2. Plans for Meeting the Target Model: HSE University’s Policies in Key Areas of its Activities

2.1. Educational Policy

In terms of educational policy, HSE University was the first Russian academic institution to implement the “Bachelor’s + Master’s” model. This came alongside a number of other educational innovations that ensured a consistently high level of mastery of analytical and professional competencies on the part of graduates, as well as a strong reputation among both applicants and employers. In particular, these innovations included majors and minors, a modular system for learning with continuous feedback and cumulative assessment, an “Antiplagiat” system (counter-plagiarism software), foreign language instruction with external testing (certification), and a significant number of subjects taught in English (100% of students speak English for professional communication). Furthermore, HSE University aims to develop students’ economic and legal literacy, and was the first Russian university to introduce the Data Culture module into its Bachelor's programmes (100% of Bachelor’s students are currently covered by the programme’s courses).

In 2020, more than 47,500 undergraduate and graduate students were enrolled in degree programmes. Of these, 27.8% are Master’s and doctoral students, and 12% are international students from 122 countries. More than 300 Bachelor's and Master's programmes are offered, and approximately 40 of these are available for doctoral studies in a wide range of subject areas, six English-taught Bachelor's programmes and 36 Master's programmes that are delivered in English. More than 60 double-degree programmes are offered in cooperation with leading foreign universities. There are 227 online courses provided via the Coursera platform and the National Open Education Platform, with 10 specializations (pursued by over five million learners from 195 countries); in addition, nine Master's and two Bachelor's online programmes are taught in English and Russian on the Coursera and online.hse.ru platforms. 

In the natural sciences, HSE University has developed stable partner relations with research institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences (hereinafter “RAS”), utilizing the natural sciences faculties at HSE University and pursuing a “learning through participating in research” approach, whereby partner institutions oversee the entire design of programmes and involve selected highly motivated students in activities at their respective laboratories. 

HSE University’s stable brand, attracting the strongest applicants both domestically and internationally, has emerged on the global education market. The University ranks first in Russia by the quality of students admitted to both government-funded and fee-paying places (among academic institutions with the enrolment exceeding 1,000 people): the average USE score of the government-funded enrollees was 95.2 points out of 100, while admitted tuition-paying students received an average USE score of 84.8 points out of 100 at the Moscow campus. The University also ranks first in the country by the number of admitted Olympiad winners and runners-up (in 2020, 563 winners and prize-winners of the All-Russian Olympiad for School Students were enrolled in all HSE University’s campuses).

The University runs degree programmes on the basis of talent concentration platforms, as well as "resource centres" for young people abroad (in 2020, these covered five countries). Over the past 10 years, the admission of foreign students has seen a 40-time increase. A bilingual environment has been created (85% of programme managers speak English, there is an English-language website, and the University services and campus navigation operate in two languages).

In partnership with Russian and foreign institutions of higher learning, HSE University undertakes transfers to Russian universities (over 50 institutions) of proven practices and original educational programmes and their modules (including e-courses) under franchise agreements, along with independent student assessments, double-degree programmes. The total number of international student exchange agreements increased 8.4 times, from 34 in 2013 to 284 in 2020, and the total number of partnership agreements increased 3.6 times from 215 in 2013 to 780 in 2020.

HSE University is a national leader in continuing education: the revenue generated on the open market in 2020 amounted to 1.2 billion roubles. Furthermore, the University possesses a multi-product portfolio of CPD programmes with a block-modular structure (Lego-style) offered in full-time, online and blended formats (it occupies approximately 1% of the Russian market for continuing education and CPD programmes, approximately 5.4% for MBA programmes, 3.2% for programmes in digital skills and technology, 1.4% for design and creative industries, and 1.2% for instructor education and social sciences). However, HSE University’s potential in this regard has not been fully realized: the University is still not sufficiently represented in the highly profitable corporate segment, and niches have not been found in the markets for online programmes, which would allow for high-margin programmes, while the humanities and natural sciences have practically no commercially oriented programmes. In addition, unjustified duplication of core and continuing education persists. To overcome these issues, a unified Graduate School of Business and the Graduate School of Law and Administration were created in 2020, which brought together all programmes in management and legal areas.

Key areas of HSE University's development in educational policy:

1. Providing support for talented school students and Bachelor’s learners capable of continuing their studies at the next degree level at top Russian universities:

• creating an online platform for intellectual contests and teamwork among participants, developing academic knowledge and practical skills, project thinking, independent grading of papers, etc.;
• digital transformation of the HSE University’s Lyceum; dissemination of its model and experience among regional education systems and HSE University campuses (average USE score for admission to a government-funded applicants in Moscow should come to at least 90 points and for the applicants who pay tuition – at least 80 points);
• at least 20% of Olympiad diploma holders among freshmen in Bachelor’s and Specialist programmes by 2030 – in Moscow and 8% at regional campuses; at least 30% in Moscow, and 13% at regional campuses in Master’s programmes;

2. Launching special projects to attract international students and University’s participation in major intellectual student competitions at the international level; 

3. Providing electives and options for the customization and individualization of educational tracks, the rapid adjustment of educational programmes in order to address new objectives. The share of Bachelor’s students, who have mastered supplementary qualifications, and have been issued certificates, shall come to 75% by 2030; the share of graduates (with at least five educational outcomes according to the degree requirements) that have undergone independent assessment at the University shall come to 50% in 2024 and 100% in 2030;

4. “Seamless” integration of student project and research activities into educational processes. By 2030, 100% students after Year 1 will take part in relevant projects; at least 85% of them will be involved in research and applied projects with a focus on future professional activities; the share of students involved in current research and project tasks commissioned by external clients will come to 30% by 2030;

5. Improving doctoral education should include the inclusion of doctoral students in large-scale S&T projects, increasing their pay to a level at or above the average in their region; supporting academic mobility, developing partnerships with regional universities through training researchers (by 2030, the share of Master’s research track students will be 30%, while doctoral schools’ effectiveness will come to at least 30%);

6. The extensive use of online technologies in order to

• expand student access to courses and research supervision;
• create teaching teams with the goal of supporting common courses or projects;
• provide e-learning resources (e.g., AI-driven ones) for replacing duplicating elements of core lectures;
•  provide individual adjustment for ongoing assessment elements;
• conduct resource-intensive role and strategic learning games for honing professional evaluation and professional decision-making skills.

By 2030, online technologies will be utilized in 60% of courses; 25% of courses will be held completely online, including seminars and consultations/tutorials, at least 200 specialized digital resources will be created, with at least 300 digital resources of external providers being used, which will free up at least 15% of faculty’s workload, and 30% of that for teaching assistants);  

7. The use of digital and online technologies will also facilitate the creation and promotion of globally-oriented educational products and the consistent presence of HSE University among world-class universities that are leaders in online education market (by 2030, total enrolments in online courses will reach 5 million persons a year, recipients of certificates upon the completion of studies – 100,000 persons a year; 30 specializations will be available via global online education platforms; a total of 2,000 e-courses and similar digital resources will be made accessible); 

8. Creating an environment for attracting international students under new global market conditions by the timely development of educational programmes taught fully online and bridging programmes, in addition to international intellectual contests for applicants (by 2030, over 50% of those will be held in Russian and English; by 2030, the share of international students in overall student population will come to 15% at Moscow campus, e.g., at least 3% due to online programmes (only to the high volatility of today’s global situation, any robust forecasting for a higher growth appears unfeasible));

9.  HSE University Master’s programmes will be split (at present, the University is the largest provider of Master’s instruction in Russia) into two key types: Master’s programmes offering core subject competencies for Bachelor’s graduates seeking to change the focus of their studies, which are equivalent to Master of Arts at most world’s universities; and Master’s programmes offering advanced subject-specific competencies, drawing upon previously completed Bachelor’s studies with a similar concentration, which are the equivalent of Master of Science at major international universities. For graduates who have completed educational programmes different from those offered by HSE University (i.e., with fewer required professional competencies), a bridging CPD course will be designed, which will also be available in an online format. This will remove current problem of “dissatisfaction on both sides”, that is, when certain applicants have to face overly difficult subjects, while the other applicants, who have previously graduated from HSE University or several other top universities, are concerned that they have to repeat many subjects they have already mastered as part of their Bachelor’s studies;  

10. Creating a model of supplementary qualifications (Microdegree), with the option for learners to acquire new professional qualifications while studying under the main programme; they will enjoy digital access to course selection, learning and final certification along with record in the public register of qualifications and certificates by the National Council for Professional Qualifications, confirming students’ qualifications;  

11. Developing a portfolio of HSE University network programmes, offered jointly with Russian and foreign universities in three main formats: double degree programmes, microdegrees and the inclusion of HSE University’s MOOCs in the curricula of its partner universities (by 2030, the network projects will involve 32,000 Russian and international students); 

12. Transforming CPD programmes into one of the key areas of the University’s operations:

• by 2030, revenue from CPD programmes will reach six billion roubles, accounting for at least 20% of additional revenue from education at the University with more than  60,000 CPD graduates;
• consolidating business education programmes at large subdivisions, which can implement large-scale programmes for the corporate sector, while also providing them with consulting and analytical services;
• developing additional education as an element of student and applicant learning at HSE University, which would coherently complement core degree programmes;
• continuing education programmes will build upon existing educational outreach activities in the natural and exact sciences, humanities and art & design;
• forward-looking development of groundbreaking new services that can supplement educational programmes;
• independent assessment of high school students’/ post-secondary students’ / adults’ competencies;
• educational consulting and coaching; and,
• psychological support.

Forecast impact of the educational policy:

• a system of new intellectual competitions will attract over 200,000 high school students, thus ensuring early career guidance and talent development; 
• a new model for the organization of student instruction can promptly react to the objectives for S&T development of the Russian Federation and its regions, sectors of the economy and social area;
• network programmes in combination with independent tools for measuring educational outcomes will help to improve the quality of higher learning in Russia’s regions;
• positive influence on students’ readiness to master e-courses, using various platforms, e.g., for continuing studies after graduating university; 
• developing a system of independent measurements at the national level to compare the quality of degree programme offerings in various regions; 
• shorten the professional adaptation time for graduates after initial employment; also, there will be more graduates finding work related to their major; 
• HSE University will be a recognized lifelong learning centre, thus facilitating the further development of adults for professional or personal purposes by providing formal and informal learning solutions, as well as recommendations concerning development and self-education tools;  
•  joining geographically new markets, introducing online recruitment tools, a system for digital marketing and personalized communication with Russian and international applicants will enhance the competitiveness of the University and the reputation of Russian education overseas, as well as the provision of support to the overall development of Russian education exports; 
• positioning of the University’s educational programmes and research schools at the open market shall contribute to the sustainability of HSE University’s global brand online.

2.1.1. Establishing the necessary conditions for the formation of digital competencies and skills of using digital technologies among the students, including students of IT

HSE University has several years of experience (since 2017) using the Data Culture (https://www.hse.ru/en/docs/430297536.html ) module to develop digital skills among all of its undergraduate students.  In turn, this experience builds upon the federal project “Personnel for the Digital Economy” of the national programme “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation”. It includes courses that teach digital skills for the creation of algorithms and programmes for practical use, as well as mastering new digital technologies as part of core degree programmes with non-IT majors. For a definition of digital skills and their relation to respective fields of study, refer to Appendix No. 7 “Information on establishing the necessary conditions for formation of digital competencies and skills of using digital technologies among students, including students of IT”.

The courses of the Data Culture module aims to provide students with knowledge about data science and the ability to methods and tools for analysing Big Data when dealing with professional tasks (further information on the integration of courses into curricula is provided in Appendix No. 7 “Information on establishing the necessary conditions for formation of digital competencies and skills of using digital technologies among students, including students of IT”.

The results of how the University students master digital skills are subject to mandatory independent assessments, which involve representatives of digital companies (Yandex, Sberbank, Kaspersky Lab, SAS, JetBrains, Tinkoff, etc.) and are separate from the interim assessment process, which is conducted within a module’s courses. Independent assessments verify the extent to which end-to-end digital skills have been instilled at a particular level, regardless of the field of study. The levels are described in the Data Culture model under the founding concept of HSE University.

The module is supported with advanced training and professional retraining programmes for instructors in non-IT subjects, which aim to develop digital competencies and skills that can be used to transform core and elective courses. This result will serve as resource for expanding the lists of professional activities of future graduates (further information on this is provided in Appendix No. 7 “Information on establishing the necessary conditions for formation of digital competencies and skills of using digital technologies among students, including students of IT”.

Along with the mandatory module on end-to-end digital skills, students have an opportunity to enhance their individual educational trajectory with elective courses, optional courses, minors, and research seminars, as well as project or research work. Elective elements that aim to develop digital skills made up less than 15% of students’ individual curricula in 2020, but this figure is expected to reach 25% by 2024, as all undergraduates will be able to independently shape the trajectory of how they develop their digital skills.

By 2024, the Data Culture module may be transferred to other universities as a package solution, which would contribute to academic mobility in non-IT fields of study. Students from other institutions will receive HSE University certificates following their completion of the module and the results of an independent assessment of their digital skills (further information on academic mobility is provided in Appendix No. 7 “Information on establishing the necessary conditions for formation of digital competencies and skills of using digital technologies among students, including students of IT”). The module’s package solution would enable universities to independently choose the pace at which its elements are mastered. The module may be supplemented with various measures to accelerate the instilment of digital skills. For more information on measures to accelerate the development of digital skills, please see Appendix No. 7 “Information on establishing the necessary conditions for formation of digital competencies and skills of using digital technologies among students, including students of IT”.

The University counts student projects prepared using their digital skills, including start-ups, as their theses.

The provision of the Data Culture module requires special equipment and continuously updated software applications (further information about this is provided in Appendix No. 7 “Information on establishing the necessary conditions for formation of digital competencies and skills of using digital technologies among students, including students of IT”).

Specialists’ planning and training are based on personnel and skills-based data analysis, in conjunction with monitoring using specialized platforms. The University contributes to the training of specialists for the digital economy and preparation of instructors for both itself and other Russian universities.

2.2. Research Policy and Policy for Innovation and R&D Commercialization

In terms of research and innovation policy, as well as in the commercialization of inventions, HSE University has evolved into a global research university: world-renowned scientists work at the University, including Nobel and Fields Prize winners; almost 70% of academic staff have globally acknowledged research results, and, as of 2020, 48 international laboratories operate with a focus on global scientific frontiers and headed by the world-class scientists; each fundamental research  project is carried out with international participation.  In the natural sciences, HSE University has developed stable partnerships with 19 academic institutes under auspices of the Russian Academy of Sciences (hereinafter “RAS”) in the unique format of natural sciences faculties at the University. HSE University has the right to award its own academic degrees (there are 18 dissertation councils).  In 2020, following a competitive selection as part of the national Science project at HSE University in collaboration with the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, and the N.N. Miklouho-Maklay Institute of Ethnography and Anthropology (RAS), a world-class research centre called the Centre for Multidisciplinary Research on Human Potential was set up, which focuses on priority areas of S&T development in the Russian Federation, the only world-class research centre selected by the Russian Government to conduct research in social sciences and humanities.

Total research and development activities (hereinafter “R&D”) funding stood at 5.19 billion roubles in 2020 (for this indicator, HSE University ranks 2^nd among Russian academic institutions). Based on the total number of grants from the Russian Science Foundation, HSE University ranks 1^st in social sciences and humanities and 4^th in mathematics and information science. The University also received 11 mega-grants between 2010 and 2020.

The number of Web of Science (hereinafter “WoS”) publications has increased more than tenfold since 2010 (in 2020, there were 2,705 publications). In Scopus, the increase was even higher – 16 times (3,406 publications in 2020). The number of articles in Quartile 1 (according to SNIP) increased 35 times (920 articles in 2020). The number of publications in the one percent top articles by the number of citations for respective subject areas stood at 133 (for 2016-2020), with the total volume of citations being at 88,372 (2016-2020). A total of 37.6% of publications (Incites, ESCI) were co-authored by researchers from top global universities. A total of 15 HSE University journals were indexed in international databases in 2020: 13 in Scopus, and two in both WoS and Scopus.

The volume of applied R&D works carried out at HSE University (excluding the funds commissioned by the government) has tripled since 2010, standing at 2.8 billion roubles in 2020. In 2020, the total amount of received revenue, including that received from Russian organizations, amounted to more than 1 billion roubles. At the same time, works commissioned by federal agencies over the past years was balanced out by an increase in requests from enterprises, cities and regions of Russia. 

Among the priority R&D policies at HSE University is the development of systemic long-term partnerships with market-leading companies, federal and regional authorities, state corporations, leading universities and research organizations, and global firms. The University also prioritizes the creation of consortiums to carry out significant projects for Sberbank, Yandex, VTB, Sistema, Transneft, Russian Post, MTS, Mail.ru, Severstal, Russian Railways, Russian Helicopters, Aeroflot, Huawei, etc. HSE University is also the flagship university for Gazprom and a member of Gazprom Neft’s League of Universities.

A special aspect of applied R&D at HSE University is its interdisciplinary nature coupled with application of the results generated by its own fundamental research. The University takes advantage of opportunities for organizing joint research in economics, sociology, law, administration, on the one hand, and in computer, cognitive sciences, engineering and natural sciences, on the other. Over recent years, the University has started to develop new interdisciplinary fields, utilizing research results in natural sciences, including those produced by HSE University’s partners in RAS institutes.

The University is a nationally recognized centre for providing expert analysis. At present, approximately 50 projects are being carried out on behalf of the Russian Government and the Russian Presidential Administration, the Accounts Chamber and the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation to further the country's socio-economic development, state administration, social policy, education and science, foreign trade and foreign policy, etc. In turn, a total of 16 large-scale monitoring studies are being conducted with respect to social and economic development.

HSE University represents Russia in expert groups within major international organizations and associations (e.g., OECD, Eurasian Economic Commission, World Bank, WTO, etc.); in 2020, the University had 780 cooperation agreements with global organizations.

The University has developed Russia’s most complete support system for fundamental science. Its key elements include a system of academic merit bonuses, which support individual research achievements with an ever-increasing requirement for international validation of results (in 2020, 700 instructors and researchers received 860 million roubles, thus increasing their core salary by 1.5 – 2 times). Furthermore, the University operates the Programme for Fundamental Research, with a budget of 1.6 billion roubles, in 2020; approximately 2,000 researchers were involved in 123 projects of the Programme; international laboratories are headed by world-leading scientists and carry out research with a focus on global scientific frontiers; over 100 research laboratories and groups operate with early student involvement in R&D activities. In addition, the HSE Academic Fund programme and the research budgets at faculties and subdivisions finance initiative research and international academic staff mobility.

The University has created a number of excellent research facilities. The Joint Economic and Social Data Archive (hereinafter “JESDA”) is a unique archival collection that provides open access to empirical research data in social sciences. The Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS-HSE) is a unique longitudinal household survey, which has been ongoing since 1994. The iFORA Big Data mining system (based on HSE University’s own supercomputer and data cluster) was singled out by the OECD as a significant example of scientific digitalization. A unique research installation, the HSE Synchronous Eye-tracking, Brain Signal Recording and Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation System, was the 2021 winner of a support programme run by Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education.

The University operates a business incubator was ranked first among the world’s best university accelerators according to UBI Global. In turn, the University has been implementing the Foundation for Support of Innovative Entrepreneurship (since 2010) via competitions for the HSE {Tech} Cup (S&T business projects) and the HSE {Business} Cup (student projects).

HSE University is one of the largest research, educational and innovation centres in Russia. It has completed its transition from the model of a socio-economic university to that of a comprehensive university, whereby it engages in the fields of the social sciences and humanities, mathematics and computer, natural and technical sciences that all complement and enrich one another. Jointly with leading RAS institutes, the University is exploring fundamentally new fields for itself, in such areas as physics, chemistry and new materials, life sciences (in particular, biology and biotechnology), geography and geoinformation technologies. Moreover, R&D in natural sciences and engineering ensures synergy with areas of knowledge that are traditional for HSE University and caters to the development of high-tech industries, healthcare, the digital economy, the energy sector, agro-industrial complex and the sustainable use of natural resources.

Detailed information about the current situation and available resources can be seen in the Appendix No. 8 “Extended Information on the Existing Groundwork at HSE University in Research Policy and Policy for Innovation and R&D Commercialization”.

Key Priorities and Areas of Research Policy and Policy for Innovation and R&D Commercialization and Planned Results of their Implementation

Building on the existing groundwork and following Russia’s national development goals, the University is identifying key measures for the development of its research policy and R&D innovation and commercialization policy for the period until 2030.

1. Development and implementation of breakthrough R&D works, including intellectual property generated through applied academic research and/or experimental developments and protected in accordance with the Civil Code of the Russian Federation.

Over the mid-term, priority focus of R&D will include the following:

• an individual’s success and independence in a changing world (“human enhancement”), the development of their capabilities (human potential) and their implementation in the form of personal human capital and improvements in terms of quality of life;
• social policy for sustainable development and a reduction in inequality including new forms of inequality;
• educational theory, sociology and economics of education and evidence-based educational policy;
• S&T and socio-economic forecasting, including the one on the basis of foresight technologies;

• effects and efficiency of the digital transformation of the economy and society;
• economics, statistics and policy in science, technology and innovation;
• measurement and analysis in socio-economic sciences;
• macroeconomic modelling and short-term forecasting;
• economic, historical and sociological analysis of institutions;
• experimental economics;
• economics and organization of healthcare;
• analysis of labour markets;
• competition and antimonopoly regulation in new market environment; effective models of state and corporate procurements;

• multi-criteria assessment of the effectiveness of government and corporate projects (investments), considering their contribution to economic growth, social sustainability, technological frontiers and geopolitical positions, as well as the ESG contribution;
• effective government and public consensus;
• the technological and social security of individuals, society and the state in the context of globalization and digital transformation;
• evidence-based urban studies, urban and transport planning; place-making and management of megacities;
• Big Data, machine learning and AI;
• engineering of the Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems;
• methods and means of ensuring the security of systems of critical information infrastructure and cyber-physical systems;
• computational methods of supercomputer modelling and the design of new materials;
• digital law;
• ethical issues concerning AI and Bid Data; regulation of digital ecosystems and digital space;
• bio-law and bio-ethics; right to a healthy environment;
• development of combinatorial and topological methods that are clearly in demand in applied fields;
• neuroscience, biotechnology and high-tech healthcare;
• photonics and bio-photonics;
• biology and sociology of aging;
• Russia’s international policy and foreign trade in the new geopolitical and economic conditions;
• Russian and Soviet humanitarian and cultural traditions;
• art design and art marketing, etc.

These priorities will be implemented based on strategic projects, as specified in this Programme, and other integrated interdisciplinary programmes that combine full-cycle projects funded from various sources (e.g., commissioned by the government, clients’ funds, HSE University’s own funds) within the framework of priority topics: basic and applied R&D that is not tied to specific subdivisions and courses and integrates researchers from various fields concerning the goal of solving pressing fundamental and applied research problems. An important tool for implementing such priorities as part of comprehensive programmes will be big projects, such as large-scale R&D, which will effectively find solutions to socio-economic and technological problems on an interdisciplinary basis. A key feature of such comprehensive programmes and big projects will be their orientation towards solving external (non-academic) tasks in the interests of the state, business or society at large (i.e., developing the public good).

In addition, HSE University is continuing to develop its research policy tools, which have demonstrated their effectiveness and aim to support proactive research at a acceptable scientific level. This, above all, includes competitive instruments (the establishment of international and research laboratories, support for the academic core of research subdivisions, empirical research, the dedicated “scientific funds” of faculties, departments and schools, etc.), as well as a system of academic bonuses for prominent validated research results as part of funding earmarked for proactive research by HSE University’s researchers.

The University has prioritized the creation of its own world-class academic schools and will continue developing globally significant centres of excellence (advanced research), which are designed to ensure its leadership in the global scientific and educational community. The international laboratories programme works towards creating natural science clusters and interdisciplinary centres of competence in order to take part in international research and joint projects with Russian universities and research centres.

To evaluate the productivity of research subdivisions, project teams and individual researchers, internationally recognized tools will be used, which combine an analysis of official indicators of academic activity and expert assessments. Competitive instruments will be developed to support project groups, involve young researchers in major projects, and ensure mobility in research. The University will continue to provide support at its own expense for proactive research and development projects, as well as projects of young academics and research start-ups under the Science Foundation and the Applied Research Development Fund.

The University will continue to develop its own set of devices and clusters of high-tech equipment and high-speed processing of Big Data (e.g., economic, Scientometric, natural science and cognitive research and forecasting), which will ensure that R&D is carried out, based on an advanced research agenda with high potential for implementation and commercialization, and become a focal point for the coordination of international collaboration. By 2030, all research teams will be provided with the computational capacity of HSE University’s supercomputer cluster.

In terms of socio-economic sciences and humanities, priority development will be given to international comparative projects as per the “mega-science” model based on empirical research, monitoring (including longitudinal), the iFORA system and specialized statistical and sociological surveys, which provide a foundation for the information and analytical support of evidence-based socio-economic, S&T, innovation and cultural policies. The University will become one of the leading institutions in continental Europe and the post-Soviet space in terms of applying the latest tools for statistical, sociological and Big Data analysis, e.g., with the IT environment and social media.

These changes will result in the following internal and external effects (including quantitative results):

• the transformation of the University into a major world-class integrated academic and educational institution, which establishes, tests and disseminates best practices, which can achieve the country’s national development goals associated with ensuring the sustainability of social and economic growth, scientific and technological leadership, preventing technological isolation and strengthening Russia’s geopolitical position;
• the country’s expanding intellectual influence on global processes by bolstering ties with the world’s leading universities and research centres and the intellectual elites of competing and partner countries for the purposes of increasing the competitiveness of Russian science and education, as well as strengthening their international prestige;
• increase in the total number of leading scientists and promising young researchers, both home-grown and those attracted to Russia from abroad, who work within an advanced research agenda and fundamentally enhance the interest on the part of other countries in intensifying S&T cooperation;
• strengthening the ties between basic, applied R&D work and developments in priority areas of focus;
• the formation of an open type of research and educational environment, which serves as the basis of HSE University’s new model as a project institution and a tool for collaboration with external partners;
• the implementation of an interdisciplinary project approach for specialists in different fields to solve urgent research problems, including the developing comprehensive programmes;
• the establishment of effective platform-based project interaction among students, doctoral students and young and leading researchers;
•  narrowing the gap between scientific achievements as part of the advanced agenda and their incorporation into educational activities, including the formation of interdisciplinary professional skills among undergrads and doctoral students of all degree levels;
• significant expansion of the R&D agenda in accordance with the requirements of the Russian Presidential Administration and the Russian Government (e.g., digital transformation of the economy and society, public administration; S&T and socio-economic forecasting and project evaluation; defence and security; international relations, transport and urban design; challenges to social and regional development, etc.); the provision of systematic and operational expert support on emerging problems, preparation of initial solutions and the provisions of regulatory legal acts and supplementing research with operational assessments of current and projected reactions of various social groups to the proposals that are being drafted;
• an almost two-fold increase by 2030 in the number of publications indexed in the Scopus database that falls within quartiles 1 and 2;
• an almost two-fold increase of income from research and R&D work by 2030.

2. The introduction of advanced technologies into the economy and social sectors, commercialization of intellectual property and technology transfer, coupled with the creation of student technology parks and business incubators.

The introduction of advanced technologies into the economy and social sector involves:

• expanding R&D focuses, including computer and technical sciences;
• implementing major applied projects commissioned by companies in the real sector of the economy;
• increasing the number of business orders for  top technological developments;
• creating a system of scientific and technological expertise in end-to-end digital technologies in order to support HSE University’s own initiatives and provide services to external clients;
• establishing a system of standardization and certification in the field of AI;
• creating software libraries and search engine services for research competitions and project support;
• intensifying independent pre-project and project work by researchers in R&D and commercialization;
• two-fold increase of revenue from R&D by 2030 (excluding funds allocated for the projects commissioned by the government).

Commercialization of the intellectual property and technology transfer implies:

• developing a framework for interaction with industrial partners that are market leaders and mechanisms to involve those partners as clients in the creation of start-ups along with their products and the commercialization of technologies (including social sciences and humanities) under the “market pull” start-up model and as investors;
• monitoring potential demand in emerging technological areas (as per  the iFORA system);
• creating technological testing sites to designing new products, testing and rapidly piloting them and supporting developers with legal support and attracting grants, projects and venture funding;
• creating Russia’s first ecosystem for the transfer of social sciences and humanities’ technologies, which provides a set of management tools for the intellectual property with a socio-humanities content (e.g., advanced methodological, organizational and technological models and tools) that ensure their fullest coverage, reliable identification and proactive communication to interested consumers, while also ensuring the protection of copyrights and property rights; providing universities, research organizations, development institutions and companies with open access to the ecosystem and its tools;
• assessing the commercial significance of intellectual property items when making decisions regarding registration of intellectual property;
• developing innovative infrastructure at the University (establishing a Centre for the Commercialization of Developments and Technology Transfer, engineering centres, project offices, start-up studios, service structures, etc.);
• establishing a community of industry experts, mentors and business angels;
• creating a belt of innovative companies around the University based on partnerships and consortiums;
• incubation and acceleration programmes involving students as part of applied project training (“market pull” model based on the HSE Business Incubator);
• promoting innovation activities at the University sponsored by the Foundation for Support of Innovative Entrepreneurship programme (competitions for scientific and technical business projects HSE{Tech}Cup and student projects HSE{Business}Cup);
• establishing a university-wide system for the development of entrepreneurial culture, as well as competencies and innovative skills among students and staff and developing incentives for the transfer of knowledge and technology.

The changes implemented will achieve the following internal and external effects (including quantitative results):

• the implementation of the research university model that can successfully transform the achievements of fundamental and applied science into practical solutions for the economy and social sector; improves the quality of training of specialists by integrating the latest R&D achievements into the educational process and expands the range of applied problems solved at the request of the Russian Presidential Administration, the Russian Government, the federal and regional authorities and corporate clients;
• establishing in Russia a new social sciences and humanities’ segment of the national market for intellectual rights (based on the Free Analytic Network (FAN) specialized digital platform within IPChain) and the replication of the approaches proposed by the University to commercializing the results of social sciences and humanities R&D at other scientific and academic organizations;
• creating methodologies to assess the effects of the non-commercial appropriation (social capitalization) of the results of intellectual activity in various fields of the social sciences and humanities and the development of tools to assess the effectiveness of scientific and creative projects based on the social effects of such developments;
• introduction of new intellectual property into circulation, including scientific, methodological and analytical designs, complex three-dimensional data models, AI-driven algorithms, etc.;
• creation and commercialization of intellectual property, based on advanced R&D in all areas of the University’s scientific activities by building partnerships with leading companies and intensifying the rate of patent applications along with the total number of tech start-ups in priority areas;
• increasing the academic staff’s financial interest in commercializing their designs and inventions, including those in the social sciences and humanities;
• accelerating the transfer of knowledge, technology and best practices to education, research, public administration and business institutions;
• strengthening HSE University’s role as a centre for scientific, methodological, information, analytical, educational and coordination support for the national network of technology transfer centres;
• boosting income from intellectual property by more than 20 times (up to 100 million roubles) by 2030.

3. Promoting R&D and Experimental Design Work Results.

Promoting the results of R&D and experimental design involves:

• organizing academic conferences, seminars and informational events at HSE University with the participation of leading Russian and foreign scientists and representatives of business and government;
• presenting the results at major Russian and foreign academic conferences;
• publishing the results in leading Russian and foreign journals;
• disseminating the results by publishing monographs and academic journals of HSE University and promoting them in citation databases (Scopus, WoS, etc.);
• providing competitive support for the best Russian-language publications based on the results of successful R&D projects;
• improving the marketing system and models for disseminating R&D results;
• developing a portfolio of branded intellectual products for replication, customization and promotion to the new markets;
• developing and promoting package proposals that combine R&D, expert and analytical work, engineering and CPD programmes;
• upgrading the Joint Economic and Social Data Archive (JESDA): enhancing data collection, digital services, communication with users and data providers and international promotion;
• encouraging competition among research teams and individual employees in promoting R&D results;
• participating in academic collaborations and comparative studies;
• providing scientific and methodological support to regional universities (further information is provided in subsection 2.12 “The University’s Contributions to Development of the Education System in Russia; Cooperation between the University and Public ”);
• creating an open information space, piloting new digital technologies and disseminating best practices.

The implemented changes will achieve the following internal and external effects:

• the implementation of the University’s mission to be a conductor of advanced knowledge, technologies and innovative practices in research and education; securing academic and methodological support to Russian universities and research organizations through partnership programmes;
• assisting the transition of the Russian news and advertising information space to the ‘knowledge space’ (within the framework with the Russian Academy of Sciences);
• accelerating the transfer of knowledge, technology and best practices to education, research, public administration and business;
• introduction of digital innovations in science and higher education;
• development of international academic cooperation.

The development of key areas of focus in research, innovation and commercialization will contribute to the achievement of the national goal “Opportunities for Self-fulfilment and Talent Development” and will help to meet the targets of “Ensuring the Russian Federation is among the 10 leading countries in the world in terms of the volume of research and innovation based on effective higher education system”, “Incorporating the results of domestic R&D in the economy and social sector” of the National Science and Universities Project of the National Digital Economy Programme and the state programme “Scientific and technological development of the Russian Federation,” and implement measures specified by the S&T Development Strategy of the Russian Federation.

2.3. Youth Policy

In terms of youth policy, the University conducts targeted activities with students and alumni. HSE University students are among the most talented, ambitious and creative people of their generation. They show initiative, lead an active social life, transform the urban environment through social entrepreneurship and volunteering, and get involved in applied and academic research, as well as technological projects aimed at improving the quality of life in cities, regions and the country as a whole.

At HSE University, there are more than 120 grassroots student clubs. Student volunteer initiatives (e.g., digital volunteers, online children's camp, and help for schoolchildren) develop emotional intelligence, expand social capital and create conditions for self-realization. In addition, projects are replicated by other universities and the local community. A significant number of non-academic student initiatives are carried out in partnership with charity foundations, museums and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and that help to raise learners’ professional level. In 2020, the University’s student organizations held more than 1,000 offline and online events for students, alumni, prospective students and residents in the cities where HSE University has a presence. Volunteer students take part in educational work with retirees as part of the Moscow City Government’s Moscow Longevity project and provide consultations on legal and psychological matters (100 consultations in 2020 in Moscow).

The University has a programme for early student involvement in research. In 2020, a total of 951 research assistant positions were opened, 3,188 positions for teaching assistants, 163 for study consultants, and 99 for academic assistants; there is a network of research-based and project-based learning laboratories. For students with high research achievement, the Republic of Scientists project (182 participants in 2020), the HSE Science Battles project (more than 1,000 participants in 2020), the Zoomer Science Festival (1,647 participants in 2020) are regularly held. The Student Scientific Research Paper Competition serves as a tool for independent reviews of student research (1,924 applications in 2020).

Key areas of development for youth policy:

• student involvement in academic research and popularization of academic career prospects; development of tools for the development of student academic and research skills (by 2030, all graduates will have research experience and skills);
• project-based learning and service-focused learning development: involvement of HSE University faculties and campuses in the implementation of faculty joint applied research with students, development of a unique (for Russian academic practices) project for regional student field trips – “Rediscovering Russia”; 
• student involvement in entrepreneurship through the HSE University Business Incubator’s acceleration and incubation programmes, competitions in partnership with development institutes, venture funds, business angels and industrial partners; (by 2030, doubling the total number of business projects created by students, e.g., ensuring the integration of student business projects into a network of partners and funds, along with participation in development programmes for technological and social entrepreneurship; with 15% of students pursuing individual business trajectories);
• development of student intellectual volunteering: involvement of students in providing aid to various social groups in partnership with key NGOs (by 2025, total external clients commissioning projects with students will include at least 75% of charitable NGOs from the RAEX rating and at least 40% of regional administrations of the regions of the Russian Federation, with at least 50% of students taking part in service-learning projects);
• developing a system for supporting student initiatives aimed at achieving sustainable growth and social responsibility (e.g., support for student research organizations and associations, further development of interdisciplinary academic communication between students through projects and intellectual contests); 
• developing an HSE University alumnus ecosystem; active involvement of graduates as invited lecturers-practitioners, corporate partners-employers, engaging graduates in financing students projects;
• cultivating students’ informed approach to building career tracks through a system of educational events with industry representatives, employers-HSE University graduates and special career guidance course;
• providing support for students’ physical and mental health, helping them maintain psychological stability, resilience and mindfulness. 

Expected results of youth policy:

• boosting student research performance and output; building research and teaching cadre for HSE University;  
• ensuring the transfer of knowledge and technology through the implementation of student business initiatives; 
• boosting the share of young researchers and instructors by popularizing academic career track.

2.4. Human Capital Management

In terms of human capital management policy, HSE University has shaped globally competitive teams of experienced and junior Russian and international researchers and instructors. The University has been the first in the country to develop and widely apply a system of cadre development tools that help ensure the academic quality of R&D work, increased salaries for academic staff, ensured the accelerated development of young people inclined to have a career in science, along with the implementation of proactive research projects using the tools of the HSE Academic Fund programmes, etc. An effective contract with academic staff model relies upon a developed system of academic material and non-material incentives: the average monthly salary of a full-time faculty member has doubled since 2013 and amounted to 196,900 roubles in 2020.

The University’s system builds upon a long-running (at least a year-long), transparent for staff and fair toolset (e.g., academic bonuses for research results, instructor bonuses for high teaching quality assessment by students). These tools effectively raised the basic salary of instructor by two or even three times.

The key parameters of the system are as follows:

• it is clear for each staff member that their remuneration reflects their efforts and what they have to do to increase their remuneration;
• indicators providing for the receipt of bonuses show steady increase as the research potential of the staff is growing;
• this is a mass system, covering over 50% of in-house academic staff at the University.

All baseline result values are discussed by University divisions and approved by the HSE University’s Academic Council one or two years before they are put into practice. This system has proved itself efficient: the share of academic staff who have publications in Scopus and WoS has increased from 11% to 70% over the past 10 years.

In 2020, the University employed 8,297 people, of whom 6,655 were full-time, with 1,642 being external part-time employees. There are 3,283 academic staff members (full-time and external part-time employees), of whom 45% hold a Candidate of Sciences degree, 18% with a Doctor of Sciences (Doctor Habilitatus) degree, and 10% with PhD degrees from foreign universities. The average age of academic staff is 45 years; 30% of them are under 35 years old, and 25% are between 36 and 45 years old.

The baseline professional criteria for academic staff are consistently increasing. In 2013, the system for competitive selection of academic staff was aligned with international standards. In 2016, a “unified contract” for academic staff (research and administrative work, teaching) was implemented, and in 2018, requirements were raised for the research productivity of academic staff based on an automated assessment system. In 2020, academic hiring transitioned to three professional tracks (academic, teaching and practice-oriented) with differentiated requirements.

An international postdoc programme has been in operation since 2013 in order to attract promising researchers with PhD degrees from global leading universities; 50 postdocs take part in this programme each year. By 2020, the number of academic staff with a PhD degree had grown 5.2 times. New solutions for the Russian educational system were implemented in order to recruit leading foreign professors: digital professors and affiliated academics. In 2020, the number of international staff members stood at 196 individuals.

The involvement of talented young academics takes place within the framework of the Young Faculty Development Programme (187 participants in 2020) and the Advanced Doctoral Programme.

Staff members have access to a social benefits package, including medical insurance, educational discounts for employees’ children, preferential meals, financial assistance in exceptional cases, corporate discounts from partners, and free psychological counselling.

HR policy at HSE University is based on principles, whereby human capital is a core asset at the University, and it evolves within the context of the provision of maximum options for the self-realization and talent development of the University’s staff, as well as stimulation of their respectable and effective work with due consideration of the need to ensure staff’s health and well-being, while also aiming at setting up an efficient system for identification, support and cultivation of youth’s capabilities and talents in line with the national development objectives “Respectable, Efficient Work and Successful Entrepreneurship” and “Options for Self-realization and Talent Development”.      

The acceleration of the globalization of academic labour markets sets a challenging task for the University to secure its competitiveness as an employer. In 2020, the share of scholars at HSE University who potentially could have received competitive job offers at the global level was around 25%, and in 2030, this figure shall reach 50% (with demand from Arab and Asian universities factored in).

The objective shall be achieved with the application of the following tools:

• ensuring access to unique databases and knowledge bases, supercomputing facilities, unique lab equipment both at the University and its partner organizations; HSE University’s membership in international collaborations; for scholars in socio-economic sciences – participation in policy analysis and development;  
• boosting the density of professional and academic community at the University as well as its global reputation; by 2030, HSE University will appear in international subject and industry ratings for the entire selection of its fields, with at least 75% of the fields steadily ranking among Top-100 global universities and at least 25% - among the Top-50;
• offering competitive remuneration at the level of at least 75% of the median value of academic institutions deemed competitors (subject to the applicability of a low personal income tax rate) and attractive contract terms (extension of academic merit bonus terms for research results up to two, three and five years; sabbatical leave; limiting or complete abandonment of the routine teaching load by the employment of teaching assistants and digital assessment systems); 
• early involvement in research activities and retention of those students who express special ambitions and aptitudes (by 2030, at least 80% of students who have academic publications and conference reports will be invited to pursue the Master's research track affiliated with a doctoral school, with remuneration of at least 65% of the average pay for the respective region; at least 75% of the doctoral student population at the University will be from this cohort); a complete move to a model for advanced doctoral studies with remuneration equal to the average pay in the respective region; by 2030, the share of young researchers up to 39 years of age will account for 52.7% of the total researchers at the University);  
• expanding the HSE University research teams using remote contracts and network partnerships with scientists from other academic institutions and Russian organizations and with foreign researchers; the total number of international and external Russian members in “small” research partnerships within the framework of the University’s research projects will double or triple; the number of “mirror” laboratories will also go up (further information on this is provided in subsection 2.12 “The University’s Contributions to Development of the Education System in Russia; Cooperation between the University and Public”). 

Key areas for developing human capital management:

• building a differentiated and flexible system of professional trajectories; a complete move, by 2030, to three professional tracks for academic staff (academic, teaching and practice-oriented) with special mechanisms for selection, incentivizing and reviews, institutional options for professional and career development, as well as streamlining movements between those three career options and opportunity to combine them;
• gradual alignment of criteria for Russian and international recruits; expanding academic staff mobility options: providing lengthy sabbatical leaves (once every five years by 2030), international internships, traineeships at external organizations, participation in international conferences (no less than once a year by 2030), and travel budgets for leading academic staff members; 
• moving to unified competitions for faculty members and researchers;
• continuous staff professional development based on individual plans: new opportunities for professional growth based on a core standard for professional competencies and continuous upgrading of qualifications as per personal plans; 
•  increasing professional criteria for stabilizing contractual terms for leading specialists; the standard timeframe for employment agreements will be extended to three to five years by 2025 and five years by 2030; the share of academic staff working under long-term renewable contracts with pay raises and reduced teaching load will increase from 7% in 2020 to 15% in 2025, and then to 25% in 2030;
• ensuring competitive remuneration for full-time academic staff – at least 300% of the average salary in the region by 2030;
• recruiting young personnel and providing retirement for distinguished staff in a manner beneficial for both the University and its staff: providing funding for young professionals, implementation of a programme for recruiting international and Russian postdocs; ensuring comfortable retirement for distinguished academics by awarding special statuses (e.g., Tenured and Distinguished Professor, Research Professor / Associate Researcher and Consulting Professor / Associate Consultant) with reduced teaching load thereupon, and for outstanding administrative staff – a status of Distinguished Staff Member with a long-term contract and salary raise;  
• reducing labour inputs in the administrative processes through the use of contemporary digital tools; the share of administrative staff decline from 30% in 2020 to 25% in 2025, and then to 20% in 2030, due to the reduction of non-automated routine processes, accompanied by increase in the quality of work; 
• incentivizing administrative staff, depending on their performance; the average administrative staff salary shall go up from 85% in 2020 to 100% in 2025, and then to 110% in 2030 compared to the median market value; 
•  enhancing the social responsibility of HSE University as an employer and expanding the social package for various staff categories: free/subsidized education for employees’ children, medical services, aid to low-income families and families with many children, assistance to staff experiencing hardships, disabled staff, psychological counselling and legal support programmes, smooth retirement, loyalty fitness programmes, learning, etc. 

Forecast effects of the HR policy:

• flexibility of professional tracks within the University, improved staff performance, improved options for staff’s professional and career growth;
• increased attractiveness of the University for recruiting young staff from the global and regional academic markets;
• new professions on the academic market and options to train personnel for other universities.

2.5. Campus and Infrastructure Policy

HSE University is continuing to expand its campuses and infrastructure, surpassing its current capacity. The University currently allocates 8 square metres of classroom and laboratory space per student in Moscow, 6 square metres in St. Petersburg and Nizhny Novgorod, and 9 square metres in Perm, which is approximately 2 times less than the average allocation for Russian universities. The HSE University’s dormitories include 11,000 bedspaces short, of those, about 8,500 beds in Moscow. This significantly limits the opportunities for continuing education and international students, but at the same time, it has cultivated increased efficiency in the use of property by HSE University. The University was the first in Russia to begin transitioning to a new format of university space and infrastructure that is adapted for independent (project) work of students and the support for remote work (e.g., in an inter-campus and inter-university format). Traditional classrooms are gradually reformatted into spaces for individual and group project work and hybrid spaces. All the University buildings are equipped with facilities for people with disabilities.

The University’s library was the first to transition to digital resources. HSE University currently provides all students and staff members with remote access to all global library databases that are aligned with the areas of research and study. In this respect, the University can compete with leading global institutions. At the same time, library spaces support co-working and self-study with open access to sources and advice. The central library at the complex on Pokrovsky Boulevard is open 24/7.

HSE University operates the high-performance computing cluster "cHARISMa" (ranking 6^th in the Top-50 supercomputers in the CIS and the winner of the award for efficient use of advanced technology “Priority-2020”). It has created its own equipment base along with clusters of high-tech equipment. At the same time, HSE University makes extensive use of instruments and equipment from partner organizations, including for laboratory practicums and the project work of students in the natural science faculties.

Key areas for campus and infrastructure policy development:

• opening new academic and lab spaces, dormitories, sports facilities and rental houses for ensuring the global competitiveness of the University in terms of its infrastructure; achieving, by 2030, the baseline values for academic/laboratory spaces of 15 square metres per full-time student and 100% access to dormitory and rental accommodation; moving student housing facilities closer to academic building/labs in order to reduce the commuting time; 
• developing a standard for supporting individual work formats for academic staff with consideration of three work formats, as selected by staff members in agreement with their supervisors: on-campus (with an individual workplace), blended (on- and off-campus work and availability of co-working spaces and hot desks) and remote (supported by the University through continuous virtual access);    
• improving student lodging quality (access to academic and educational information resources, co-working spaces, gyms and sports facilities), developing rental houses with upgraded comfort suites, offered to the students who can afford those; 
• transferring from traditional classroom and library spaces to up-to-date project, research and educational spaces, e.g., blended-learning classrooms, co-working and recreational rooms;
• developing digital libraries (expanding available digital resources, creating a system for recommendation and consultation services, remote access mode) and converting parts of library spaces into digital co-working spaces and individual workplaces;
• ensuring equitable access to interaction and the University’s services for staff and students working or studying remotely;
• developing studios for producing digital educational materials, providing free access to such services for HSE University instructors; 
• introducing a single standard for administration, information and infrastructure services at the University;
• building a competitive social infrastructure by outsourcing some services (medical, fitness and sports, catering and shopping); 
• ensuring access to the University’s infrastructure for persons with disabilities and health issues;
• developing digital services for access to the infrastructure;
• creating bilingual environment throughout the entire University framework (e.g., navigation, English-speaking administrative and technical staff, etc.);
• providing researchers and project developers at HSE University with access to supercomputing modelling of laboratory and social experiments, theoretical and forecasting models based on Big Data.

Expected results from the implementation of the policy:

•  provision to academic staff (with the exception of those working remotely) of workspaces will reach 60% in 2024 and 100% in 2030; 
• by 2024, a total of 30% of classrooms will be converted into blended-learning classrooms, 20% of classrooms – into co-working spaces; by 2030, all classrooms will support blended learning;
• the share of academic/laboratory complexes, provided with services under a single standard, will come to at least 50% in 2024 and 100% in 2030;
• the share of academic and laboratory buildings (complexes) with spaces to realize intellectual and creative potential (co-working and recreational areas) for staff and students will come to at least 50% in 2024 and 85% in 2030; 
• the share of academic complexes, equipped with “smart labs” for classes, seminars and conferences in various formats will be 30% in 2024 and 70% in 2030;
• the infrastructure for delivering CPD programmes in classroom-based, blended and online formats with the use of interactive studios has been created;
• undergraduate and graduate students and staff at HSE University in Moscow will be provided with the option to pursue any of at least 50 sports activities; at least 25 creative arts; in St. Petersburg - at least 20 sports and 10 arts activities; at HSE University in Nizhny Novgorod and Perm – at least 10 sports and five arts activities;
• completed transfer to a new model for student rental market accommodation in co-living facilities;
• equitable access to the participation in the University’s community life for international staff and students, providing all services in English; 
• the University’s campuses will transform into urban centres for social and cultural activities implemented as part of HSE University’s third mission in the regions where they are located; an “open-university” concept will be implemented along with necessary security measures.

2.6. HSE University Administration System

In terms of the University administration system, HSE University has completed its structural transformation that began in 2014. This has involved the transition to large mega-faculties, uniting relevant groups of sciences and including research and project departments. It has also resulted in a transition of administration from the level of faculties to the management of educational programmes (i.e., a departure from the “monopoly of departments”).

University governance is based on a combination of the principles of combined control and collegiality. According to the University’s Charter, the governing bodies are the Supervisory Board, the Conference of HSE Employees and Students, the Academic Council and the Presidium of the Academic Council, the Rector’s Office and the Board of Trustees.

In turn, the University operates a collegiate governance system that ensures the principles of academic self-governance and the involvement of representatives from external organizations and students. There are over 100 existing collegiate advisory bodies. The wide involvement of employees in managing departments, schools, faculties, and the University itself is ensured through academic councils, commissions, working and expert groups.

The KPI system is tied to resources, which can be placed at the disposal of HSE University research and teaching teams. The application of institutional mechanisms for regulating and managing incentives to achieve the goals and initiate changes by creating transparent and sustainable internal rules and regulations allows departments and staff to build individual strategies for achieving personal and collective results in solving University-wide tasks.

The development of student government is coordinated by the HSE Student Council in Moscow and regional campuses, as well as Council’s representatives at faculties and in dormitories.

The development management mechanism rests upon a set of major strategic initiatives and projects and covers the activities of the entire University (development projects). The Rector acts as the head of the portfolio of development projects. New projects must be endorsed by the Academic Council. The expert body providing external assessment of HSE University’s development programme is the International Advisory Committee. Direct management of the University development projects is carried out by the Vice Rectors and directors overseeing respective areas. Overall coordination shall be achieved via operational meetings with the Rector that involve heads of subdivisions and regional campuses. Ongoing coordination of issues related to implementing the University’s development programme, including appropriate external communication, is provided by the Senior Director for Strategic Planning and the Strategic Development Programme Office. Daily reporting is provided by the HSE Analysis Centre.

The University maintains an extensive system of tools for feedback, including the HSE University-wide portal, a system of targeted communication with staff and students about the University's activities, regular publication of intra-university periodicals (Okna Rosta, That’s so HSE, The HSE Look, HSE University Review, etc.); forums involving representatives of the HSE University’s administration, and the Feedback hotline. Feedback from employees and students is also gathered via regular research and surveys conducted by the Centre for Institutional Studies.

The basic units of the University’s organizational structure are faculties that implement all types of activities within their subject areas and integrate departments, schools, research laboratories, and centres. The majority of research is concentrated in large scientific institutions that enjoy a high degree of autonomy. Research and expert teams are united by a narrower topic and a specific task (a network of international laboratories under the leadership of leading global scientists, academic and project laboratories). The University delegates some authority and resources to faculties and departments along with accountability for the results and the rational use of resources.

Key areas for developing the University’s governance system:

• expanding governance through stimuli based on common rules, delegation of authority, and resources to mega-faculties and primary academic groups; preliminary discussion of solutions at academic and professional committees and partial delegation of decision-making (shared governance);
• maintaining high operational performance at the University;
• retaining the level of the University’s income centralization, thus ensuring the concentration of resources for HSE University’s further development, in combination with sufficient stimuli for the activities of revenue-generating subdivisions; 
• concentrating resources on carrying out major integrated and interdisciplinary tasks with respect to socio-economic and technological development, ensuring the integration of research teams of various sizes and subject fields;
• building integral research platforms and new project work formats, creating a system for project-based self-governance with a complete set of tools; introducing a multi-step venture support project model , as well as broad collegiate discussions of interim and final results;
• creating an integrated digital platform (IDP) (further information about this is provided in subsection 2.8 “Digital Transformation Policy”) at the University, modernizing its administrative system by promoting its internal integration and further customization of the University’s services and products; boosting the efficiency of the administrating of educational processes and academic teams; training all categories of HSE University’s staff to work in corporate digital service environment; the IDP at the University shall be harmonized with public digital platforms (services);
• removing excessive administrative layers by automating and optimizing business processes and delegating power and resources to mega-faculties and primary academic teams (departments, schools, laboratories, project and research institutes);
• reducing bureaucratic administrative and managerial operations by introduction of digital regulations (administrative services) as long as staff, students and partners of the University feel satisfied with the service quality;
• expanding the administrative staff development programme;
• professional development and raises for managerial staff to make it compatible with the corporate sector. 

Expected results of HSE University administration policy:

• enhancing operational performance; reducing administrative costs; boosting procurements’ efficiency;
• improving staff and students’ satisfaction with University’s services from 60% in 2020 to 85% by 2030;
•  reducing timeframes for filing administrative requests by staff and students to the best practices in the corporate sector (including online processing of requests);
• the average remuneration of managerial staff and operations staff shall reach 90% and 110%, respectively, of the average market rate; the variable component of the remuneration of both managerial staff and operations staff shall account for 15% and 25%, respectively; HSE University will have the opportunity to hire administrative and several technical staff with a basic knowledge of English; reducing turnover of administrative and technical staff at HSE University; boosting staff motivation and inclusion;
• by 2025 corporate digital services shall be supported by all University’s staff; 
• the development of the University’s IDP shall be completed by 2025; by 2027, it will be harmonized with adjacent state digital platforms/services;
• at least 50% of academic staff will play an active role in shared academic governance by 2030; at least 25% of staff will have taken part in the administrative development programme by 2030, or completed traineeships in a post superior to their own.

2.7. HSE University’s Financial Model

The University’s financial model is based on the principles of advanced investments in development, combining the resources of various programmes, and taking a proactive position at all levels of administration. HSE University is the largest non-financial non-profit organization in Russia in terms of earnings from the market - over 12 billion roubles in 2020 - and is included in the Top-3 largest Russian universities. It ranks 2^nd in terms of cumulative revenue, and 3^rd in terms of additional income in absolute terms. The resource management system developed at HSE University is characterized by a high degree of centralization of additional revenue ranging from 25% to 60% depending on the area of ​​activity. This allows for allocating significant funds to financing change. The University’s development budget is 27% of its total revenue; 85% of this provides support for the initiatives of researchers, staff and students, and competitive selection of the best proposals based on the standards previously approved by the Academic Council.

The increase of the University’s size took place while generally maintaining the structure of revenue sources due to the expansion of traditional forms of providing services and undertaking work, consistently expanding the University’s subject portfolio. Their share in education and science exceeds 75%.

The HSE Board of Trustees members include representatives of Russia’s largest businesses, which regularly provide financial support to the University. The HSE Endowment Fund has a total value exceeding 1 billion roubles.

Key areas for the financial model development:

• international market – a substantial expansion of the admission of international students, e.g., through promotion of English-taught educational products, both in the traditional (classroom-based) and online formats (further information about this is provided in subsection 2.1 “Educational Policy”);
• digital educational technologies – HSE University will expand its line of online products, virtual educational programmes across degree levels and loads, etc. (further information about this is provided in subsections 2.1 “Educational Policy” and 2.8 “Digital Transformation Policy”);
• developing network learning formats in partnership with other universities (further information about this is provided in subsection 2.1 “Educational Policy”);
• moving into new markets for CPD programmes and business programmes in the corporate sector (further information about this is provided in subsection 2.1 “Educational Policy”);
• additional options for generating income from R&D activities rely on the expansion of the University’s grant support system, enhancing the academic reputation of HSE University in new topical fields, growth of applied assignments, etc.; the total research grants, received by research centres and scholars at the University on a competitive basis, will double by 2024 and will be growing at this pace up until 2030.

HSE University will rely on its comparative advantage in its core activities: an exclusively high brand value on the national market and high visibility on the global market; it will continue to offer high-end and best-quality educational programmes and services in Russia, while also implementing products with the most favourable quality-to-price ratio on the global market for educational and consulting services.

To find additional developmental resources, the University will enhance its internal productivity by optimizing its portfolio of educational programmes and exclusion of duplication, by digitizing administrative and educational processes, transferring select staff to remote or blended work formats and transferring an ever-increasing part of the University’s educational programmes, courses and products to digital, remote and blended formats, improving flexibility of price policy, cutting down “fringe” costs and outsourcing several of its back-office and even core services (e.g., a new model for student accommodation – further information about this is provided in subsection 2.5 “Campus and Infrastructure Policy”).

Funds for the development programme will be secured from all types of the University’s revenue in line with its business plan.

The key parameters of the HSE University’s financial model by 2030 are the following:

• the cumulative gains on the University’s annual income (without Capex) are at least 80% (over 50 billion roubles);
• the share of additional (apart from main services) income in total income will come to 55% (e.g., income from budgetary sources following open competitions);
• total funds generated by the University every year from the Endowment and donations from trustees, business communities and alumni will double;
• every year, HSE University will earmark at least 25% of its cumulative income for the implementation of development projects; the strategic projects will be funded separately under the University’s financial plan, using the resources allocated for HSE University’s programmes and funds; that will allow for a comprehensive analysis of achieved results and expended resources;
• improving the University’s operational performance will guarantee income estimated at over 9.5 million roubles per academic staff member; the funds generated from R&D (excluding the funds coming for the project commissioned by the government) per one academic staff member will go up to 1.8 million roubles by 2030; and a share of administrators’ salaries will not exceed 14% of the total income;
• the University’s digital transformation (further information about this is provided in subsection 2.8 “Digital Transformation Policy”) will be an item of its advanced investments - by 2030, it will come to at least 10 billion roubles (up to 7% of the University’s annual revenue).   

The financial parameters and values of the programme’s indicators shall be adjusted according to the current conditions for the operations of Russian state institutions. Should the regulatory impact become more intensive and thus possibly curtail the economic autonomy of institutions, there may be risks of a slowdown in resource mobility, whereby the University will perhaps have to make respective amendments to the programme’s parameters.

2.8. Digital Transformation Policy

HSE University’s policy in the area of digital transformation is carried out under the Digital University model and aims to improve the quality of research and educational activities, as well as optimize management processes through the implementation and development of integrated digital solutions.

Today, over 70% of the processes of organizational, administrative, managerial, economic, financial and operational activities at the University are supported by information systems, including the new-generation educational support system (SmartLMS), the “One-stop Shop” that features over 90 administrative services (SmartPoint), an accounting and analytical platform (SmartReg), a research productivity monitoring system, a back-office support system (SmartBOSS), and a platform for collecting and analyzing data from HSE University and external information sources (SmartData). An information security system (SmartSecurity) is currently under development.

HSE University deploys digital infrastructure that includes data storage systems (956 servers and six data storage systems with a volume of 1.2PB), a mainline network infrastructure (61 locations, eight proprietary optical communication channels and 57 leased ones, 116 switching rooms and six main server rooms), and online channels with a bandwidth of up to 19 Gbps. Personal workplaces are equipped with computers for administrative employees. There are 147 computer labs, 762 classrooms with multimedia equipment, and 162 classrooms for blended learning.

HSE University’s digital transformation is aligned with the “Digital University” model and aims at boosting the quality of research and educational activities, while also optimizing administration processes through the introduction and development of integrated digital solutions.

The current situation and available resources in digital transformation processes are described in subsection 1.1 “Key results of development in the previous period and the existing potential”.

Key areas for digital transformation under the Digital University model:

• monitoring the achievement of Russia’s national developmental target “Digital Transformation” and the indicators of the Digital Economy of the Russian Federation national programme (within the scope of its responsibility for the respective outcomes of the “Digital State Administration” federal project);
• introducing digital end-to-end technologies in the educational, research and administrative/managerial activities at the University;
• launching digital services for all target groups: prospective students, undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, academic and administrative staff, and University’s partners;
• enhancing the accessibility of University’s services through the application of digital technologies and online tools, including remote access;
• upgrading University’s digital infrastructure: servers, switching, multimedia and data terminal equipment, supercomputing centre; ensuring University information security; 
• proposing new Big Data-based solutions for interested parties as a basis for decision-making processes and development under the data-driven administration paradigm (Data-Driven University).

As part of the Digital University model, the following areas of digital transformation will be completed by 2024:

• introducing intelligent system for University administration; creating a framework to support replicable solutions for digital resources and their subsequent adjustment in order to reduce labour intensity required for their development; 
• introducing fully functional mobile apps for all target user groups;
• building a contemporary virtual learning environment, which includes innovative platforms, educational marketplace services, management of individual educational trajectories, etc.;
• ensuring an optimal load of supercomputing facilities at the University with an ever-growing number of users, by continuously expanding and renewing supercomputing capacity;
• upgrading digital infrastructure at HSE University and reengineering of the user support service. 

By 2030, the efficient use of the end-to-end technologies is ensured, including the following:

• markup services for all categories of educational content for an integrated environment for working with all learners, along with life-long-learning services, services for virtual mentors and robot assistants;
• commercialization of inventions and innovations, marketing processes for the HSE-designed digital solutions and services;
• AI-driven technologies for managing the digital footprint, storing and safekeeping data;
• centralized management and monitoring of the infrastructure at all campuses and dormitories;
• effectiveness of administrative and back-office processes through their digitization.

Digital transformation facilitates the qualitative change of the University’s business processes and the emergence of important socio-economic effects with respect to education, science, knowledge and technology transfer, commercialization of inventions and innovations, as well as youth policy, including the following:

• monitoring digital transformation in economics and the social sphere, including the development of methods for calculating “digital maturity” indicators for economic sectors and the social sphere, as well as indicators for the Digital Economy of the Russian Federation national programme; 
• contributing to the accessibility of life-long learning, elimination of digital inequality through the development of e-learning technologies;
• popularization of student research by creating digital platforms for project proposals, job finding and career services;
• enhancing the University’s competitiveness on both international and Russian markets by developing the world-class research infrastructure, thus ensuring high-speed processing and analysis of large data sets;  
• boosting research teams’ motivation for the commercialization of inventions and innovations by enhancing practice-oriented research competencies, by directing their research designs towards real market demands, commercialization of their work in the most promising sectors (digital technology, neuro-technology, bio- and quantum technology, etc.);
• building the University’s image as a champion of digital innovation in science, general and higher learning through assistance in replicating its experience;
• training qualified personnel for the digital economy through the inclusion of all educational programmes modules developing supra-professional digital skills and competencies. 

2.9. Open Data Policy

As part of the digital transformation process, the University will create a unified open educational and research environment, with equal access for all potential target groups while also allowing for the provision of digital resources and services, open data and interfaces to all members of the University digital ecosystem.

HSE University operations result in primary research data presented in a form of databases generated by researchers while carrying out academic projects and data emerging during the University’s own institutional studies and preparation of statistical and analytical reports. The University’s activities with open data are informed by the provisions of part 4 art. 7 of the Federal Law No. 149-FZ “On Information, Information Technology and Protection”, dated July 27, 2006.

The key goal for releasing information in an open-data format is to create the conditions for generating maximum international, political, economic and social effects from their application by all interested parties: the state, business structures, society and other educational organizations.

Key areas in open data policy development:  

• ensuring the storage and accessibility of the results of empirical research by the academic community;
• providing access to information bases to be used by research, educational and business organizations and citizens to benefit their activities;
• creating additional opportunities for information exchange between market participants; developing services based on information in an open data format.

In its operations with open data, HSE University will rely on the following principles:

• the University’s compliance with state policy on digitization, informatization and data protection;
• openness of information posted as open data, its non-restricted availability; 
• responsibility for the quality of the posted open data (timely updates, safety, accuracy, authenticity);
• usability due to posting of primary (disaggregated) data in machine-readable non-proprietary formats;
• determining priorities on the basis of users’ feedback, thus improving the data sets’ framework;
• exchange and mutual data enrichment from leading research and state platforms;
• open data reuse and enrichment by students and staff as part of research activities.

Thanks to its open data policy, the University will determine criteria for attributing data sets to open data and standardize formats for their placement; creating an open data portal on the official HSE University website; setting up framework for open data administration and regulating operations with such data; automatizing the verification and update processes for posted data.

Expected effects from the University open data policy:

• with respect to education policy, closer integration with research and innovation, the use of research results by academic staff in order to improve and raise the quality of educational contents;
• with respect to research policy, systematization of information sources, enhancing the quality of empirical data, research, the citation index for academic publications, and authenticity of research; 
• with respect to youth policy, increasing student involvement in research and projects; introduction of creative initiatives to develop useful digital services and tools, which utilize the information in an open data format;
• with respect to the transfer of knowledge and technology, commercialization of intellectual property – expansion of cooperation with various organizations to form new partnerships.

2.10. An Ecosystem for the Transfer of Social Sciences and Humanities Technologies

Contemporary academic tools in economics and law, as well as statistical and investment practice, lack commonly accepted models for evaluating the efficiency of “soft” technologies, thus impeding the proper evaluation of its contributions and creation of venture mechanisms. 

HSE University’s policy in this field aims at forming up a transfer ecosystem for social sciences and humanities knowledge and technology, with an option for its further dissemination thanks to the establishment of a fundamentally new market for intellectual property, including the following:   

• developing normative, organizational/methodological and technical tools for the timely identification of intellectual property in social sciences and the humanities, acknowledging authorship and assigning respective copyrights, for its transfer, commercialization and effective introduction in economics turnover;   
• creating methods for gauging effects from non-commercial appropriation (social capitalization) of intellectual property and piloting the application thereof in the evaluation of research and creative projects’ performance by respective federal agencies (Russia’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Ministry of Economic Development, Accounts Chamber, and Ministry of Finance, respectively); 
• devising methodology for the evaluation of projects and current expenditures of the budget of the Russian Federation, of the municipal and corporate budgets, based on the premise of both conventional (input into GDP, contribution into state/corporate revenues) and non-conventional performance indicators (enhancing socio-economic and socio-political stability, guaranteeing Russia’s presence on global and S&T frontiers; improving Russia’s geopolitical positions). 

Key areas for developing policy for the creation of an ecosystem for the transfer of social sciences and humanities technology:

• developing a platform for accountability and management of intellectual property in social sciences and humanities, on the basis of HSE University’s information infrastructure (JESDA), a system for depositing and circulating intellectual property in social sciences and humanities FAN relying on a block-chain platform (IPChain, etc.), allowing for the publication of intellectual property with open and commercial access; testing platform development both at the University and in created consortiums;
• developing normative and organizational/methodological foundations for the operation of a platform for accountability and management of social sciences and humanities intellectual property, regular contribution to the published collections (e.g., strategies and mechanisms for assigning copyrights and commercialization for various types of intellectual property, creation of a system for monetary and non-monetary stimuli for using the platform for individual researchers and subdivisions, etc.);
• developing models for the evaluation of the non-commercial effects from the social sciences and humanities, e.g., inputs in economic growth, ensuring social stability and technological independence, strengthening of Russia’s geopolitical position; 
• devising models for the evaluation of projects and current expenditures from the budget of the Russian Federation, municipal and corporate budgets, based on both conventional and non-conventional performance criteria;
• instilling business and innovation culture in participants through the transfer ecosystem for the social sciences and humanities knowledge and technology (staff, students and doctoral students at HSE University, organizations/members in network partnerships and formed consortiums, etc.) through the launch of an integrated system for popularization and educational events; 
• forming organizational infrastructure and algorithms for evaluating the commercial potential of a given intellectual property, selecting the implementation strategies, market push and market pull processes, by constructing an interdisciplinary expert clusters (expert community) in various fields in social sciences and humanities and other creative activities; 
• designing incubation and acceleration programmes to commercialize social sciences and humanities knowledge and technology for industrial partners.

As a result of policy implementation to create an ecosystem for the transfer of social science and humanities technologies:

• a total commercialization revenue of intellectual property will increase 20 times by 2030;
• HSE University’s image of entrepreneurial university shall be shaped (a double income increase from license payments and return on investment in affiliated start-ups by 2030);   
• transaction costs on internal administration will be cut thanks to a decision-making base supporting specific topics, types of research and teams relying on the data on their demand and prospects;
• HSE University will become a leader in the overall total of social sciences and humanities intellectual property, published on the transfer platform for a newly created market sector for technology. 

Expected results from the policy to create an ecosystem for the transfer of social and humanities technologies:

• an instrument (accountability and management platform) and practices will be put in place for assigning and using rights to intellectual property in social sciences and humanities;
• a new segment of the national market for technologies in social sciences and humanities will be shaped by providing external users with access to publishing and acquiring (on a commercial basis) social sciences and humanities intellectual property; 
• models and methods will be developed for evaluating economic and social effects from social sciences and humanities technology;
• business activities in the R&D field will improve, including its university domain (funds raised through affiliated start-ups have increased by 50%);
• instruments for developing interdisciplinary and integrated research have been put in place by providing access to earlier R&D work carried out in the social sciences and humanities;
• social and economic impact of R&D projects is enhanced due to bringing intellectual property on the market; 
• instruments will be devised for stimulating HSE staff research and innovation undertaken by the University’s staff using financial remuneration and social promotion for the creation of intellectual property in social sciences and humanities; 
• methodological and empirical bases for student education and research will be developed by relying on access to materials and results of relevant R&D works in the social sciences and humanities; 
• instruments for stimulating active and productive student creative activities will be designed by setting up a platform for presenting and promoting their results (students and doctoral students are granted rights to deposit and disseminate intellectual property created during their studies).

2.11. Distributed University at Four Geographic Locations

HSE University has tested a model for the development of its (regional) campuses, located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod and Perm, as a single distributed campus, which would include, along with a single organizational and legal framework shared administrative bodies, normative/legal framework, shared key services (inter-campus e-courses/minors, intra-HSE academic mobility programme, “mirror” educational programmes, joint CPD programmes, distributed research subdivisions, streamlined instruments and standards for recruiting, evaluating and training academic staff across the University’s campuses, etc.)

This model has been a driving force behind a significant convergence of parameters for development and operational activities at the regional campuses and the head campus of the University: in 2020, the average faculty member salary in Moscow constituted 259% of the average Moscow salary;  in St. Petersburg  - 256% of the average salary in St. Petersburg; in Perm - 267% of the average Perm salary and in Nizhny Novgorod - 273; 10% of Moscow, 6% of Nizhniy Novgorod, 13% of Perm and 14% of St. Petersburg academic staff hold PhD degrees conferred by foreign universities.

For a number of key operational indicators, a significant difference among campuses still exists: in 2020, the average USE score of government-funded applicants was 95.2 points in Moscow; 92.8 points in St. Petersburg; 85.6 points in Perm; 88.0 points in Nizhny Novgorod; the total value of completed R&D per one academic staff member in Moscow was 2,031,600 roubles, in Nizhny Novgorod – 444,000 roubles, in St. Petersburg – 364,000 roubles, in Perm – 187,600 roubles.  

At the latest stage of its development, HSE University will develop into a single distributed campus through the implementation of a network of geographically spaced academic excellence (leadership) centres, characterized by a significant body of earlier completed world-class research projects, a broad range of partnerships with international and Russian scientific and educational centres, and by embracing a single culture and standards for personnel development, research, education, expert and analytical and project work for making a major contribution of the University to the innovative development of Russia’s territories, as well as its competitiveness at the global level.

Key areas of policy implementation include:

• effective participation in the global academic agenda in line with the objectives for Russia’s socio-economic development through the geographic representation of the University in various regions;
• ensuring the synergy of locally distributed university teams (academic excellence centres) for their interaction with local resources and assets in the various regions of Russia;
• ensuring equitable access to high-quality academic products for all geographically distributed stakeholders and consumers.

Expected results from the policy implementation:

• platform solutions will be introduced for creating inter-campus educational programmes, with a single administration centre;
• at the Bachelor’s level, the 2+2 learning model will be implemented, whereby students in their first and second years of study pursue inter-campus courses from the same pool of disciplines by using blended and remote learning modes; during their third and fourth years of study, professional and sectoral training will be provided to students. Master’s programmes will either replicate the aforementioned model for Bachelor’s studies or offered as an extension of an inter-campus Bachelor’s programme following the 2+2+2 model;
• inter-campus world-class research centres will be created to operate as the network of research teams at various campuses using “mirror” or distributed laboratory formats;
• instruments and mechanisms for interacting with partners through distributed centres for strategic corporate partnership will be consolidated as a “single point of contact” model;
• a distributed system of centres to engage in social partnerships with regional stakeholders shall be established, along with the implementation of volunteering programmes, cultural and outreach events, projects with NGOs, interactions with socially vulnerable groups and social entrepreneurship projects.

Expected policy results:

• testing and replicating the distributed university model throughout the Russian higher education system;
• increasing the concentration of the University’s resources in line with specialization, reducing transaction costs between university local sites;
• enhancing the research teams’ potential and readiness to respond to the challenges of Russia’s socio-economic development by conducting joint and complementary research;
• improved reputation of the sites of the distributed university as the points of attraction for leading Russian and international scholars, along with highly qualified specialists;
• increasing the quality of educational products through collaborations and inter-campus partnerships;
• intensifying students’ focus on their careers in those regions where the University’s campuses are located;
• building a sustainable system for interaction with local communities, providing strong contributions to the development of Russia’s regions.

2.12. The University’s Contributions to Development of the Education System in Russia; Cooperation between the University and Public

To support the University's contribution to the development of Russia’s education system, as well as interaction between the University and public at large, HSE University strives to be a socially responsible university, implementing and supporting large-scale initiatives and projects to address social problems and promote national academic environment.

HSE University has the most developed system of collaboration with primary and secondary schools in Russia with the aim of developing specialized and pre-professional education in high school. The programmes include the HSE Lyceum in Moscow (nearly 2,000 pupils), 27 schools with “distributed lyceum” classes, and a network of 427 partner schools in 57 Russian regions. The programme is being implemented to support schools working in difficult conditions, the “Social Elevator” project for disadvantaged applicants which, in 2020, helped admit to the University 97 individuals from 48 Russian regions.

A total of 3,000 school and university staff were trained in 2020 in various CPD programmes. As part of the University Partnership programme, staff and doctoral students from Russian universities have internships at HSE University. In 2020, more than 400 employees from 107 Russian universities and research organizations from 56 Russian regions completed internships at HSE University in face-to-face and digital formats.  In 2020, a total of 53 postdocs from 25 Russian cities participated in joint research projects with HSE researchers. A total of 13 “mirror” laboratories with regional universities and an e-course for Russian universities on the digitization of education have been developed. Network programmes are being offered in partnership with 72 Russian universities.

As part of its third mission, HSE University carries out various activities to develop urban areas, educational projects, and social projects and popularize science and higher education, it also creates platforms for discussion. Since 2012, the “University Open to the City” project has been carrying out the University’s potential as the largest cultural actor in the regions of its presence. “The Active Life of the Older Generation” project, and the HSE Volunteer Centre have been created. In 2020, the University’s educational events reached 50,000 people. In 2020, the University championed a systemic approach to its third mission in the academic environment. The University has implemented organizational framework for the third mission to be integrated with education and research. In addition, HSE University is a key partner of the “Knowledge” Society, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives, the “Russia - Land of Opportunities” Foundation, and it actively cooperates with “Sirius” (Russian organization for early support of the talented children).

The University’s goal is to drive positive social change through its contribution to the development of Russia’s education system, along with the implementation of its third mission.

Key areas for the University’s contributions to Russia’s educational system and its own third mission:

• supporting the development of regional education systems through the implementation of joint educational programmes, network partnerships with Russian universities (further information about this is provided in subsection 2.1 “Educational Policy”), along with the transfer of educational technology, including the development of digital skills;
• academic cooperation with Russian universities by creating “mirror” laboratories (the creation of 35 labs by 2030);
• training highly qualified instructors, researchers and administrators for Russian universities by organizing internships and Russian postdoc programmes at the University, financed by HSE (over 1,200 internships by 2030, over 100 postdocs every year);
•  enhancing academic culture and the quality of publications by Russian researchers through systemic work with regional authors (150 articles of regional authors in the University’s journals by 2030);
• developing new instruments for assessing subject-based and universal educational achievements;
• disseminating educational innovation through an international competition for innovation in education;
• developing a network of lyceums (math and science high schools) incorporated in HSE University, a network of base schools with classes under a distributed lyceum system, programmes for methodological support of schools operating in disadvantaged areas;
• organizing a system of intellectual competitions for young people, including the development of content and formats for events; conduct international research on intellectual contests by opening a distributed system among HSE University faculties and laboratories for intellectual contests;
• providing research which can benefits federal educational policy, regional and municipal authorities educational organizations, as well as instructors, parents, and learners;
• achieving objectives of sustainable development through the integration of socially important topics into educational process and using project-based learning;
• developing inter-campus network interaction during the implementation of the University’s third mission;
• developing a system for stimulating and supporting student and staff participation in the third-mission projects;
• expanding social projects’ partnerships with regional universities, NGOs, real-sector organizations, authorities and federally-funded organizations;
• developing digital infrastructure for the third mission.

Expected policy results:

• lack of horizontal ties will be overcome in the Russian academic community through the formation of institutional partnerships with regional universities;
• various sustainable intra-university academic collaborations will be started, thus producing new research results;
• academic mobility among Russian universities will increase significantly;
• the quality of education provided by regional universities will improve significantly, along with the accessibility of best educational programmes and teaching methodologies disseminated by HSE University via digital and online tools;
• tools for monitoring and analytical support for transformation of educational systems will be introduced (monitoring of education economics, longitudinal studies, monitoring of digital transformation and market for educational technologies, etc.);
• the University, jointly with experts and practitioners from relevant countries, will host a unique platform for analyzing education development in post-Soviet countries;
• tools for assessing the effectiveness of educational innovations will be developed;
• replicable competencies and skills assessment tools will be designed;
• jointly with partner organizations and development institutions, HSE University will take a lead in the analysis of best practices for university participation in socio-economic development of regions;
• HSE University’s experience with the third mission will be replicated by other academic institutions through HSE’s free digital internships and by organizing events for sharing experience at regional academic institutions;
• 1.5x growth (by 2030) in the number of students and employees, engaged in socially oriented and socially impactful projects for Russia’s regions and organizations.

'Priority 2030' Development Programme