Community news at HSE University

Kemal Kivanc Akoz is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Theoretical Economics at the Faculty of Economic Sciences. He has been at HSE University for six years and his current activities include research into marriage market dynamics and information agreements among groups of agents. In this interview with the HSE News Service, Kemal talks about the subjects of his research, the teaching approach that led to him being named one of the university’s Best Teachers, his favourite places to get a coffee in Moscow, and more.

For a few hours, HSE University transformed into a Japanese enclave in the heart of Moscow as the campus hosted a traditional bōnenkai end-of-year festival. The Musubi Japanese club of the School of Asian Studies invited anyone interested to find out what kadomatsu are, how to make traditional nengajo New Year’s cards, and to take part in some New Year’s traditions they might not be familiar with.

With the year almost over and the holidays just around the corner, the HSE News Service has been asking students about their reflections on 2024 and their hopes for the future. This latest instalment focuses on Abdalla Abdelgadir, a 31-year-old student in his first year of the Master’s in International Relations: European and Asian Studies at the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs. In this interview, Abdalla talks about the huge adversity he faced in his journey to Russia from his home of Omdurman, Sudan, as well as how his passion for international cooperation extends beyond the classroom.

Hannah Kanu, from Freetown in Sierra Leone, is a second-year student of the Master’s in Law of International Trade and Dispute Resolution at the HSE University Faculty of Law. With 2024 coming to an end, the HSE News Service has asked students to reflect on the year gone by and their time at the university in general. In this instalment, Hannah talks about discovering Russia and the rewards and challenges of studying in Moscow—including the Russian word she finds the most difficult.

As we look forward to 2025, FES professors have prepared a video message for students and colleagues. In this heartfelt address, they convey their warmest wishes, congratulations, and aspirations for a year filled with fruitful endeavors and remarkable accomplishments.

Ikenna Mbata, from Owerri, Nigeria, is a student of the Master’s in Science, Technology and Innovation Management and Policy at ISSEK in Moscow. As part of a series of articles in which HSE students reflect over the past year and look to the future, Ikenna told the HSE News Service about the admissions process that led to him winning a full-tuition scholarship, how his courses are relevant to current events, and why learning Russian is not for the faint-hearted.

Syed Zeeshan Raza Zaidi is a 23-year-old international student from Karachi, Pakistan. He is currently a first-year master’s student in Cognitive Neuroscience at HSE University in Moscow seeking to explore the complexities of human behaviour and cognition from a multidisciplinary perspective. Syed spoke to the HSE News Service about why HSE is the best place to realise his potential, what makes Moscow and Karachi so similar, and why he misses home-cooked food most of all.

Eating fruit, wearing traditional outfits, and surviving the Moscow cold: Prep Year students from Vietnam, Iran, and Ghana talk about the New Year traditions in their countries and their plans for the celebration in Russia.