Top Talent

On January 24, participants of the eighth cohort of the Administrative Staff Development Programme presented the projects they had been working on for two years. The project teams presented to their colleagues and the expert council four projects that will help make university life better, more environmentally friendly, and more attractive for the student community.

The university-wide Administrative Staff Development programme was created in 2007 to support the professional development of promising teachers and researchers. Participants from previous years say that the programme helped them develop teamwork skills, establish contacts and feel a sense of community with colleagues from other campuses, come up with plans and understand the opportunities to implement them at HSE University.

HSE PROSport 

HSE University’s corporate sports programme is aimed at university employees and their family members. The initiative is important, necessary, and has great potential. Over the course of two years, as part of the project, a sports community was created on Telegram, numerous activities were held in different sports and in various formats, and a presentation of the HSE Running Club is planned for February of this year.

Bringing Graduates Back to the University

A team from St Petersburg presented a project focused on the relationship between alumni and the university. During the study, the team conducted 35 interviews with graduates from the faculties of Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as HSE MIEM in Moscow and similar faculties of HSE University in St Petersburg. Based on the data obtained, they drew conclusions about how former HSE University students evaluate the knowledge acquired at their alma mater, what life trajectories they build, how eager they are to maintain contact with former classmates, and whether they are prepared to communicate with the new generation of students.

ECO HSE

This project is dedicated to environmental issues. Its goal is to popularise an environmentally conscious lifestyle among university employees, develop eco-friendly culture and life skills, and stimulate eco-friendly activities. To solve these problems, the project team, with the assistance of the Centre for Institutional Studies, the Green HSE student organisation, the Office of Staff and Student Benefits, and the Maintenance and Supply Department, created the dedicated ECO HSE chatbot in Telegram, launched the ‘In My Cup’ eco-trend, prepared mock-ups of instructions on separate waste collection and an article about HSE’s environmental achievements, and organised environmental events.

Help and Support for Chinese Students in Adapting to the HSE Community

This project is aimed at solving the adaptation and communication issues faced by foreign students, primarily those from China, taking into account their interest in studying at HSE University and the number of joint fundamental research projects with China. The analysis showed that students from China, due to certain cultural characteristics, find it easier to perceive information when it is presented in the format of manhua (Chinese comics). The project team, in close collaboration with Asian studies scholars, developed characters and came up with a story script to tell foreigners how student life works in Russia.

Until February 5, any university employee can familiarise themselves with project presentations and take part in selecting the winning team. Those who wish to do so must fill out a project evaluation form. All opinions will be taken into account by the expert council.

January 26