Sofia Sadykova

A delegation from HSE University paid a working visit to China, meeting with representatives from leading universities in Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Shanghai. Delegates from several HSE departments, including the International College of Economics and Finance, the Faculty of Computer Science, the Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technology, the Institute of Education, and the International Partnerships Office, attended the visit. Discussions at each university focused on expanding current cooperation and identifying and creating new projects and initiatives.

In April, the Teach for HSE Project hosted an online seminar, ‘International Virtual Exchange in Your Classroom: No Visa Needed’. Seminar participants discussed the 2020-2021 Russian-Japanese Student International Research Programme, ‘Northeast Asia since 2012: Political and Economic Analysis’, which was held jointly by the School of International Regional Studies of the HSE Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs and the Institute for Asian Studies and Regional Collaboration of Akita International University (Japan).

More and more international students are coming to HSE University as part of their study abroad experience. In the 2018-2019 academic year HSE University hosted 445 exchange students, compared to 342 last year. The largest numbers of international students come from Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and the UK. Is life easy for international students at HSE University? And what does HSE University do to help them?

This October World Festival of Youth and Students took place in Sochi bringing together over 20 000 young people from 150 countries. Several HSE international students participated in the event. They have shared their impressions with HSE News Service.

Orientation sessions for new international students were held during the last two weeks of August at HSE Moscow. More than 200 exchange students from 80 countries will be spending the autumn semester taking courses in various HSE faculties. During the orientation, they learned about academic matters, administrative and safety issues, took a tour of HSE library, and attended roundtable discussions on life in Moscow and culture shock.

Like any major academic institution, the Higher School of Economics offers teaching in both traditional educational programmes and various shorter formats. The Summer University which began two years ago and gives students from other universities the chance to attend additional courses during the summer vacation, falls into the second category. It provides opportunities to study with particular professors and helps students decide how to pursue their academic interests in the future.