.jpg "Irresistible Passion: Philately in the USSR")
Irresistible Passion: Philately in the USSR
Soviet-era postage stamps illustrate the country's history in miniature, from the early years following the Communist revolution to the 1980s' perestroika. Government and public attitudes towards philatelists reflected an overall distrust of any type of 'otherness'; indeed, why would anyone spend time studying and collecting postage stamps? Thus, it should come as no surprise that periods of philatelic internationalism were followed by times of isolationism and pressure on stamp collectors. Despite efforts to place philately within the procrustean bed of Soviet propaganda, people with a passion for stamps stood out from the crowd and were often perceived as dissenters. The discussion of Soviet philately presented below is based on a paper by philologist Konstantin Bogdanov, professor at the HSE Campus in St. Petersburg.
.jpg "Machine Learning has Helped Forecast Global Hotspots of Unrest and Revolution")
Machine Learning has Helped Forecast Global Hotspots of Unrest and Revolution
HSE scientists Andrey Korotayev and Ilya Medvedev used machine learning (ML) to build an index of instability in the world. The new method made it possible to use a large number of variables and distribute them in non-standard fashion.
Card Index: Spatial Behaviour. Where Does Our Personal Comfort Zone End?
Individual distance, comfort zone—these terms refer to how close we are prepared to let other people into our personal space. Scientists compare the space around a person to a bubble that can change in size. Card Index looks at the work of RAS and HSE University researchers Valentina Burkova and Julia Fedenok to find out why this is the case, what size this ‘bubble’ can be, and what determines its size.
Where the Babies are Booming: Which Russian Regions Have the Highest Birthrates?
The birthrate across Russia is not uniform: in some areas, people have children earlier in life, and in some, later. These contrasts reflect various populations’ differing demographic outlooks and the dynamics of their respective regions, as well as the extent to which their residents adhere to traditional norms of reproductive behaviour. On the whole, almost no large areas with high birthrates remain in Russia. Here, IQ.HSE studies current trends based on an article by demographer Artur Petrosyan.
People Over 65 are Less Prone to Apathy and Depression
The degree of depression and apathy is higher between the ages of 50 and 65 than after 65. What’s more, apathy among those of pre-retirement age depends on subjective vitality — the sense of being full of life and energy.
Deadly Habits: Why Women Live Longer Than Men
In developing countries, the gap in life expectancies between men and women has been shrinking for a long time—but it has not disappeared completely. In many cases, gender-related differences in mortality in the 45–69 age group account for almost half of this gap. However, in Eastern Europe, early mortality in men aged 50 and under accounts for over a third of it. Demographer Marina Vergeles examined the situation in more than 40 countries and shared her conclusions with IQ.HSE.
.jpeg "Shattering the Family’s ‘Glass Ceiling’: Why Young People Go to University")
Shattering the Family’s ‘Glass Ceiling’: Why Young People Go to University
Attitudes towards education are often inherited, with parents explaining to their children what university education can give them. They offer very pragmatic arguments—that higher education ensures a more successful career, interesting work and a good income. But there are also other arguments that should not be underestimated. At this time when many universities are holding open house, IQ.HSE draws on a study by HSE scholars Tatiana Chirkina and Amina Guseynova to explain the attitudes towards education that parents give their children and which considerations they might have overlooked.
About Half of Russian Employees Consider Themselves Overqualified
About half of all Russian employees consider themselves overqualified for their current job. This perception affects their level of job satisfaction and leads them on a search for more suitable employment.
A Paucity of Publishing: Why University Professors Find It Difficult to Do Very Much Research
There are usually three main parts to working at a university: teaching, research, and administrative tasks. However, professors at Russian universities are still mostly occupied with the demands of a very heavy teaching load. As HSE International Laboratory for Institutional Analysis of Economic Reforms Senior Researcher Ilya Prakhov discovered, even at leading universities with a focus on science, professors spend 2.5 times more time on classroom work than on research. Given this situation, is it possible to advance research at universities?