’s curiosity at the state’s expense. Well, our nominees will have this opportunity.’
Vladimir Shadrikov, professor and researcher of the HSE School of Psychology, was awarded a Golden HSE Award in the ‘Contribution to the Development of HSE’ category. Galina Volodina, Director of HSE – Perm, who presented him the award, told the following tale: A solder returned home from a long stint in the service, and the villagers asked him, ‘In what capacity did you serve?’ He replied, ‘I played in the regimental orchestra.’ ‘What did you play?’ they asked. ‘The trumpet,’ he said. ‘Play something!’ the villagers said. The soldier then played a simple short series of notes. ‘Is that all?’ the villagers asked. ‘Yes. All the other parts were performed by my comrades,’ the soldier explained.
‘May HSE staff continue to be as harmonious as the orchestra,’ Vladimir Shadrikov concluded. ‘And may each of us play a role in it.’
Winners of Golden HSE Award 2019
The prize categories have changed over the years but always recognize the best teachers, researchers, and graduates, as well as people who have made significant contributions to the university’s development.
Silver Nestling Winners 2019
This prize is awarded to current HSE students, doctoral students and schoolchildren of the HSE Lyceum and lyceum classes for outstanding achievements in studies and research, interesting papers, a proactive attitude, and achievements in self-development.
Golden Reference 2019
Together with Elsevier Publishing House (the Netherlands), the ‘Golden Reference’ award has been organized for HSE staff with high citation indices for papers published in the Scopus database. The winners were selected by a jury consisting of experts from HSE and Elsevier.
Alexander Klimov, Rector of Russian University of Transport