Outstanding Graduates Recognized at HSE Alumni Awards 2020

On Thursday, September 3, the 2020 HSE Alumni Awards ceremony recognized outstanding HSE alumni in 10 nomination categories. 104 nominees attended the ceremony, the results of which were determined by a jury of 45 experts and more than 12,000 votes cast in support of the nominees.

Private Business

The Private Business category recognizes those who successfully implement and develop original entrepreneurial ventures. Alexey Bashlykov and Vadim Koleoshkin (’18, Computer Science) won the award for their innovative decentralized finance platform, Zerion, which they developed in the brand new DeFi market.

Corporate Business

The Corporate Business award is awarded to alumni who demonstrate exceptional professional success in the corporate sector. This year the award was presented to Natalya Belova (’02, Management), board member and Market Management Department Director for Rosgosstrakh Life. During the 12 years she has worked in the life insurance industry, Natalya has contributed significantly to the development of this sector in Russia and made her mark in the industry’s most prominent companies

Social Mission

The Social Mission nomination category recognizes graduates for their contributions to the development of society and the world in the public or non-profit sector. This year’s winner was recognized for her contribution to education in Russia and beyond. As Deputy Head of the Department of Education and Science of the City of Moscow, Natalia Kiseleva (’18, Education) has worked to foster the professional development of teachers both in Russia and abroad and to further societal development through adult and children’s education. She also heads the Equality of Opportunity project, which promotes societal inclusivity in Russia and includes a literacy programme for Kenyan refugees.

Philanthropist

The Philanthropist nomination category acknowledges alumni who advance important charity initiatives and have made a positive societal impact. Diana Kolesnikova (’11, ICEF), the visionary behind and founder of the career guidance project, Lifestyle, was awarded for developing an infrastructure to help individuals make informed career choices.

Arts and Culture

The Arts and Culture award recognizes alumni who have demonstrated excellence in the arts and other creative industries. Grigory Volchkov (’17, Humanities), executive producer of the GULAG History Museum and founder of the Kinoklyacha Telegram channel, was awarded for his work with culturally significant digital projects.

Media

The Media nomination category recognizes contributions to the development of media culture and infrastructure. This year’s Media award went to Irina Dolinina and Alesya Marokhovskaya (’16, Communications, Media, and Design), who work as correspondents at the Center for the Study of Corruption and Organized Crime and have been engaged in investigations and data research for over 4 years. During this time, they have worked with major Russian media sources such as Novaya Gazeta and Meduza, as well as with foreign and international projects.

International Leadership

The International Leadership award is presented to alumni who have personally contributed to furthering the University’s status as an important point of entry in Russia to international scholarly and professional networks. Murad Sadygzade (’17, World Economy and International Affairs) was awarded for his work as the founder of the Russian Middle East Association and his contribution to the development of humanitarian relations between Russia and the countries of the Middle East and North Africa.

Valued Expert

The Valued Expert award is given to graduates who gain public trust as experts in their field. This year the award was presented to Aleksey Golubitsky (’17, Education), Director of the School of the Future and federal expert in the field of school education. Since 2018, Aleksey has been a member of the Board of Directors under the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation and the Council for Professional Qualifications in Education. Aleksey was recognized for his work presenting the professional opinion of regional school directors at public and state platforms at various levels.

Iron Man

The Iron Man nomination category recognizes alumni who popularize sports by example. Despite undergoing heart surgery and having a disability, Andrey Vasilenko (’07, Law, HSE – Nizhny Novgorod) is a three-day marathon champion and the winner of national running championships (including both 48-hour and 24-hour races). In total, he has completed 33 ultramarathons with distances of 50 to 400 km in four years in 14 countries. For these achievements, Andrey was awarded the Iron Man award.

Community Builder

The Community Builder award is presented to alumni who demonstrate a strong commitment to the University community and contribute to the development of HSE professional and social networks. During his four years at HSE, Hovhannes Agopov (’15, World Economy and International Affairs) oversaw student-alumni cooperation initiatives, developed the alumni community for the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, and represented HSE at international forums that were held at Harvard, Princeton, and Yale. He is recognized for starting the alumni community at the FWEIA.

Special Prize from the HSE Alumni Centre

This year, the HSE Alumni Center team awarded special prizes to the graduates who received the most votes in the first round..

Special Prize recipients include: Arina Egorova (’17, World Economy and World Politics), co-founder of HRtech startup Careerspace; Victor and Victoria Kravchenko (’12, Communications, Media, and Design), founders of the company Wild Digital; Semyon Zakruzhny (’16, Communications, Media, and Design), producer on the PYATNITSA TV channel and creator of  the Secret Millionaire channel and the show, Ask Heaven; and Timepad founders Artem Kiselev (’10, Management), Darya Ustyuzhanina (’10, Management), and Ludmila Pavlova (’09, Economics).

HSE Alumni Awards were established by HSE Alumni Business Club in 2007 and have since become part of university traditions. The award ceremony was held for the twelfth time in 2020.

September 07, 2020