HSE Welcomes Students to International Summer University 2019
On June 24, HSE University held an opening ceremony for its International Summer University. Newly arrived students from 32 countries around the globe including Germany, the US, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and others were welcomed by First Vice Rector Vadim Radaev and Vice Rector Ivan Prostakov.
Successful Project
Held from June-August every summer since 2014, the HSE Summer University (SU) hosts students from HSE partner universities as well as free movers. The Summer University is designed to provide students, Ph.D. candidates, post-docs and professionals from around the world with unique opportunities and intensive coursework in fields such as international relations, history, political science, Russian language, and more. All courses are taught in English.
In his welcome address, First Vice Rector Vadim Radaev told the students about the history of HSE University, from its founding 26 years ago, which served as one of the final signals of ‘the establishment of a real liberal government in Russia’ to its rapid expansion over the last few decades to four campuses and a large number of disciplines beyond its starting point of economics.
The SU has likewise enjoyed a trajectory of growth and success. ‘The Summer University was established six years ago, and it immediately became a successful project. This year we have almost 200 participants from more than 30 countries,’ said Professor Radaev. ‘We have individual participants and we have groups, teams, coming from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Seoul National University (South Korea), Northeastern University (Boston, USA), York University (UK), and for the first time we will have a group of students from Far East University, which is a Russian university from the most distant part of this country.’
In addition to these university partners, the SU will have a strong representation of German universities. This year the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) awarded 9 scholarships to students enrolled in German universities to participate in the programme. This is an increase from the 8 that were awarded last year.
Vice Rector Ivan Prostakov emphasized that internationalization is an important part of the HSE mission, and that the Summer University plays an important role in this. ‘While you are here, I’m sure you will meet many of our Russian students (who are currently finishing up exams), and this will be an important meeting for you in order to understand your Russian colleagues, and maybe, your future Russian friends. We firmly believe that interactions like these are necessary for all of us—especially for your future career and for your future choices,’ he said.
Summer University Director Oksana Chernenko encouraged students to not just take advantage of the rich curriculum of the programme, but the social and cultural opportunities it presents as well. For example, the school maintains a Facebook group page for updates and communication and offers city excursions.
What’s New at the Summer University This Year?
This summer brings a lot of new developments to the Summer University programme, from expansions in the curriculum to excursions and more.
New Course
This year, the school will offer a new course on Human Rights Law, which will be taught by Dr. Maria Sole Continiello Neri, a Research Fellow at HSE’s Faculty of Law.
New Scenery
In addition, some students will spend a week in St Petersburg, where they will take courses on the History of the Arctic: Science, Politics, Cultural and Natural Heritage and Critical Perspectives on International Business.
New Activities
Students will also be pleased to learn that the school will now feature a weekly ‘crash hour’ where they can learn common conversational phrases in Russian. The weekly meetings will be facilitated by students of the Bachelor’s programme in Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication (FLIC).
Thanks to FLIC Professor Ekaterina Kolesnikova, FLIC students will not only be leading ‘crash hours’, but other activities as well. They will run orientation sessions for newly arriving students, which will be held weekly to accommodate the different arrival dates of the students.
Finally, FLIC students will also be conducting city tours around Moscow for small groups of students to show them different parts of Moscow.
New Faces
In previous years international students expressed interest in more opportunities to interact with Russian students. This year, a group of advanced students from Far East University (Vladivostok, Russia) will be studying alongside the international participants in the programme. For many of these Russian students, this is their first visit to Moscow, so there will be plenty for the international and Russian students alike to explore to together.
But Don’t Forget About the Old SU Favorites
In addition to the new features, the SU will be offering its long-popular courses. These include:
Russian language;
Fake News, Post-Truth and Digital Media;
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Mathematics;
Introduction to Artificial Intelligence;
EU-Russia Relations and the Future of Europe;
Challenges to EU-Russia Economic Links;
Russia’s Soft Power;
A Glimpse of Russian History.
Among the above listed courses, the REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) in Mathematics is worth particular mention for majors in mathematics and other related fields. The programme is part of the HSE Summer University and is designed for undergraduate students majoring in Mathematics or related areas. Participants will work on research projects under supervision of distinguished mathematicians. Guaranteed are at least 8 hours of consultations by assigned advisors and their assistants. A written report is expected as a result of the project; it will be reviewed and evaluated by the advisor. The program takes three weeks during the period from June 20 till August 20, 2019. The exact time span of the program is to be chosen by the participant and confirmed by the advisor.
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Ekaterina Kolesnikova
Associate Professor at the School of Foreign Languages
Maria Sole Continiello Neri
Research Fellow at the Centre of Comparative Law
Ivan Prostakov
HSE Vice Rector
Vadim Radaev
HSE First Vice Rector
Oksana Chernenko
Summer University Director
See also:
Summer University 2023: ‘A Good Introduction to Urban Studies’
At the start of August, HSE University held the tenth annual Summer University. This year’s programme took the form of a workshop on urban studies. The participants attended four courses from HSE University faculty and invited experts and worked on their own projects to develop a cultural heritage site. Jung Woo Lee, from South Korea, shares his impressions of the Summer University.
‘I Have Always Respected the University’s Comprehensiveness and Inclusiveness’
Throughout July, students of the HSE International Summer University are studying Russian History and Behavioural Economics. The courses are taking place in an online format—something that seemed unthinkable for a summer programme before the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent years have shown that online learning is a unique opportunity for students from all over the world to study with leading HSE University professors from the comfort of their own homes.
HSE International Summer University to Offer Lectures in Partnership with Pompeu Fabra University
As a part of long-standing cooperation between HSE University and the Pompeu Fabra University, this summer, International Summer University in collaboration with Barcelona International Summer School (BISS) will organize a series of open lectures for participants of both summer programmes. Some of HSE Summer University courses are still open for registration.
Summer University to Be Held Online Second Year in a Row
International students from all over the world can enroll in HSE University’s summer programme, choosing from a wide range of courses that will be delivered via Zoom from June 20 till August 20, 2021. This year, Summer University is offering new courses, tuition fee discounts, and networking opportunities. Application deadline is May 20, 2021.
‘I Really Enjoyed This Summer School Experience’
The HSE International Summer University completed its 2020 session on August 20. Due to the pandemic, the programme was held online for the first time. Students from all over the world met on Zoom to study Russian language as well as take a variety of subject specific courses and participate in informal activities.
‘I Am Glad That I Made the Decision to Be at Summer University’
HSE Summer University, which has moved its classes online this year due to the pandemic, began on July 15. The programme will run until August 20, with students taking courses of various duration.
HSE Summer University 2020 to Be Held Online
HSE Summer University will begin on July 15 this year. All courses will be taught online via Zoom. The registration deadline has been extended until July 1, 2020.
Changes to HSE Summer University Dates
The coronavirus is strong, but together we are stronger. Let’s take care and stay safe, so that we can all soon embrace each other again. Due to recent travel and visa restrictions, as well as in the interest of students' health, the 2020 HSE Summer University session dates have been changed. Programme sessions will now begin on July 15 and conclude on August 20.
From Vladivostok to Philadelphia: Who Studied at HSE University This Summer
In early August, this year’s HSE Summer University comes to a close. For the first time, the school welcomed a group of Russian students from Far Eastern Federal University.
HSE International Summer University in Full Swing
Every summer, HSE’s International Summer University attracts students, graduate students, post-docs, and professionals from around the world who wish to spend several weeks in Moscow to deepen their knowledge in a variety of fields. With the programme entering its second month, HSE News Service sat down with several students to talk about their impressions of it so far.