Sergey Sivaev

In September 2025, the HSE Faculty of Urban and Regional Development (FURD) hosted a delegation of leading scholars and urban development experts from China. Two seminars were held at the Shukhov Lab with the participation of Chinese colleagues: the first focused on green infrastructure, while the second explored the theme of dynamic urbanism. In addition, a meeting between the Chinese delegation and representatives of FURD took place at the university’s main building on Pokrovsky Bulvar. The participants discussed opportunities for expanding cooperation between universities and research centres.

The annual Vysokovsky Forum, organised by the Faculty of Urban and Regional Development, was held at HSE University. Officials, business representatives, teachers, and experts gathered to discuss whether development projects should be adapted to residents' needs, whether New Moscow could become a new centre of attraction, and what benefits HSE will gain from launching a new academic department in partnership with A101 Group.

What is urban planning? What is the ‘stranger effect’ and why do we need a multidisciplinary approach in education? School Head and Associate Professor Kirill Puzanov spoke with the News Service about what students learn and how in the Vysokovsky Graduate School of Urbanism, which celebrates its 10^th anniversary this year.

Maria Melnikova, a graduate of the HSE Vysokovsky Graduate School of Urbanism Master’s programme inUrban Development and Spatial Planning, has written a book entitled Not Just Prefabs: The German Experience of Working with Mass Housing Neighbourhoods. She describes how Germany investigates and solves problems of housing in the city suburbs. Maria spoke with the HSE News Service about her interest in this topic, what she thinks about urban renewal and what she does in Berlin.