HSE to Bring Together Experts from World’s Leading Universities in St Petersburg
From May 18 to 22, 2026, HSE University–St Petersburg will become a hub of global academic dialogue. International Partners’ Week will bring together more than 100 delegates from 47 universities across 20 countries.
International Partners’ Week (IPW) is a strategic HSE University initiative that has been held in St Petersburg since 2024. The university convenes representatives of higher education institutions from around the world to discuss global challenges, explore potential solutions, strengthen the scientific community, and promote Russian education and cultural values.
Anna Tyshetskaya
‘Over the past three years, we have created a platform for large-scale collaboration between universities from different countries,’ emphasised Anna Tyshetskaya, First Vice Rector of HSE University. ‘Given the transformations taking place in the global landscape, traditional formats of cooperation can no longer exist in their previous forms. That is why we are building new, sustainable connections where openness, trust, and equal dialogue are the core values.’
The programme for International Partners’ Week 2026 is aligned with two major state initiatives: the Years of Educational Cooperation with China and Scientific Partnership with Vietnam. Scholars, rectors, and vice rectors from leading universities in Brazil, India, Indonesia, Qatar, China, Colombia, Malaysia, the UAE, Oman, Serbia, Japan, and many other countries will travel to St Petersburg.
The official opening of the forum and its key plenary sessions will take place on May 20 at the Sergey Kuryokhin Centre for Contemporary Art. This year’s discussions will focus on the role of universities in an era of global transformation. Experts will examine educational models and challenges in a borderless world, the transformation of the academic mission amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence, and the role of universities in creating innovative products and integrating them into the economy.
Throughout the week, IPW 2026 participants and HSE students will be able to attend dozens of open lectures and expert sessions on a wide range of subjects, from artificial intelligence and physics to industrial design and media communications. A dedicated section will focus on international affairs. Participants will discuss the current state of Sino–Russian relations, the development of BRICS, regional security in the Middle East, and the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and the Philippines. The programme also includes specialised tracks organised by faculties and research laboratories, as well as an educational exhibition featuring partner universities. As in previous years, the central event of the business agenda will be the signing of strategic agreements between HSE University and leaders of international universities.
HSE University–St Petersburg International Partners’ Week is the institution’s flagship international event, aimed at creating sustainable communication platform to strengthen Russia’s position in the global educational landscape. In 2024–2025, IWP resulted in cooperation agreements with leading universities in Southeast Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and other regions. One of the initiative’s major outcomes was the launch of an international research network of mirror laboratories in social entrepreneurship, uniting universities from Russia, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
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