Alexandra Nazarchuk

Learning Russian is one of the challenges international students face when they come to Russia. HSE University helps them not only with Russian classes, but with informal events such as the Russian Speaking Club, where they can absorb the language in a relaxed and non-competitive setting. The HSE News Service talked to the organisers and participants of the club about their impressions of the first meeting and plans for the future.

In October, the HSE International Prep Year programme held orientation sessions for its newcomers. Why should one study Russian? What is the admission process like at HSE University? Is it easy to navigate through Moscow and the HSE buildings? The HSE News Service discussed these and other questions with Faizullah from Afghanistan, Sechang from South Korea, and Faith from Zambia—all newly enrolled students of the Prep Year.

On July 3, 2024, the International Preparatory Year programme held its graduation ceremony. This academic year, 215 students (150 on state-funded and 65 on fee-paying places) from over 50 countries were enrolled in the programme. Graduates from Nigeria, Sudan, and Vietnam shared their impressions with the HSE News Service. Alexandra Nazarchuk, Director of the International Preparatory Year Programme talked about their achievements and plans for the coming year.

April 23–25, 2024, international students of preparatory departments and faculties, as well as undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students, and prospective researchers from Russian and international universities, took part in the 4th International Conference ‘Scientific Initiative of International Students and Postgraduates’ in Tomsk. The event was organised by Tomsk Polytechnic University and covered trends in modern research, problems in social sciences and humanities, project-based learning in engineering, science as vocation and career, etc. For the second year, students of the HSE Preparatory Year Programme took part in the conference.

From April 25 to 27, a scientific student conference was held at Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU). It was attended by international graduate students and postgraduate students from 57 countries, including four students from the HSE Preparatory Year programme. The HSE News Service talked to the conference organisers and participants about their impressions of the event.

The new academic year is gaining momentum at the HSE Preparatory Year, with students from over 40 countries currently enrolled. The HSE News Service talked to the new students about their first impressions and the challenges of studying at HSE University and living in Moscow, while teachers of the Prep Year extracurricular clubs shared their ideas and plans for future activities.

The team of the HSE International Preparatory Year said goodbye to its students at a graduation party that took place at the HSE Cultural Centre. 197 students from 58 countries graduated from the programme this year. They learned Russian and profile subjects in Russian, which has helped over 100 of them to enrol in degree programmes at HSE University.

Since September of this academic year, the HSE International Prep Year (IPY) programme has offered a supplemental Russian language course for international students studying at HSE. It is designed for students who have successfully graduated from the preparatory programme and are now studying in undergraduate or graduate programmes at HSE on Russian government scholarships. The HSE News Service spoke with students about the course and learned how it is helping them in their studies at HSE.

The HSE Centre for International Preparatory Programmes is launching an intensive online course of Russian as a Foreign Language. The course will start on October 1, 2020 and will be part of a blended preparatory programme that aims to help international students gain proficiency in Russian so that they can enrol in Russian-taught undergraduate and graduate programmes. Registration for the course is already open.

On November, 22, HSE’s International Preparatory Programmes (IPP) kicked off a new school year with a Welcome Day event. Students were greeted by IPP Director Alexandra Nazarchuk before taking the stage themselves to give short presentations about their home countries. HSE News Service spoke with students of the programme about their classes, living in Moscow, and what they plan do to after they compete the programme.

On July 18, graduates of HSE’s International Preparatory Programmes had much to celebrate. For many, the day not only marked the last day of a rigorous programme, but the beginning of their next step in their education journey: enrolling in bachelor’s and master’s programmes at HSE University. Students and their instructors celebrated the occasion with a festive graduation party that included awards, poster presentations, cake for all, and even a Russian folk music performance.