Kirill Kisel

At the end of August, HSE University held orientation events for first-year international students. Nearly 800 students from 70 different countries attended sessions at the HSE Cultural Centre to learn about the visa and migration processes for staying in the Russian Federation, the opportunities at HSE and the student life there. They also took a tour of the Pokrovka campus.

The HSE Inter Football Cup—mini-football championship, which has already become a tradition, was held on the open lawn of the Energia Stadium on May 19, 2024. This year, a team of international students from the St. Petersburg campus also joined the fight for the Сup.More than 100 international students from various countries came together for a day of spirited competition and cultural exchange.

On March 22, the Atrium on Pokrovsky Boulevard turned into a venue to celebrate ‘Holi: the Festival of Colours,’ organised by the Department of Internationalisation. The festival was put together on the initiative of the HSE Indian Club in cooperation and with the Jawaharlal Nehru Cultural Centre of the Embassy of India.

Mixed-sex teams representing eight university faculties took part in the HSE Winter Tennis Cup, an interfaculty table tennis championship for international students. The team of the Faculty of Mathematics won the competition. The tournament was organised with the support of the Department of Internationalisation and the Department of Physical Training.

Studying at a foreign university has distinct advantages for one's career trajectory, alongside invaluable experience and an expanded array of opportunities. However, students may face considerable stress due to immersion in a different cultural setting and encounter new, sometimes unforeseen, challenges. The session 'Creating an International Environment as a Keystone to Cultivate Talent', hosted by HSE University as part of International Partners' Week, featured discussions by experts and representatives from top universities on how universities assist foreign students in adapting and discovering opportunities for self-actualisation.

For the first time, HSE University has hosted the Garuda festival, where Indonesian students in Moscow could talk about their culture. The embassy of Indonesia helped organise the festival.

Masters students at the Faculty of Economic Sciences met the faculty Dean, Professor Pekarski, HSE Director for Internationalization Dr. Kisel, vice-dean Liudmila Zasimova and other staff on September 12. Meeting was organized by the Faculty of Economic Sciences International Office to introduce the staff and students, as well as students of various programs to each other

If you are an international applicant, you still have time to apply for scholarships from HSE University. The full-tuition scholarships are awarded annually in May. This year, the Scholarship Committee will meet for the last time on May 27, 2021 to determine who receives full and partial scholarships.

Since February 19, HSE community members have been able to get vaccinated against measles. All students, faculty, and staff, including foreign citizens, can get vaccinated for free. Remember—measles is an extremely dangerous and contagious disease that can only be prevented by getting vaccinated. There is still time to get vaccinated: the vaccination period has now been extended by one day to include February 22.

HSE’s Admission Rules for the 2017/2018 academic year have undergone some changes in regards to international admission. The admission track is now unified for students from both CIS and non-CIS countries. Thus, only two exams must be passed in order to be accepted into a given undergraduate programme, while competitions for Master’s programmes only require a portfolio and an interview. The rules for International Olympiad Competitions have also been changed. Registration for these competitions ends on November 15.