HSE in Minsk: Developing Cooperation with Belarus
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On May 26–29, 2026, an HSE University team visited Minsk, the capital of Belarus. The purpose of the trip was to meet and hold talks with Belarusian universities and scientific organisations—HSE University's current and prospective partners.
‘Universities live in long cycles, making it extremely important to develop projects that will last for decades, and this must be done in cooperation with each other,’ said HSE Vice Rector Elena Odoevskaia. ‘It is encouraging to see that our colleagues share this aspiration and are sincerely eager to work together and to create projects and products in our countries' interests.’
During the trip, HSE University representatives visited several major Belarusian scientific and educational institutions. During a meeting with the leadership of the Belarusian State University, HSE University's partner since 2023 and the republic's leading multidisciplinary university, a wide range of topics was discussed: developing student mobility, joint research projects and conferences in biotechnology and space exploration, etc. In addition, the two universities agreed to implement youth policy projects together.
The HSE team discussed the prospect of joint research projects in biotechnology at the Belarusian National Technical University (BNTU). BNTU is a leading technical university in Belarus with a rich history of scientific achievements. Just like HSE University, it actively conducts interdisciplinary research. One of the key areas in this field is the application of artificial intelligence in biomedical research, and, being a leading centre for AI studies and application, HSE University is willing to actively share its expertise.
‘We see great potential in working with Belarusian partners, and so we aim to establish cooperation at the level of all HSE campuses. HSE University–St. Petersburg, which I represent, is happy to welcome BNTU students and teachers. Our universities share common values, and this, of course, is already a solid foundation to build our partnership upon,’ said Maria Kiseleva, Head of the International Office at HSE University–St. Petersburg.
The HSE team discussed the possibility of environmental and climatic research projects with the Belarusian State Technological University (BSTU), given BSTU's focus on environmental management.
During the trip, the HSE team visited Belarus’ leading medical research institution, N. N. Alexandrov National Cancer Centre of Belarus. An agreement was reached on the implementation of interdisciplinary projects, such as the use of artificial intelligence for accurate cancer diagnosis, where contributions from HSE University as a top-tier AI development centre will be very important. According to Elena Odoevskaia, socially significant projects of this kind deserve great respect and should be prioritised.
In addition to negotiations with the partners, HSE representatives took part in forums of rectors of Russia, Brazil, and Belarus, where Elena Odoevskaia presented HSE University's key development areas and spoke about successful cases of cooperation with Brazilian and Belarusian partners.
The eventful program of the trip confirmed the importance of promoting science and education in close coordination with the partners, while the network of established contacts will enable HSE University to effectively build cooperation with them, taking into account each country’s national interests.
Participants of the visit
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