Pavel Sergeevich Sorokin

A new paper by IOE’s Pavel Sorokin revisits one of the most ambitious ideas in modern psychology: the attempt—championed by Estonian psychologist Aaro Toomela—to rebuild cultural psychology as a unified science of the human mind and its environment. In Cultural Psychology for a Technologically Transformed Society: A Neo-Structuration Perspective, Sorokin argues that this project arrives at exactly the right moment. Our world is no longer shaped only by institutions, traditions, and language—but increasingly by digital systems and artificial intelligence that produce culture alongside humans. In this rapidly shifting landscape, understanding how the human psyche interacts with culture is no longer just an academic question. It may be essential for navigating the future.

When the COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life, it didn’t just close schools and offices—it redrew the map of family life. A study by Mikhail Goshin, Dmitry Grigoryev, Pavel Sorokin, and Polina Bochkareva, published in Frontiers in Psychology, explores how parenting styles and extracurricular activities (ECA) shaped children’s ability to adapt, stay creative, and take charge of their lives during those tumultuous years. The findings shed light on how lockdowns quietly rewired the dynamics between parents and children—and, in many cases, helped young people discover unexpected forms of independence.

In a world marked by instability—from global pandemics to shifting political landscapes—young people are increasingly called upon to act, not just react. But what gives teenagers the power to step forward, make their voices heard, and shape their own futures? A new study by Mikhail Goshin, Dmitry Grigoryev, and Pavel Sorokin takes a fresh look at this question through a psychological lens, offering a nuanced picture of adolescent agency and how it links to conformity, rebellious behavior, and a hunger for intellectual challenge.

In a fiercely polarized, starkly unequal world, more young people have found themselves struggling as they navigate a path into an adult life of meaning and impact. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of prefiguration and resilience, a study by Anastasiia Andreeva, Elena Omelchenko, and Pavel Sorokin highlights the diverse ways in which young people in Russia respond to the uncertainties shaping their lives.

Human Capital Multidisciplinary Research Center has published a new issue of the research digest. It presents the results of a review and analysis of scientific and expert sources and identifies key ‘requests’ and forms of corresponding ‘answers’ related to the support and development of proactivity in the corporate sector in the contemporary economy.

Researchers from HSE University will receive funding from the Russian Science Foundation to study such forms of student employment as freelancing, self-employment, and entrepreneurship, all of which have been actively developing in recent years. The research will shed light on the new opportunities and challenges encountered by students and early-career specialists in the labour market. It will also aid in the development of effective strategies for their successful adaptation and development.

The Russian Science Foundation has announced the results of the youth contests of the Presidential Programme. HSE University’s early-career researchers are receiving grants for research projects in economics, psychology, sociology, political science, law, mathematics, information science, optics, engineering, and ocean studies.

From October 18 to December 17, 2022, a series of workshops dedicated to the research on the conceptual foundations in assessment and measurement of human potential took place. Within the framework of the seminars, both theoretical classes devoted to economic and sociological approaches to the study of human capital and practical workshops on the technique of its measurement were held under the guidance of the leading researchers from the Human Capital Multidisciplinary Research Center and young scientists, practitioners in human development.

‘Entrepreneurialism and Society: Consequences and Meanings,’ a new volume in organizational sociology & economics by Emerald Publishing Limited, features a contribution by IOE experts Pavel Sorokin, Isak Froumin, and Svetlana Chernenko that explores the realm of entrepreneurship-centric learning & development in post-Soviet higher education.

What hinders innovations in Russian business

The new issue of the Foresight and STI Governance journal is devoted to the impact of technological progress on employment prospects and the development of competencies. This problem is viewed from the perspective of employees, companies and regions.

HSE ICEF student Alexander Lee delivered a presentation titled ‘The Economy for Future Development’ during the session ‘Youth 2030. The image of the future’ at the XIX World Festival of Youth and Students, which took place in Russia from October 14-22. The presentation was based on creative work and discussions held over the course of one week among a group of international students led by experts from ISSEK and Yuri Simachev, Director for Economic Policy. Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, took part in the event.