Campus news at HSE University

Ekaterina Melianova and Artem Volgin, both graduates of the Master’s Programme Applied Statistics with Network Analysis, took second place in two CDP competitions: the Unlocking Climate Solutions Kaggle Competition and the COVID-19 Symptom Data Challenge. In the coronavirus-related data competition, the HSE graduates outperformed professors and PhD students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the University of Washington, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and other foreign universities.

Anatoly Vishnevsky, HSE Distinguished Professor and Director of the HSE Institute of Demography, died  at the age of 85. Levada Centre Director Lev Gudkov, writer Denis Dragunsky, and film maker Andrey Smirnov describe Vishnevsky’s contributions to demography and social history in a film by the HSE School of Art and Design.

Valery Katkalo has been elected as Chairman of the Sectoral Commission on Education of the Russian Managers Association (RMA) for the second time in a row. The commission is one of the main expert platforms in Russia for discussing modern education trends and sharing experience of implementing advanced educational models.

In his annual New Year's video address, HSE Rector Yaroslav Kuzminov wished everyone a happy holiday. 'This year we learned to help each other,' the rector said. 'In the coming year, may we take more delight and make new friends.'

The team of Green HSE, an ecological student association, took first place in the category ‘Kind Team. University’, where the largest number of participants (2,025 contestants) took part. Eight volunteer teams from Moscow universities made it to the final round of the competition.

The Global Energy Association awards outstanding Russian scholars for their contributions to the development of the national power engineering industry on their professional holiday – national Power Engineers’ Day. Professor Viktor Maslov, a RAS member, Doctor of Sciences (Physics and Math), and MIEM Research Professor, has become the first winner of the Honorary Diploma from the Association ‘for his fundamental contributions to upholding nuclear power safety’.

Christmas music has a long and at turns unexpected history. During an online marathon in HSE’s virtual music parlour, musicians performed Christmas carols and festive medieval and Baroque songs. In addition, guests learnt what the TV show ‘In the World of Animals’ has in common with Christmas.

During her time at HSE University, alumna Anna Budnikova (MA, Prototyping Future Cities, 2019) developed an innovative project called Mycokarst under the supervision of leading Shukhov Lab expert Elena Mitrofanova. The project’s technology involves using fungal spores to repair karst sinkholes in urban environments. Now Budnikova’s innovation is patented.