Researchers from HSE and Iran University of Science and Technology Study Intellectual Resources

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In February 2026, the International Laboratory of Intangible-Driven Economy (IDLab) and Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST) held a joint seminar as part of the project ‘Internationalisation of Companies from Developing Countries: The Role of Intellectual Resources in Response to Exogenous Shocks.’ The project has been implemented as part of the ‘International Academic Cooperation of HSE University’ initiative.

The seminar featured presentations of studies addressing intellectual capital mobility, business resilience to sanctions pressure, and mechanisms of early internationalisation by firms in emerging markets.

The reports were empirical in nature, incorporating machine learning algorithms (BERTopic) to analyse the corpus of academic publications, pilot surveys in the Russian market, and qualitative interviews with representatives of small and medium-sized Iranian businesses.

Internationalisation as a Stress Test for Intellectual Capital

Dmitry Kashin, Junior Research Fellow at the International Laboratory of Intangible-Driven Economy (IDLab), presented findings from the study ‘Internationalisation as a Stress Test for Intellectual Capital: A Systematic Mapping and Research Agenda,’ co-authored with Mariya Molodchik, Senior Research Fellow at IDLab.

The paper provides a comprehensive literature review examining firms’ entry into foreign markets as a mechanism to test intellectual capital for its mobility, scalability, and vulnerability. The research is particularly relevant given the need to understand how firms can preserve and transform their intellectual capital when facing national and institutional barriers.

To analyse a large corpus of academic publications, the authors employed machine learning algorithms—specifically, the BERTopic model—which enabled them to identify 22 distinct research topics and group them into three theoretical clusters. Based on this systematic review, the authors also outline key directions for future research.

Dmitry Kashin

Junior Research Fellow at the International Laboratory of Intangible-Driven Economy (IDLab)

‘The presented research combined quantitative and qualitative methods, from machine learning to interviews with entrepreneurs, which allowed us to look at the correlation between intellectual capital and internationalisation from different angles. I appreciate that our colleagues from IUST acknowledged the methodology of our article, in which we consider internationalisation as a stress test for intellectual capital. The discussions in the seminar confirmed the importance of intangible resources and managerial flexibility for businesses to enter international markets.’

The Impact of Sanctions on Corporate Reputation: The Russian Experience and Prospects for Research in Iran

The research question behind the second presentation was to understand whether information that a company is under sanctions affects its reputation. Artem Shamray, a PhD student at the Faculty of Social Sciences, presented findings from a pilot survey conducted in Russia. The study revealed a seemingly counterintuitive result: any information indicating that a company is under sanctions—particularly when accompanied by an explanation highlighting its significant role in the national economy—actually increases its appeal among Russian citizens. The presentation also included a proposed research design for conducting a similar study in the Iranian market.

Early Internationalisation of Small and Medium Enterprises: The Iranian Experience

The study ‘Early Internationalisation of Iranian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Qualitative Approach’ by Zahra Basiri, a PhD student at IUST, explores the early internationalisation strategies of Iranian SMEs under economic constraints. The author presented a qualitative analysis of SME success factors, highlighting the critical role of founder characteristics, market characteristics, and the ability to engage in resource bricolage—the effective use of available resources under constraints.

Amir Zakery

President for Education at the IUST School of Management, Economics, and Progress Engineering

'Our collaboration with HSE is built upon a prior research relationship, which has been actively ongoing for one year. During this period, the partnership has progressed entirely according to plan, with a clear focus on our core research theme: the role of intellectual capital in responding to external shocks.

A key milestone in this collaboration was the presence of the Iranian team at the joint conference in October 2025. More recently, we held a highly productive meeting focused on co-authoring papers. Personally, I found this session particularly enriching—not only did it provide an opportunity for a master’s graduate under my supervision to prepare and present a paper derived from their thesis, gaining valuable experience in an international academic setting, but it also introduced me to two compelling research ideas from the Russian team.

These scientific meetings and academic exchanges lay the groundwork for the transfer of innovative research ideas, joint supervision and student exchanges, and co-publication of articles. This is especially significant given that both Iran and Russia are currently under unjust pressure from Western powers. In this context, our academic partnership can play a pioneering role in strengthening ties among emerging economies, contributing to a more equitable global environment for growth and development.'

The project ‘Internationalisation of Companies from Developing Countries: The Role of Intellectual Resources in Response to Exogenous Shocks’ is carried out as part of the ‘International Academic Cooperation of HSE University’ initiative.