First HSE CS x BRICS Ideathon Held at HSE University
On December 8, 2024, HSE’s Pokrovka campus hosted the first HSE CS x BRICS Ideathon, organised by the Hackathon Club of the Faculty of Computer Science and the HSE Multilateral Strategic Projects Office. The event was supported by the BRICS Expert Council–Russia, which endorsed the initiative as part of HSE's activities in the BRICS Network University.
An ideathon is an event where participants gather to generate ideas and develop new solutions in a specific area. It takes the form of brainstorming sessions where teams work on particular tasks or problems within a limited time. Ideathons are ideal for non-technical students and those looking to enhance their teamwork skills for hackathons.
At the HSE CS x BRICS Ideathon, participants were tasked with addressing one from a selection of challenges to support the development of key areas in BRICS countries. Project topics of the event included:
Platforms for developing cross-border e-commerce in BRICS countries
New models for industrial development in BRICS nations
Algorithms for integrating people with disabilities into creative industries and promoting barrier-free environments in BRICS countries
Proposals for promoting Russian video games and Russian software in BRICS markets and others
The first-place award went to the Meow team, which developed a project for a cross-border transport system. Team members included:
Yana Fitkovskaya, first-year student, Central University and Moscow State University
Alexandra Shiryaevskay, first-year student, Central University
Artem Sarapultsev, first-year student, Moscow State University
Anna Vasina, first-year student, Central University
Alexey Ryzhik, first-year student, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration
The second-place team, Tak-S, comprised HSE students who worked on a project related to technological diplomacy. Team members included:
Andrey Korolkov, first-year master’s student, HSE Graduate School of Business
Anastasia Fadeeva, second-year undergraduate student, HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs
Angelina Babina, third-year undergraduate student, HSE Graduate School of Business
Alexandra Aleshina, second-year undergraduate student, HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs
Anna Nazarikova, third-year undergraduate student, HSE Faculty of Creative Industries
The third-place team, BRICKS, focused on conveying universal values through gaming. Team Members included:
Arina Pudrenko, fourth-year undergraduate student, HSE School of Foreign Languages
Sofia Kruglova, fourth-year undergraduate student, HSE School of Foreign Languages
Alexandra Aristova, fourth-year undergraduate student, HSE School of Foreign Languages
Muhammad Abdalla, first-year student, HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs
The Audience Choice Award went to the This Could Be Your Ad team, composed of students from HSE and MIREA – Russian Technological University (Igor Danilov, Kira Rumyantseva, Alexandra Usacheva, Nikita Musinko).
Alexey Ryzhik from the Meow team had a positive impression of the competition: ‘We gave it our all, which is incredibly rewarding,’ he said. The day before the event, Alexey conducted research on general information about BRICS countries' interactions. ‘I have some experience in similar competitions, but it was limited and without much success. This time we were tasked with creating a multimodal, efficient, and cost-effective logistics system for BRICS countries.
Our cohesion and the high-level organisation of the team played a key role in our victory. The overall impression is fantastic. I realised that we have the potential to win. I am interested in HSE's hackathon activities, so I am going to participate again,’ he added.
Another Meow team member, Yana Fitkovskaya, emphasised that it was the team's first time competing in an ideathon. ‘The range of emotions went from surprise to pure joy, from “How will we even solve this?” to “Are we really being called up to receive our winners' certificates?”’ Yana said. She explained that the team decided not to prepare in advance, opting instead to try something new, enjoy the experience, and take a break from their usual topics. ‘It all worked out,’ she added. ‘We were tasked with designing a multimodal logistics platform concept for BRICS countries to reduce costs and improve efficiency. I can't single out any specific skill that helped us win. Firstly, the victory was a surprise to us. Secondly, no single skill is enough—it is important to focus on your strengths. When time is limited, it is impossible to delve deeply into a new field, so it is better to connect it to something more familiar.’
Yana expressed gratitude to her professors for teaching clarity in working with data: ‘The results depend on teamwork, and I am deeply thankful to my teammates for that. It is also important to have a moment of inspiration, for your laptop not to freeze while sending the presentation, and not to lose any critical detail—in short, for everything to come together,’ she said.
The team managed to enjoy the lively atmosphere, chat with participants from other teams, and relax, Yana added. She also highlighted the high level of organisation at the ideathon:
‘Everything was vibrant, dynamic, and engaging, yet clear and well-structured. Huge thanks to the organisers! I will definitely continue participating in one-day events because I usually work slowly, and these kinds of competitions make me focus my efforts on solving something unique within a short timeframe.’