News

HSE University has become a member of the Moscow Innovation Cluster (MIC) and joined the i.moscow digital platform. The University will be able to collaborate with other participants in the Moscow innovation ecosystem, as well as seek partners for joint research and development testing.

Unexpectedly, one of last year’s trends was…mushrooms. Several startups have shown that mycelium is a suitable material for eco-friendly fabrics, fashionable foods and the manufacture of drugs to treat clinical depression. ‘Prototyping Future Cities’ Master’s Programme graduate Anna Budnikova took the mushroom trend one step further by inventing a building material she calls ‘mycokarst’. She tells Success Builder what the difference is between eco- and bio-materials, why to make water from air and design ‘passive homes’, and who urbanists are and how they are changing our cities.

On March 18, the Older Generation Support Centre opened at HSE University. HSE News Service continues to interview students and employees of the university who are helping senior citizens through the difficulties of self-isolation by delivering medicine and food, sharing useful information, and holding online classes. Today, volunteers who teach foreign languages to pensioners speak about how they have become volunteers.

The Russian Science Citation Index (RSCI) has released a new journal list on the Web of Science Platform. The list was prepared by a group of experts at the Index who assessed the journals in terms of their quality and academic integrity.

Citing data from Russia’s largest international sampling study, HSE demographers have shown that women are more likely than men to consider divorce and are more determined to end their marriage. They also found that young couples are more likely to be unhappy with their relationship. The report was prepared for the XXI April International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development at HSE University.

In the very first days of the transition to distance learning, many HSE departments had to quickly make the necessary arrangements to allow students and faculty to work remotely. The eLearning Office has been at the forefront of these efforts with staff working well into the night to keep the educational process running smoothly and on schedule. eLearning Office Head Engenia Kulik breaks down the main takeaways from these difficult weeks.

The Central Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (ZEvA) has accredited two HSE – St. Petersburg programmes in political science: the Bachelor’s Programme ‘Political Science and World Politics’ and the Master’s Programme ‘Comparative Politics of Eurasia’. The accreditation, which lasts six years without additional conditions, affirms that the programmes meet international education quality standards.

Conducting online lectures and research seminars on Zoom, providing assistance and useful instructions to the university community—all this is necessary for a smooth transition to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over the past two weeks, various HSE departments have done all of this in order to provide their students with online instruction. The IT Office particularly felt the weight of this large task. HSE News spoke with digital service staff about what they have managed to do in such a short time frame.