Russian Demography is Full of Pitfalls
Russia’s current demographic dynamics seem to be positive. Life expectancy is growing, and the population is growing, not only by means of migration from other post-Soviet countries, but also by natural increase, even if it is not big yet. At the same time, researchers assess the near demographic future with moderate optimism, which is mostly due to the forming age structure of the population, said Anatoly Vishnevsky, Director of the HSE Institute of Demography, in his report.
Russian Regions React to the Crisis in Different Ways
Economic inequality between the Russian regions will manifest itself clearly in the context of the current crisis. While the 2009 crisis passed almost painlessly for regional budgets, the situation today is quite different. The regions will be forced to look for anti-crisis strategies in the context of continuously decreasing oil revenues, said Natalia Zubarevich, Leading Research Fellow at the HSE Centre for Studies of Income and Living Standards, in her presentation on ‘Crises in Russia: Regional Perspective’ as part of the XVI HSE April International Academic Conference.
Interesting Work and a Comfortable Workplace Motivate Employees of Startups
For a business startup to grow and thrive, its employees should have a vested interest in its success. Employee incentives may include bonuses, equity and profit sharing, recognition of accomplishments, opportunities for career development, and flexible work schedules. But being inspired by a new challenge and proud of work well done can motivate people even more effectively, according to Olga Gaponova, Associate Professor at the Department of General and Strategic Management, HSE Branch in Nizhny Novgorod.
Multiculturalism Aids the Development of Russian Society
The broader the ethnic diversity, the greater the level of tolerance to people from other cultures. Multiculturalism has a positive effect on societal development in Russian regions. This is evidenced by research into the relationship between heterogeneity and socio-psychological capital of personality, that was carried out by Leading Research Fellow at the International Scientific-Educational Laboratory for Socio-Cultural Research Alexander Tatarko. The report was presented at the XVI April International Academic Conference.
School Graduates Influenced by Classmates' Grades in Choosing Careers
In choosing a field for further studies, high school students are influenced by their peers, among other factors. For example, a high school student interested in technology among a class of peers who are not so good at physics may perceive it as a competitive advantage, increasing the likelihood of their choice of a technical field for a career, according to Andrey Zakharov , Deputy Head of the International Laboratory for Education Policy Analysis at the HSE's Graduate School of Education, and Elizaveta Chernenko , Research Fellow of the same laboratory.
No Crisis Wage Cuts in Russia
Russian firms prefer to freeze rather than cut employee wages during crises, reasoning that high inflation will cause real wages to drop anyway, while nominal wage cuts may prompt valued employees to leave, suggests Alexander Larin, Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Economics, HSE Branch in Nizhny Novgorod, in his paper 'Downward Nominal Wage Rigidity: Unions' Achievement or Employers' Choice?'
Urban Intellectuals Preserve Folk Heritage
Even today, ages-old folk culture can serve as a basis for collective identity by bringing together people who share this interest and underlying values, as evidenced by Russia's folk heritage movement. According to Rostislav Kononenko, Senior Lecturer at the HSE's Department of General Sociology, and Evgenia Karpova, Master's student at the HSE, the folk heritage movement in Russia is driven by urban intellectuals working to preserve and promote authentic folk culture.
Camcorders Can Be Smart
'Avtokamera' is new development in technology by Denis Korolev and Roman Osmolovsky of the HSE's Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (MIEM) that aims to simplify and automate video capture, processing and publication.
Replace 'Scientists' with 'Poets'
State funding for education systems fails to take popular demand into account. About 10% of state-funded places are not in areas that interest school-leavers. There are too few options in the humanities, and too many in engineering, research carried out by the HSE’s Institute of Education, School of Mathematics, the Educational Center of Semantic Technology and Faculty of Economics.
Love Addiction Destroys Personality
Addiction to love may be as dangerous as alcohol or drug addiction. A person in a dependent relationship compensates for their internal deficiency, but at the same time gradually works themselves into exhaustion. By many indicators, love addiction can be attributed as a clinical disorder that can be cured by means of professional psychological help. This discovery was made in a recent study by Svetlana Skvortskova, a graduate of the Master’s programme in the HSE School of Psychology, and Vladimir Shumskiy, Associate Professor at the HSE Department of Psychology of Personality.