Pan Zhengwu has spent the last seven years at HSE University—first as a student of the Bachelor’s in Software Engineering and now in the Master’s in System and Software Engineering at the Faculty of Computer Science. In his interview with the HSE News Service, Zhengwu talks about the challenges he faced when he first moved to Russia, shares his thoughts on ‘collaborating’ with AI, and reveals one of his top spots for taking photos in Moscow.

Starting from the new academic year, significant changes are expected in the Master’s programme ‘Socio-Economic and Political Development of Modern Asia,’ now renamed ‘Modern Asian and MENA Studies.’ Originally the first master’s programme in Russia offered fully in English, the programme has been run for 12 years by HSE University’s Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs.

Specialists at the HSE Faculty of Computer Science and Sber AI Lab have developed a geometric oversampling technique known as Simplicial SMOTE. This technique is particularly valuable in scenarios where rare cases are crucial, such as fraud detection or the diagnosis of rare diseases. The study's results are available on ArXiv.org and will be presented at the International Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining in summer 2025 in Canada.

A team of students from the HSE Faculty of Computer Science, led by Anton Andreychuk, a researcher from the AIRI Institute, won first place in all categories of the international League of Robot Runners competition. This contest for developers focuses on advancing research in multi-agent pathfinding (MAPF) and AI-based task distribution systems for large warehouses.

The New Stage of the Alexandrinsky Theatre hosted the fifth annual CIBA conference, organised by professors and students of the Master's programme 'Arts and Culture Management' at HSE University-St Petersburg. More than 300 participants, including students, creative experts, entrepreneurs, and representatives of cultural institutions, attended the event.

Researchers at HSE University in Nizhny Novgorod have explored how technological advancements are transforming the ways in which people preserve the memory of the deceased. Digital technologies enable the preservation of personal stories of the deceased and interaction with their digital footprint. However, these technologies not only provide a sense of relief but can also heighten anxiety and fear, and delay the process of accepting loss.

Anastasiya Baravikowa, from Belarus, is a student of the Bachelor’s in Foreign Languages and Intercultural Communication at the HSE School of Foreign Languages. In her interview with the HSE News Service, Anastasiya offers advice for new arrivals in Russia, explains why language learning and cultural immersion go hand in hand, and shares how the piano in her dormitory has become an essential part of her daily routine.

The School of International Cooperation has been established within the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs. The school implements programmes for continuing education, corporate education programmes, and international intensive training courses for professionals and executives working with foreign government officials, businesspeople, entrepreneurs, students, and researchers.

X5 Group and the HSE Graduate School of Business are relaunching their joint master's programme. Formerly known as the ‘Master's Programme in Retail Management,’ it has been renamed 'B2C Business Management: Technology and Innovation,' with a completely revised curriculum. Students will now focus on customer experience, emerging technologies, and management innovations—highly relevant competencies in today's business landscape.