HSE Student Looks at Short-Term Education Programmes in Morocco as Instruments of Soft Power

Photo courtesy of Taisiya Bakhareva and Eriks Varpahovskis

This spring, Taisiya Bakhareva, a student on the Bachelor's International Programme ‘International Relations and Global Studies,’ travelled to Morocco to attend an international conference, where she presented a paper based on her dissertation research. Taisiya and her academic supervisor, Eriks Varpahovskis, spoke to the HSE News Service about how an undergraduate student can successfully present at a genuine academic conference rather than a student-focused event.

In early April 2026, Taisiya Bakhareva and Eriks Varpahovskis, Assistant Professor at the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, travelled to the fifth iHED (Internationalization of Higher Education, Digital Transformation, and Academic Diplomacy) conference in Oujda, Morocco. They presented a paper entitled ‘Short-Term Education Programmes in Morocco as Instruments of Soft Power (2022–2025): The Case of Students from Six Western Countries’. The trip was made possible through a travel grant provided by the International Relations and Global Studies educational programme.

The paper presented at the conference was derived from Taisiya’s dissertation, which was based on 23 in-depth interviews with students who had participated in mobility programmes in Morocco, either through semester-long exchanges or summer and winter schools.

Taisiya first became interested in the topic during her second year of undergraduate study. While participating in a semester-long exchange programme in Italy, she chose the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region as her area of regional specialisation.

After learning that HSE had a partner institution in the region, Rabat Business School (RBS), Taisiya attended one of its summer schools to gain first-hand insight into the region. The experience not only provided valuable social and cultural exposure and broadened her academic interests, but also introduced her to students who would later make up around one-third of the respondents in her research.

In the winter of 2026, acting on the suggestion of her academic supervisor, Eriks Varpahovskis, Taisiya submitted an abstract co-authored with him to the iHED conference. Their proposal was accepted, and they received an invitation to present in Oujda.

Taisiya Bakhareva

On our way to Oujda, we had a layover in Casablanca. We managed to visit the Hassan II Mosque, walk around the city and, most importantly, explore the Medina—the historic walled quarter.

Ancient buildings, schools, and murals dedicated to the Wydad football club stand alongside market streets selling seafood, birds, mobile phones, clothing, and even single cigarettes, and there are countless mopeds, cats, children, and food stalls.

Oujda is a wonderful city: not touristy at all, safe, fairly quiet, with a charming Medina where market trading has not yet descended into chaos and where the food is excellent. Beyond the Medina lie surprisingly modern neighbourhoods.

The conference was held at Mohammed I University. In my panel, I presented alongside distinguished scholars from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane and UM6P, the university attended by Morocco’s crown prince. To say that I was somewhat overwhelmed by such company would be an understatement. However, after four years at HSE, I had developed the ability to present despite the stress, so both the presentation itself and the question-and-answer session went very well.

Taisiya’s academic supervisor also shared his impressions of the event.

Eriks Varpahovskis

As it happened, I usually attend conferences on a global scale, such as ISA, ICA, and IPSA. Then I came across an invitation to a regional conference in Morocco focused on topics that are of particular interest to me as a researcher—the internationalisation of higher education and diplomacy. At large-scale conferences with thousands of participants, issues related to the internationalisation of education at the intersection with international relations are usually given relatively little attention. Taking part in a specialised conference in Morocco proved to be well worth it.

Initially, I applied with a paper examining how participation in a double-degree programme influences Russian students’ perceptions of South Korea. I presented a joint study on behalf of myself and my colleagues—Alisa Monakhova (an HSE graduate) and Tatiana Larina (Doctor of Sociological Sciences, RUDN University). The research fitted perfectly into the programme of the conference’s first day and was selected for the main panel.

As Taisiya’s academic supervisor, I was well aware of the progress of her dissertation. Her topic was exceptionally well aligned with the conference theme: most of the empirical data had already been collected, the analytical framework had been established, and the literature review was nearly complete. Knowing that Taisiya was a veteran of numerous academic mobility programmes and a highly responsible student, I suggested that we further develop the material together, transform it into a standalone research project, and submit it to iHED5.

The result was a successful international conference debut for Taisiya. The empirical nature of her research made it an excellent fit for both the conference theme and the other presentations featured in the main panel on the second day. Taisiya not only delivered an excellent presentation but also handled several challenging questions from the audience with confidence and professionalism.

Taisiya and Eriks are currently preparing a publication based on the research, with Taisiya serving as the first author. The article is expected to be published in the first half of 2027.

The organisers of iHED5 are planning to hold a two-day conference, iHED6, in November 2026, with one of the two days taking place online. In spring 2027, they are also expected to organise iHED7, a multi-day on-site conference. These events may be of particular interest to students and researchers whose work engages with the internationalisation of education in combination with other themes and academic disciplines.

Admissions to the International Programme 'International Relations and Global Studies' are now open. Visit the programme website to learn more.