News

In 2024, Ikenna Mbata, from Owerri, Nigeria, enrolled on the Master’s in Science, Technology and Innovation Management and Policy at ISSEK in Moscow. After two years of studies, on June 1, 2026 he successfully defended his master’s thesis ‘The Spatial Distribution of Pharma Start-ups in Africa: An Analysis of Innovation Clusters and Policy Drivers.’ In his interview with the HSE News Service, Ikenna speaks about his research topic, the role of HSE University in shaping his skills, the importance of volunteering, and the benefits of studying in an international environment.

On May 29, 2026, Azhariya Mukhamadovna Karimova, research intern at the Centre for Sociocultural Research, successfully defended her doctoral dissertation titled "Interethnic Preferences of Students in Multicultural Classrooms in Russia and Tajikistan: The Role of School Climate and Interaction Strategies."

Evgeny N. Knyazev, Head of the Laboratory of Molecular Physiology at the HSE University Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, has been included in the fifth season of "The Faces of Science" — Russia's major portrait exhibition dedicated to scientists behind breakthrough discoveries. Evgeny Knyazev was selected as a laureate of the Moscow Government Award for Young Scientists; the opening ceremony took place on 5 June 2026 at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

On May 21, 2026, the International Laboratory for Population and Health held a seminar on “Russian Censuses: Differences between Soviet and Modern Censuses”. Evgeny Andreev, academic supervisor of the laboratory, presented a lecture on history and methodological features of censuses in Russia.

Recently, an HSE delegation led by Rector Nikita Anisimov visited China. During the visit, the parties reached agreements to expand the portfolio of joint educational and research projects with some of the country’s leading universities. This article from the HSE News Service explores the development of HSE University’s cooperation with its Chinese partners.

On May 20, a preliminary discussion of the PhD dissertation by Olga Rodina, a PhD-student and research intern at the International Laboratory for Population and Health, took place. Her dissertation is titled “Realization of Reproductive Intentions: Causes and Consequences of Timing Changes.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) significant impacts on the economy and society, touching on a wide range of areas, from strategic management and decision-making to everyday communication. Experts from the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) used the iFORA system to map key fractures —areas where changes have already become irreversible and will only intensify.

Yulia Gorodnicheva, a researcher at the Institute of Cognitive Neurosciences of HSE University, took part in “Tech-Friendly Weekend” — a youth festival held as part of the Digital Industry of Industrial Russia (CIPR) conference. The festival aims to popularize technology among young people.

On May 20–22, 2026, St. Petersburg hosted the SBAS Forum (Smart Business and Applied Science), organized by ITMO University. During the forum, Valeria Fedorova, a research assistant at IDLAB, presented a study on the impact of generative AI-generated texts on the financial outcomes of crowdfunding campaigns.

Eric Maskin, an American economist and recipient of the 2007 Nobel Prize in Economics, gave a talk at HSE University in which he shared his views on the shortcomings of the proportional representation system and outlined his proposals for reform.