The number of applications has nearly doubled: as of today, more than 2,600 applications have been submitted for undergraduate programmes, and more than 2,400 for master's programmes. This increased interest from international applicants in studying at HSE confirms the university's status as one of the most sought-after Russian universities abroad.

At the end of January, Jakarta (Indonesia) hosted the IIETE 2025 international education and training exhibition. HSE University-St Petersburg and three other Russian universities represented the higher education system in Russia. Over several days, the exhibition welcomed more than 50,000 people.

Researchers have proposed using polymer membranes modified with copper, zinc, and chromium metal ions for water purification. These polymers were used for the first time in water purification via electrodialysis. Copper-based membranes demonstrated record selectivity for monovalent ions, opening new possibilities for sustainable water recycling. The study has been published in the Journal of Membrane Science. 

HSE University is launching a joint undergraduate programme, ‘Bachelor of Arts in Russian Language,’ in partnership with Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities in Abu Dhabi. This is the first Russian language programme approved by the UAE Ministry of Education.

A team of researchers at HSE University investigated the neural mechanisms involved in how the brain processes persuasive messages. The findings revealed that all unpersuaded individuals' brains responded to the messages in a similar manner, whereas each persuaded individual produced a unique neural response. This suggests that successful persuasive messages influence opinions in a highly individual manner, appearing to find a unique key to each person's brain. 

Anastasia Sherubneva's research focuses on spatial economics, and she is currently writing a dissertation on the crises of 2020 and 2022. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, she discusses the impact of agglomeration effects on enterprises, her home neighbourhood of Akademgorodok in Novosibirsk, and her experience meeting Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman in Portugal.

Thousands of participants, top-tier speakers, reunions with friends, and a dance party—all of this came together to make the traditional HSE festival. STUDENT NIGHT took place on January 24–25, 2025 at the Pokrovka campus, where contests were followed by extracurricular lectures, and master classes alternated with stand-up performances and dance battles.

Alina Minnigulova and Maria Khudyakova at the HSE Centre for Language and Brain have presented the latest research findings on the linguistic and neural mechanisms of language impairments and their progression in patients following neurosurgery. The scientists shared insights gained from over five years of research on the dynamics of language impairment and recovery.

On January 24, 2025, at the HSE University campus on Pokrovka, Rector Nikita Anisimov and representatives from key departments and internationalisation subdivisions met with delegations from South China Normal University and Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn. The discussions focused on opportunities for expanding cooperation in various fields.