Alexey Koshel

Digital ecosystems have evolved from a technological innovation into a fundamental institution of the modern economy over the past few years. According to HSE University’s latest estimates, they account for 8.5% of Russia’s GDP. Previously, no jurisdiction had a statutory definition of what constitutes a digital ecosystem. HSE University researchers have addressed this gap by proposing the first legal concept of a digital ecosystem. Their article, ‘The Digital Ecosystem as a Novel Economic Phenomenon and Legal Concept,’ has been published in the BRICS Law Journal.

On May 28, 2026, an open day will be held for the Master’s programme ‘Religious Diplomacy in a Multipolar World,’ for which enrolment will open for the first time during the forthcoming admissions campaign. The programme will be delivered on-site by the HSE Higher School of Law and Administration in partnership with the Saints Cyril and Methodius Institute for Postgraduate Studies. The programme offers 15 state-funded openings, five fee-paying positions, and two tuition-fee slots for international students.

HSE University in 2025

In December 2025, HSE University hosted the first Forum of the BRICS Law Schools Consortium organised by the HSE Faculty of Law. The forum brought together 42 international delegates (including 10 deans) from 14 universities in Belarus, China, South Africa, India, and Indonesia. The programme included expert discussions, the signing of cooperation agreements, and the adoption of decisions on the future areas of activity of the BRICS Law Schools Consortium, which was established at the initiative of the HSE Faculty of Law.

In early December, Vice Rector Alexey Koshel hosted his traditional welcome meeting with new international faculty members. In 2025, HSE University welcomes 44 successful candidates for tenure-track positions and postdoctoral fellowships.

On October 10–11, 2025, the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre at HSE University (the BRICS Centre) hosted a two-day international seminar, ‘Platform Economy: Competition Law and the Market Power of Digital Platforms,’ in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The event brought together competition authorities from BRICS+ nations and leading antitrust experts from around the world.

On July 21, 2025, representatives from Peking University led by Zhang Jin, Vice President of Peking University and Chancellor of Shenzhen Graduate School, paid a visit to HSE University. The delegation included forty students, teachers, and administrators. During their visit, leaders from both universities discussed potential areas for future collaboration, and representatives from three HSE University departments held meetings with Chinese students.

In their recent study, Alexey Koshel, Yaroslav Kuzminov, Ekaterina Kruchinskaia, and Bogdan Lesiv of HSE University unravel the complex challenge of regulating digital platforms across jurisdictions. Their paper, In Search of the Regulatory Optimum for Digital Platforms: A Comparative Analysis, sets out not only to dissect the legislative frameworks of key global economies but also to propose a more coherent legal language for Russia’s rapidly evolving platform economy.

For nearly two decades, HSE University’s international recruitment programmes have brought highly qualified professionals from the global academic job market to Russia—from recent PhD graduates of leading universities to experienced international scholars. On September 1, 2025, the university expects 50 new international faculty and researchers to join its academic team.

For the past five years, the Digital Professors programme has successfully brought leading international experts from foreign educational and research institutions, global companies, and organisations to HSE University to teach in a remote format. Applications to engage remote international scholars for the 2025/26 academic year are now open. HSE Vice Rector Alexey Koshel spoke about the results and distinctive features of the programme.

In December 2024, HSE University welcomed successful candidates for tenure-track positions and postdoctoral fellowships. This year, the university strengthened its teaching and research teams with 39 international faculty members, each holding a PhD from leading international institutions such as Maastricht University, the University of Pennsylvania, École Polytechnique, Xi'an Jiaotong University, the National Autonomous University of Mexico, Hunan University, and many others.