HSE Situation Centre Receives Over 500 Inquiries from Students and Employees
For the last three weeks, HSE University has been operating a Situation Centre to support students currently experiencing difficulties. The HSE News Service explains why the Centre was created and what it has achieved so far.
The HSE Situation Centre was launched on February 25. Initiated by the Student Council with support from the HSE University administration, the Centre is staffed by volunteers who can assist with psychological and financial issues, education-related matters, and more. The Centre’s efficiency and effectiveness have already made it a model for other universities.
Nina Kulyulina, Director of the Executive Office of the HSE Student Council, says that the Council and the Student Rights Commissioner’s team were quick to respond to the changes in the international situation. On February 24, they put forward a proposal to create a Situation Centre to help students in emergencies. The very next day, the Centre’s volunteers began receiving first requests.
The Situation Centre now includes nine representatives of the student government alongside HSE student volunteers. They communicate with HSE students studying in other countries, including those on student mobility programmes. The volunteers have made more than 500 calls since the Centre opened.
The Situation Centre handles requests for assistance from all types of students, their families, and HSE teachers around the clock. Those who find themselves in a difficult situation can receive educational, psychological, legal, and financial support.
The majority of students’ requests relate to applications for online learning, as well as the need for psychological and financial assistance. For example, some international students would like to return home to be with their families in the current circumstances, but do not want to suspend their studies at HSE University by taking academic leave. Others cannot return to Russia but want to continue their studies remotely.
Russian students studying at foreign universities are also facing problems, with many unable to continue their studies abroad at present. By the end of last week, HSE University had received 130 applications (including through the Situation Centre) from such students wishing to be transferred back to HSE University. Most of the applications came from students studying in the Czech Republic, the USA, and Poland. Students can enrol at HSE University on the same course they studied abroad, and their scores for previously taken exams and tests will be accepted in Russia.
The HSE University administration works directly with the Situation Centre to find the best solutions using an individual approach for each student. HSE Rector Nikita Anisimov is personally involved in the work of the Situation Centre and regularly meets with the Student Council.