
‘It’s a Very Small Area of Political Science, and Working to Redress That Is Very Satisfying’
On March 15, Judas Everett defended his doctoral dissertation ‘The Effect of the Patterns in the Dissolution of Communism on the Transition to New Systems in Eastern Europe’, which investigates the relationship between the demise of communist regimes in Central and Eastern Europe and the quality of democracy in the post-communist regime. The defence took place remotely. His academic supervisor was Professor Andrey Akhremenko of the HSE University School of Politics and Governance at the Faculty of Social Sciences. In his interview, Judas talks about the topic of his research and explains why political science is more important than ever.

‘My PhD Taught Me about Life, Professionalism, Research, and Controlling My Emotions’
Wai Yan Phyo Naing first came to HSE University from Myanmar to enrol in a master’s programme at the Faculty of World Economy and World Affairs in 2015. After graduation, he decided to pursue a PhD at the Doctoral School of International and Regional Studies. On February 16, 2023, he successfully defended his dissertation on ‘Evolution of Myanmar’s Policy Towards China (1988–2020)’.

Pursuing a PhD in Russia: ‘Attractive and Exotic’
After getting his Master’s degree in Computer Science in Rome, Julio Carrasquel decided not to pursue a corporate career in IT, but to move to Moscow to get a PhD at HSE University. As a result, he received a scholarship on the Advanced Doctoral Programme, successfully defended his thesis, and was named one of the university’s Best Teachers. Julio talked with the HSE News Service about his path in academia and life in Russia.

'I Believe That at HSE University, You Can Grow Bigger'
Tharaa Ali, from Syria, got her Master’s in Moscow and is now a first-year PhD student in informatics and computer engineering at HSE University. Below, she talks about the use of AI in learning, winning scholarships, and doing research at HSE University.

‘I Want to See Studies Emanating from Africa Contributing Substantially to Cognitive Science’
Abdul-Raheem Mohammed from Ghana has recently defended a PhD dissertation in cognitive psychology at HSE University via remote procedure. Abdul-Raheem and his academic supervisor, Dmitry Lyusin, talked to the HSE News Service about their cooperation, the advantages and complications of remote PhD defence at HSE University, and the prospects of cognitive science in African countries.
.jpg)
‘While Abroad, I Will Continue to Tell Students and Teachers about HSE University’
Daria Smuseva and Ivan Malakhov are HSE MIEM graduates who met when they were students at HSE University. They are now married and are studying for their PhDs at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice (Italy). In this interview, they talk about their studies in Venice, local bureaucracy, learning Italian, and their research on blockchain systems.

‘ICEF Is Doing Everything to Ensure That Scientists Are Engaged in Research, Not Paperwork’
Tatiana Mayskaya, a graduate of Moscow State University (MSU) and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), began working at HSE University in 2017. She currently teaches courses at ICEF and FES and researches behavioural economics and information economics. In this interview, Ms Mayskaya explains how throwing darts can help in the choice of a PhD programme, how the ‘multi-armed bandit’ phenomenon is useful for business and why HSE is the ideal place to do research.

‘My Research Interests Took Shape When I Was a Master’s Student’
Zaruhi Hakobyan earned her Bachelor’s degree in Yerevan, her Master’s from HSE University, and her PhD from both HSE University and the University of Luxembourg. She spoke to the HSE News Service about the differences in academic approaches at various universities.

45 Students Admitted to HSE’s New Combined Master’s-PhD Track
HSE University’s new combined Master’s-PHD track programme received 212 applications from first-year master’s students this year. Of these, 45 students were admitted to the track to study at a combined total of 17 doctoral schools at HSE. The combined Master's-PhD track, which was launched just this year, provides a new form of support for students who study in state-funded slots and intend to pursue careers in academia.

Graduate Student of the Faculty of Computer Science on Studying in a Joint PhD Programme, Complex Systems, and Working During a Pandemic
For Roman Nesterov, PhD student and research assistant at the Laboratory of Process-Aware Information Systems (PAIS Lab), working remotely had already been the norm long before this spring. As student of a cotutelle PhD programme, he is constantly working with colleagues from Italy. We spoke with Roman about his research and about how one can pursue joint doctoral studies with another university abroad.