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Regular version of the site

Results of the Academic Year 2013/2014

At a meeting of the HSE's Academic Council on November 28, Vice Rector Sergei Roshchin presented a report on the University's educational and methodological activities for 2013/2014.

What happened in the past academic year 

In Spring 2014, HSE successfully completed the government accreditation process. A new educational BA model was developed and introduced. All second year students sat external exams in the English language.

For the first time, HSE held an International Summer University, study courses prepared by HSE lecturers were offered via the Coursera platform, and a cross-campus mobility campaign was launched enabling students to study some of their options on other HSE campuses.

HSE in numbers

As of October 2014, 25,000 students are enrolled in HSE, and 2,900 teachers work with them, helped by over 1,200 teaching assistants. They are all involved in implementing over 200 educational programmes, including BAs, specialist degrees, and MAs. 10% of all disciplines within the educational programmes offered are taught in English, although most of these are optional.

How students study

The average BA success rating across all campuses is over 7 on a 10-point scale, with those who participate in Olympiads generally scoring higher than those who passed the general entrance exam. But HSE courses are not easy, the proportion of drop-outs from BA and MA courses in the 2013-2014 academic year stood at 11%, with a significantly higher proportion coming from among those students on fee-paying BA courses than those in state-funded places.

The 2013-2014 academic year saw the first two modules of the internal University mobility programme draw over 100 student participants.  About 650 HSE students were involved in international mobility programmes, 96 of them studying for dual diplomas and another 250 (three times more than two years ago) on courses that expect significant time spent abroad at the partner university.

All the second years (about 3,300 people) last year had to sit external examinations on English language proficiency (IELTS). About 71%-72% were graded 'excellent' and 'very good' by the HSE scale, with Moscow home to double the number of those who scored 'excellent' than St. Petersburg.

In Summer 2014, over 2,500 students graduated from HSE with BA degrees, over 800 with specialist's degrees, and over 1,600 with MAs. 11.5% of graduates were awarded honorary 'red' diplomas.

Lecturers

Almost half of all HSE lecturers are aged under 40, with the largest single group falling within the 30-39 age bracket (28% of all tutors). As for teaching load, then on average there are eight students per lecturer.

Future goals

The goals to be achieved in this current academic year include preparing new educational standards for BAs, developing the 'minors' system for BAs across all campuses, incorporating projects into courses, creating new approaches to teaching the English language, widening the number of disciplines and MA programmes offered in English, and creating new public online courses.

Particular attention will be paid to external evaluations of quality and international accreditation of HSE courses, and to attracting international students.  HSE summer school proved a successful experiment, making it possible to expand it with a 'third semester' – for summer school students who want to go on to enroll in HSE, offering them the opportunity to include their summer school attendance in their studies.

 

See also:

Inverse Relationship Found between Propensity to Innovate and Academic Success

Mariia Evdokimova and Anastasia Stepanova, employees of HSE University’s Faculty of Economic Sciences, studied the connection between students’ personal characteristics and their desire to create something new. The researchers have found that students’ propensity to innovate lowers their GPA. The results of the work were published in the preprint ‘Students’ Propensity to Innovate: Correlates, Determinants, and Impact on GPA.’

Social Connections Help Women Achieve Academic Success

Social integration has different effects on the academic achievement of women and men. Researchers from HSE University’s Institute of Education studied the connections between academic performance and social integration among 4,500 young Russians. It turned out that this connection is much stronger than it might seem at first glance, and that it is more important for women. The results of the work were published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships.

A University's Special Status Is Correlated with a Substantial Increase in Salaries for Graduates

A university education is a highly sought-after commodity in Russia, yet the quality of universities and their programmes varies significantly. This gives rise to risks of inequality, both in the realm of education and in the labour market, and subsequently impacts the returns on higher education, which are manifested in the salaries earned by graduates. According to a study by Ilya Prakhov, Assistant Professor of the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences, graduates from Russia’s top-tier universities enjoy a distinct advantage. The paper has been published in the International Journal of Educational Development.

HSE University and Moscow Planetarium Sign Cooperation Agreement

The parties will work to popularise science and conduct educational and research activities, including in the fields of astronomy, cosmonautics, and Earth science. The agreement also covers the implementation of joint practical programmes and internships for students.

HSE University and Agency for Strategic Initiatives Sign Cooperation Agreement

HSE University and the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) have agreed to cooperate in the development of new technologies, the digital transformation of the economy, and the social development of the country. The agreement was signed by HSE University Rector Nikita Anisimov and ASI Director General Svetlana Chupsheva at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

Basic, General, and Home-based: Why Families Choose to Homeschool and What Challenges They Face in Doing So

There are many reasons why families choose to homeschool their children, from wishing to personalise their education to protecting them from bullying to strengthening the family bond. Those who decide to switch to homeschooling can face quite a few challenges, both logistical and psychological, including criticism from family members. IQ.HSE presents a few facts on homeschooling in Russia based on a paper by researchers of the HSE Institute of Education.

Card Index: Uberisation of Education

Education is in the process of being partly reformatted into an on-demand service, with digital platforms quickly and efficiently matching teachers to students. This can make education more personalised and accessible and open up new professional development and money-making opportunities for teachers. But is an Uber-like model really good for education? The following discussion of uberisation in education is based on a paper by philosopher Timur Khusyainov, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the HSE Campus in Nizhny Novgorod.

HSE University and Sberbank Sign Cooperation Agreement

HSE University and Sberbank have entered into a cooperation agreement. The document was signed by Herman Gref, CEO and Chairman of the Executive Board of Sberbank, and HSE University Rector Nikita Anisimov. The agreement is aimed at the implementation of shared educational, research, career-guidance, awareness-raising, and informational projects.

Shattering the Family’s ‘Glass Ceiling’: Why Young People Go to University

Attitudes towards education are often inherited, with parents explaining to their children what university education can give them. They offer very pragmatic arguments—that higher education ensures a more successful career, interesting work and a good income. But there are also other arguments that should not be underestimated. At this time when many universities are holding open house, IQ.HSE draws on a study by HSE scholars Tatiana Chirkina and Amina Guseynova to explain the attitudes towards education that parents give their children and which considerations they might have overlooked.

Collective Conscious: Advantages and Drawbacks of Studying in Small Groups

Students can learn difficult material much more efficiently by collaborating than by studying individually. They help each other, share information, and build collective knowledge. However, things are not as simple as they may seem. Cooperation between students is effective for certain activities, but not others. As researchers from the HSE Institute of Education have shown, knowledge is absorbed more effectively through group work, but the same benefits are not found when it comes to the practical application of knowledge.