4. Key Characteristics of HSE University’s Inter-institutional Network Relations and Cooperation

4.1. Structure of Key Partnerships

HSE University has been successfully developing sustainable partnerships with Russian academic institutions to implement joint educational programmes, support competencies, and disseminate best practices. Since 2010, the University has carried out projects requested by more than 20 universities, including federal (Ural Federal University, Far Eastern Federal University, Siberian Federal University, etc.), national research (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, etc.), regional flagship universities (Ulyanovsk State University, Togliatti State University, etc.) the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration and many others.

Partners in joint undergraduate and graduate programmes included specialized RAS institutes, the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, New Economic School, the London School of Economics and Political Science, Kyung Hee University (South Korea) and some others. Cooperation with RAS institutes, which aims to improve the level of education in natural sciences, contributed to the creation of new faculties with advanced research agenda (faculties of physics, chemistry, biology and biotechnology, geography and geoinformation technology). Over 70 joint departments with partner organizations currently operate at the faculties of HSE University, including major companies (SAS, 1C, Otkrytie Group, JetBrains, Accenture, Oracle, Lanit, Freight One, Vega Concern, RSC Energia and others), government bodies (e.g., the Federal Antimonopoly Service), public organizations and non-profit organizations (Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, OPORA RUSSIA, the Russian Public Opinion Research Centre, the Public Opinion Foundation, etc.)

HSE University attracts specialized partners to regularly conduct high-profile intellectual competitions. In addition to HSE University, 13 other universities, the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Russian Ministry of Finance, the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs and a number of companies and NGOs take part in organizing Olympiads and competitions for school students (e.g., the ‘Vysshaya Proba’ All-Russian Olympiad, the ‘Vysshiy Pilotazh’ All-Russian Competition for Research and Project Work of School Students, the All-Russian Case Study Championship in Economics and Entrepreneurship, and the ‘In Your Own Words’ All-Russian Essay Championship). Each year, HSE University and its partners in host countries organize the International Economics Olympiad (IEO).

More than 20 academic institutions from various regions of Russia, research organizations (including the Russian Quantum Centre), major employers (VTB and Sberbank) and other organizations (Moscow Exchange, RBC, TV-Novosti (Russia Today), Rightech, etc.) serve as organizational partners for Olympiads for university students and graduates (“Higher League” and “I’m a Professional”).

HSE University provides organizational and methodological support to a network of partner schools called “The University Educational District” and based on cooperation agreements with schools aligned with the Partner School, Base School and Distributed Lyceum formats.

HSE University considers it one of the crucial objectives to nurture partnerships in research, R&D commercialization and innovation policy, while also playing an active role in shaping and implementing a promising agenda for the country’s socio-economic development that takes into account global trends and national specifics, as well as promotion of forecasting and foresight research on key issues of socio-economic policy. HSE University provides regular expert and analytical support to Russian State Duma and the Russian Accounts Chamber. HSE University also cooperates with the federal executive authorities (e.g., the Russian Ministry of Economic Development, the Russian Ministry of Digital Development, Communications and Mass Media, the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Russian Ministry of Energy, the Russian Ministry of Transport, the Russian Ministry of Agriculture, the Russian Ministry of Education, the Russian Federal State Statistics Service, the Russian Federal Technical Regulation and Metrology Agency, etc.), through the participation of its representatives in public and expert councils and working groups and in R&D projects.

Since 2015, HSE University has carried out over 230 projects on socio-economic, S&T and spatial development, education, health care, public administration, agriculture, energy, transport, etc., on behalf of more than 60 regions of the Russian Federation.  HSE University is a partner of the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) in the Smarteka project (complying with p. 6 of the List of Instructions No. Pr-1186 of the Russian President from July 2, 2019), which aims to create a single platform to replicate successful practices and new solutions for economic development to Russia’s regions.

Drawing on the potential of interdisciplinary teams, HSE University initiated the ‘University as a Think Tank of the Region’ project, which is being implemented by a consortium with the involvement of HSE University and academic institutions representing various federal districts of Russia (Kazan Federal University, Ural Federal University, North-Caucasus Federal University, Baltic Federal University, Far Eastern Federal University and Tomsk State University). The scope of cooperation with regional authorities, development institutions and businesses includes drafting development projects and programmes to train management teams in the regions.

HSE University conducts R&D in cognitive neuroscience, neurocomputer interfaces and technologies for the passive mapping of the cerebral cortex and the post-stroke rehabilitation, which open new horizons for the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, in partnership with leading medical universities, as well as research and clinical centres.  

In cooperation with Yandex, HSE University is carrying out R&D and educational programmes in computer science. It is also implementing an AI-driven roadmap with Sberbank that includes scientific, educational and popularization projects. As Gazprom’s flagship university, HSE University has conducted a number of important R&D projects and drafted methodological, informational and analytical materials to provide professional development for the company’s specialists. In 2020, following a competitive selection, HSE University was included in the League of Universities of Gazprom Oil (Gazprom Neft) and was granted the status of a permanent partner, which allows the University to take part in handling both the company’s day-to-day issues and tasks involving the strategic development of the company and the whole oil and gas sector. As part of an agreement with Russian Energy network “Rosseti”, HSE University provides assistance with the development of digital energy, government regulations, energy efficiency and energy conservation.

HSE University’s innovation partners include major companies and venture funds, such as Sberbank, MTS, Rostelecom, Yandex, Rostec, Megafon, Metalloinvest, TaxCom and others. Such collaboration ensures a connection with the market and helps to further develop start-ups.

HSE University actively participates in shaping and implementation of global agenda of international cooperation, which is facilitated by partnerships with reputable international organizations (OECD, Eurasian Economic Commission, UNESCO, UNIDO, the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), the World Bank, the World Intellectual Property Organization, Eurostat, the International Telecommunication Union, the World Trade Organization, etc.) and international development institutions (International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the Eurasian Development Bank and the BRICS New Development Bank). In 2020, the BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre was established at HSE University based on the Russian Government and the BRICS antimonopoly authorities’ initiative.

HSE University is involved in cross-country network projects that have been initiated at the interstate level (e.g., SCO University, BRICS Network University, BRICS University League, etc.) and is an institutional member of international associations, alliances and networks that unite the world’s leading universities in priority areas for HSE University, including the European University Association (EUA), the Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe (UNICA), the Institute of International Education (IIE), the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD Global Network), the European Association for Comparative Economic Studies (EACES), the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR), the Law Schools Global League, the International Communication Association (ICA), the Cumulus International Association of Universities and Colleges of Art, Design and Media, the International Association for Research in Income and Wealth (IARIW), etc.

HSE University has signed 390 agreements on cooperation and student and academic staff mobility with such leading universities as: Technical University of Berlin (Germany); Kyoto University (Japan), Fudan University (China), University of Campinas (Brazil), University of Bergen (Norway), University of Helsinki (Finland) and Maastricht University (Netherlands); the Paris Institute of Political Studies and Ecole Polytechnique (France); Nanyang Technological University (Singapore); and Indiana University, George Mason University and the University of Michigan (USA), among others.

 More than 7,000 instructors and researchers and over 5,000 students from more than 100 countries work and study at HSE University’s faculties and conduct research at the University’s international laboratories and research centres in Moscow and campuses in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Perm. HSE University holds over 20 international summer schools every year.

As it bolsters its position and reputation in global research, HSE University is expanding its network of partners in advanced basic and applied R&D. In social sciences and humanities, HSE University conducts joint R&D activities and holds events with leading research centres from around the world, including: the Institute for Social Anthropology and Institute of Social Geography (Germany); the International Institute of Social Studies (Netherlands); the Institute of Sociology at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences; the Institute of Economic Research at Kyoto University (Japan); the National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (Luxembourg); the Institute for Future Studies (Sweden); the Statistical, Economic and Social Research and Training Centre for Islamic Countries (Turkey); the World Values Survey Association (Sweden), etc. R&D partners in S&T and innovation policy include the Joanneum Research Centre and the Centre for Social Innovation (Austria), the University of Manchester (UK), the National Institute of Science and Technology Policy (Japan), the Centre for Strategic Studies and Management of Brazil, the Chinese Academy of Science and Technology for Development, the Institute for Research in Technology (Spain), the Fraunhofer Institute for System and Innovation Research (ISI), etc.

Further information about HSE University’s key partners is provided in Appendix No. 10 “Key Partners of HSE University”.

4.2. Description of Consortiums, that have been created or planned to be created under the Development Programme

HSE University is a leader and member of various consortiums, which implement joint projects in education, research, R&D commercialization, and innovation. These consortiums operate in various forms and rely on different funding sources for their activities (budgetary, non-budgetary, from the University’s own funds, other members’ funds, etc.) and bring together research, educational, innovative, production, finance, service and non-profit organizations. A consortium’s activities may encompass several stages in the life cycles of developed solutions. As such, the objective of its members may be to ensure the integrity and continuity of the results generated at every stage.

With this in mind, HSE University hosts both closed and open consortiums, which allow for the inclusion of new members within the set timeframes. In each specific case, a model for consortium administration is developed with a view to maximize its performance, while ensuring commitment to delivering expected results. The consortium organization and meeting respective objectives are governed by internal bylaws and programme documentation (regulations for respective consortiums, consortiums’ action plans, joinder agreements, etc.). In turn, the results of consortiums’ operations (including rights to intellectual property and revenue) are distributed between their members in accordance with individual agreements and contracts. The operational administration of consortiums is carried out by the relevant unit of the respective lead organization. For strategic decision-making, assessment of the results, reporting, changing membership and other issues, a supervisory council or another governing unit (board of directors or authorized representatives) of a consortium’s partner organizations shall be formed.

As part of the Strategic Projects, the consortiums have been created (or are yet to be created) that drive the attainment of objectives and strategic developmental tasks at HSE University through the joint efforts of their members. The basic principle behind the creation of consortiums is that their members possess the necessary complementary competencies, S&T development, qualified cadre, technological and information bases, thus allowing for the achievement of their common objectives and the generation of results, which would most likely not be achieved by consortium members individually.

Existing and planned consortiums will play a key role in the implementation of the Strategic Projects:

• “Success and Self-Sustainability of the Individual in a Changing World”, an ongoing Consortium on development of digital literacy and digital economy competencies; the following consortiums are planned to be created: “Educational Success”, “Translational Technologies for Improving Human Health”, “Neurocentre: Cognitive Neurosciences”, and “Individual Trajectories in School Education”.
• “Social Policy for Sustainable Development and Inclusive Economic Growth”, an acting consortium “Human Capital Multidisciplinary Research Centre”;
• “National Centre of S&T and Socio-Economic Forecasting” consortiums planned to be created include “The Centre of Chemical Engineering and Contemporary Educational Technologies for Hydrogen Energy”; “Translational Research in Medicine and Pharmacology”, and “UNESCO Futures Literacy Network”.
• “Digital Transformation: Technology, Effects and Performance” planned consortiums include “Unmanned Air Mobility”, “Standards of Digital Technology” and “AI Standards”;
•  “Evidence-based Urban Development” planned consortiums are “Master of Public Administration (MAP) for 100 Cities”, “Eco Transport”.

Building an ecosystem for the transfer of social sciences and humanities technologies includes the Consortium between HSE University and IPChain, which is already in operation, and planned consortium “Transfer Platform for Creative and Research Outputs in Social Sciences and Humanities for the Development of Creative Industries”.

Further information about goals, members and expected results of consortiums’ activities is provided in Appendix No. 6 “Information about consortium(s) established or expected in the process of implementing strategic projects of the program (draft program) of development”.

Key effects from the development of consortiums:

• generating groundbreaking results from R&D work and innovative activities, thus ensuring solutions to significant socio-economic and S&T problems thanks to the synergy of skills and resources of respective consortium members;
• involvement of academic staff, undergrads and graduate students in R&D work with a focus on commercialization, networks and collaboration in innovative S&T areas;
• promotion of the research, educational and innovative results on reputable Russian and international platforms.

'Priority 2030' Development Programme