
‘Cities Are Key Actors of Interaction in the Global Arena’
The HSE Faculty of Urban and Regional Development (FURD) and India’s leading research centre, the Observer Research Foundation (ORF), have agreed to strengthen their partnership comprehensively in the study and analysis of urban development across BRICS countries. In addition, students and experts from Russia and India will take part in joint academic events and research projects.

HSE University Presents Game Engineering Innovations at Moscow International Video Games Week
HSE University recently participated in a key 2025 gaming industry event, the Moscow International Video Games Week (MIVGW). HSE MIEM took part in several formats, hosting an open day for its online Master’s programme ‘Digital Engineering for Computer Games’ and a workshop ‘Gamedev Automation: How AI is Changing the Approach to Virtual Simulation Design.’ Furthermore, the ‘Game Engineering and Interactive Systems’ workshop and indie studio Bear Head Studio showcased their new game engine—the Claw Engine—at the exhibition area at Skolkovo. Experts of the HSE Faculty of Computer Science joined in panel discussions.

‘HSE University–St Petersburg Teaches You to Think Globally’: Student from India Immerses Herself in Russian Media Landscape
Prithvi Abhay Shankaregowda came from India under the academic mobility programme. She studies journalism and mass communication and has already got to know St Petersburg. Read on to find out her impressions of Russians, the importance of a global perspective at various events, and projects at HSE University–St Petersburg.

Banking Crises Drive Biodiversity Loss
Economists from HSE University, MGIMO University, and Bocconi University have found that financial crises have a significant negative impact on biodiversity and the environment. This relationship appears to be bi-directional: as global biodiversity declines, the likelihood of new crises increases. The study examines the status of populations encompassing thousands of species worldwide over the past 50 years. The article has been published in Economics Letters, an international journal.

From Political Science in Belgrade to HR Analytics in Moscow
Andrija Djokic, from Serbia, got his master’s degree with honours from the HSE Graduate School of Business in 2022. In his interview with the HSE News Service, he talks about the advantages of studying at HSE University, the importance of a knowledge-based approach to HR management, and the challenges of pursuing a career in a foreign environment.
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Scientists Discover That the Brain Responds to Others’ Actions as if They Were Its Own
When we watch someone move their finger, our brain doesn’t remain passive. Research conducted by scientists from HSE University and Lausanne University Hospital shows that observing movement activates the motor cortex as if we were performing the action ourselves—while simultaneously ‘silencing’ unnecessary muscles. The findings were published in Scientific Reports.

Cinema as Cultural Brand: HSE Art and Design School, École Intuit.lab, and CAFA Competition
The HSE Art and Design School, together with the French design school École intuit.lab and the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, has launched the international competition Culture Mirror—a project in which students from Russia, France, China, India, and Brazil explore iconic films from other countries and create contemporary visual and communication brands inspired by them. Submissions are open until January 15, 2026.

Russian Scientists Investigate Age-Related Differences in Brain Damage Volume Following Childhood Stroke
A team of Russian scientists and clinicians, including Sofya Kulikova from HSE University in Perm, compared the extent and characteristics of brain damage in children who experienced a stroke either within the first four weeks of life or before the age of two. The researchers found that the younger the child, the more extensive the brain damage—particularly in the frontal and parietal lobes, which are responsible for movement, language, and thinking. The study, published in Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology, provides insights into how age can influence the nature and extent of brain lesions and lays the groundwork for developing personalised rehabilitation programmes for children who experience a stroke early in life.

International Conference on Corporate Sustainable Development to Be Held at HSE University
On December 12–13, 2025, the School of Finance of the HSE Faculty of Economic Sciences will host the Third International Annual Conference ‘ESG Corporate Dynamics: the Challenges for Emerging Capital Markets.’ Representatives of leading Russian and international universities will discuss the issues involved in companies’ transition to sustainable development principles and in managing new types of risk.

'At the Intersection of Mathematics, Biology, and Machine Learning, I Found My Place'
Aleksei Shmelev conducts research in genomics and uses machine learning to explore the history of human populations. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, he discusses the adaptive introgression of Tibetans and Denisovans and the use of IBD graphs to predict human population membership.

