The attainment of the Programme’s goals and objectives shall be implemented through interconnected activities with respect to their timeframes, resources and funding sources under the Development Programme. 

The modernization of HSE University’s educational activities includes the following measures:

• moving to a completely new, flexible and open model of education, which relies on the University’s own educational standards and can harness digital technologies and global educational, academic and professional resources, e.g., those provided by external parties;
• developing student project work as a core element in educational processes, involving students in basic, exploratory and applied research in professional applied projects, engaging an ever increasing body of undergraduate and graduate students in research, professional and educational projects at the University, e.g., paid placements;
• implementing a digital platform for selecting and building an individual educational trajectory for every student with the inclusion of educational modules drawn from courses, projects, research (project) seminars and internships, e.g., those provided by external parties;
• introducing educational trajectories under Master’s programmes (a general track aimed at both applicants who wish to expand their knowledge in an earlier studied field and candidates who are interested in changing their field of study or supplementing their competencies with those from another field; an applied professional track with a focus on specific job markets and including professional internships and applied projects as one of the key components; a research (academic) track launched in partnership with the University’s  doctoral schools and/or   research subdivisions);   
• raising the total number of joint departments as part of efforts aimed at intensifying practice-focused operations in various fields;
• bolstering doctoral programmes through the involvement of doctoral students in major S&T projects;
• shaping individual trajectories for doctoral students, e.g., training of research personnel, not only for academic and education careers but also for research clusters in the corporate sector;
• increasing financial provision for doctoral students up to a paygrade not below the average pay in their respective region;
• supporting academic mobility for doctoral students;
• promoting institutional partnerships with regional academic institutions with a particular focus on training qualified researchers;
• moving to teaching core and parts of optional courses as per a blended-learning model (i.e., a combination of digital tools and traditional contact, in-class formats), with the use of AI-based tools for generating and grading assignments, along with augmented and virtual reality technologies, simulators and smart training devices;  
• providing students from all educational programmes with options for mastering instrumental social and general cultural skills (e.g., in economics and law), digital competencies, presentation and communication abilities, as well as entrepreneurial competencies;  
• providing an ever increasing body of Russian students at the University with academic mobility options with respect to partnerships with top domestic and international universities, e.g., those offered under blended learning and online formats;
• launching a vast range of educational programmes, taught fully online (in Russian and other languages), starting up tracks taught entirely in a foreign language under usually Russian-taught educational programmes, along with the intensification of individual educational trajectories for international learners;   
• developing continuing educational programmes, e.g., mass and specialized CPD programmes, both at specialized subdivisions and faculties, accompanied with entry onto the market for high-margin programmes in professional retraining and advanced training of middle/senior managers and experts/specialists;
• reshaping a system for CPD and business education, with a focus on bridging current fragmentation, as well as creating a world-class business school with an international programme (European Foundation for Management Development Programme Accreditation System and Association of Masters of Business Administration) and institutional (European Quality Improvement System and Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation and that of major organizations with sector-based specialization; this objective calls for, among other things, the construction of a state-of-the-art  business school campus;   
• developing a portfolio of the University’s network programmes, implemented jointly with Russian and foreign universities, specifying the liability borne on the part of the respective educational provider in terms of quality of education and competencies obtained through such learning formats as double degree and specialization programmes (mandatory selection of courses covering interlinked topics), as confirmed by certificates issued by HSE University, delivered as part of respective core degree programmes at partner universities, and blended-learning programmes, as confirmed by certificates issued by the University, taught with the use of MOOCs offered by the University; 
• producing and updating MOOCs and specializations (on the part of HSE University) on national and global online education platforms, on the basis of all core (mandatory) subjects of educational programmes at an educational organization, specially developed for the core subjects of degree programmes;  
• maintaining high-quality of students admitted to both government-funded places and fee-paying places financed under agreements for the provision of paid educational services, with an average USE score coming to at least 90 points (for government-funded spots) and 80 points (for studies funded by individuals and/or legal entities) in Moscow, as well as at least 87 points and 77 points, respectively, at HSE University’s regional campuses;   
• creating an online platform, permitting the use of flexible approaches to selecting and recruiting applicants, which will be also utilized for developing and holding new-generation intellectual competitions, aimed at identifying and enhancing both academic knowledge and practical socio-psychological skills, project thinking and teamwork skills;   
• expanding the line of intellectual competitions for students, e.g., for the purposes of selecting applicants to Master’s programmes, organizing competitions in a broad range of fields, as taught at the University (case championships, hackathons, business games, court proceedings simulation, etc.), coupled with the systematic participation of students in large internationally held competitions.  

In order to step up the introduction and enhancement of project-based learning, the following efforts are planned:

• updating basic and working curricula, which facilitate the application of a project-based approach to the implementation of core degree programmes; 
• building a stimulus system for the University’s teachers and researchers to supervise student projects, e.g., the provision of bonuses and the reduction of teaching loads for the best project supervisors; launching practice-oriented courses to train supervisors of student projects;    
• holding project sessions with top companies and socially focused NGOs, research centres, with the aim of building a portfolio of research and applied projects, which can be carried out with the involvement of students;
• ensuring extensive growth in the total number of project groups and project laboratories, thus contributing to students’ involvement in professional project-focused activities;
• opening project offices, providing methodological support for the organization of project learning, as well as development and introduction of a system to monitor its quality, across faculties and at respective large research subdivisions at HSE University. 

The University’s modernization of research and innovative activities include the following efforts:

• formulating integrated interdisciplinary S&T programmes, capable of meeting emerging challenges; 
• creating a database system with socio-economics data (as part of the Joint Economic and Social Data Archive at HSE University) modelled on “megascience” concepts and tools for overseeing their circulation with the use of block-chain technologies;
• expanding the personnel pool for R&D work at the University through early engagement of the most talented learners in project activities, wide-ranging engagement of postdocs and interns, opening of “mirror” laboratories at Russian regional universities;  
• formulating a model for organizing research activities at faculties, relying on support for team (broad) academic projects and project groups (centres and laboratories), with the delegation of a share of resources to respective faculties’ subdivisions and with the authorization independent decision-making in regards to support allocation to team projects; 
• valorization of knowledge, diffusing research results for the purpose of raising the living standards of the population and the competitiveness of Russia’s economy, forecasting and assessing the effects from socio-economic policy;
• initiating technological consortiums, widening participation in the operations of innovative regional clusters and technological platforms.

Priority fields for integrated interdisciplinary S&T programmes, capable of meeting emerging challenges, shall include:

• development of individual and human capital; 
• reduction of inequality;
• managing social development and raising quality of life;
• economic growth and economic development policy;
• S&T development and digital transformation of the economy and society;
• boosting the performance of business and state administration;
• ensuring the security of citizens, society and the state;
• measurements and analysis in social sciences and economics;
• urban development and transport policy;
• neurosciences and high-tech healthcare;
• engineering of the Internet of Things and cyber-physical systems;
• Big Data and applied AI;
• machine learning as a framework for applied AI, etc.

While the implementation of both the Development Programme and the Strategy for Science and Technology Development of the Russian Federation, as approved by Decree of the President of the Russian Federation No. 642 “On the Strategy for Science and Technology Development of the Russian Federation”, dated December 1, 2016, is underway, the list of the aforementioned priority fields may be further updated. An important instrument for their implementation within the framework of integrated interdisciplinary S&T programmes is “major projects”, which are large-scale R&D projects, allowing for effective solutions to socio-economic and technological tasks on an interdisciplinary basis. A key feature of such programmes and “major projects” is their focus on finding solutions to external requests in the interests of the state, business and society as a whole (i.e., generating the public good).

In addition, priority fields shall include:

in the natural sciences, technological and cognitive research – forming clusters with high tech equipment and high-speed processing of big arrays of data; creating its own state-of-the-art equipment base along with the use of equipment of partners (Russian Academy of Sciences and common-use centres with scientific equipment and unique research installations);  

in the social sciences and humanities – priority support for international comparative projects drawing upon empirical research, monitoring (e.g., longitudinal) studies, expeditions, specialized statistical and sociological surveys, which provide evidence for informational, analytical and expert support in the development of evidence-based socio-economic, S&T, innovation and culture policies.

The promotion of HSE University in the global arena shall include the following efforts:

• quality transformation of international competitive events (e.g., olympiads) to attract the best talent among applicants;  
• creating specializations on international educational platforms for promoting the University’s educational programmes and academic schools on the global education market;  
• opening information offices and resource centres in key partner countries;
• devising new formats for holding international forums and conferences;
• promoting HSE University’s international brand online.

Development of HSE University’s HR potential shall include the following efforts:

• building a differentiated and flexible system of professional trajectories for academic staff (academic, practice-oriented and teaching tracks) with special selection, incentivizing and review mechanisms; 
• ensuring basic professional standards for all staff members (digital and social skills, proficiency in English, skills for navigating information and library systems, intercultural communication skills, etc.);
• introducing a system for continuing professional development of staff based on individual plans;
• enhancing professional requirements amidst the stabilization of contractual terms for top specialists and the extension of employment agreements’ average terms and the duration for paying merit bonuses, as provided for in HSE University’s internal bylaws;    
• creating conditions for recruiting young staff (special FTE rates, running programmes for attracting and integrating international and Russian postdocs);
• ensuring productive career completion for distinguished staff members;
• developing administrative and support staff; incentivizing staff in order to enhance the performance of the University’s operations;
• enhancing the social responsibility of HSE University as an employer and improving the benefits package for staff.

The development of a digital university includes the following efforts:

• provision of digital services for specific groups of functional clients and interested parties;  
• formulating methodological approaches to digital transformation and the “digital university” model;
• application of digital end-to-end technologies for educational, academic and administrative operations at the University;
• developing digital services for all target users – applicants, students, graduates, academic and managerial staff, partners and the University’s guests;
• enhancing state-of-the-art digital infrastructure at the University, upgrading server, switching, multimedia and terminal hardware; developing its supercomputer facilities;
• ensuring information security of the University’s operations; safekeeping of virtual documents and information, e.g., personal data;  
• proposing new opportunities for all interested parties with the support of advanced digital technologies, tools and Big Data-driven analysis as a framework for decision-making and development within the paradigm of the “data-driven university” concept;  
• improving the accessibility of educational programmes and services provided by HSE University through digital technologies and online tools, e.g., remote access, e.g., from outside of the University.

The progress towards the achievement of the “Digital Transformation” national objective and targets of the “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation” national programme shall be monitored by the University as an institution responsible for the respective outcome of the “Digital State Administration” federal project under the “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation” national programme.

HSE University’s contributions to the development of Russia’s educational system shall include the following efforts:

• making contributions to the development of HR pools of academic institutions, e.g., through holding online seminars and conferences, organizing joint academic and teaching teams, which can rely on the University’s network resources, as well as implementing internships and advanced training programmes for teachers, researchers and administrators, as well as a programme for Russian postdocs;  
• developing a network format for educational programmes, whereby students from partner universities can take HSE University’s e-courses;
• implementing a programme to encourage research productivity among authors from partner universities through selecting promising academic articles and preparing them for print in HSE University journals in line with international standards;
• supporting the development of general education in Russia’s regions through analysis and research, widening and providing further methodological support for a network of base schools, training managerial and teaching staff, designing contents and learning methods, as well as issuing recommendations for the development of schools operating in socially deprived areas; 
• creating a national case centre using cases drawn from Russian companies and supporting the development of up-to-date executive education at Russia’s academic institutions;
• providing open access to research results generated at HSE University for both Russian and foreign academics, teachers and students; popularizing key research findings;
• creating a methodological centre for new approaches to assessing educational outcomes, with the option of remote automated checks of assignments, along with the provision of automated feedback to various user groups (e.g., learners, educators, administrators, etc.);  
• developing social volunteering activities among students;
• social support for students, e.g., providing work placements at the University, supporting their physical and mental health, promoting their psychological stability and consciousness; 
• stepping up research and expert activities in the interests of the cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Perm and Nizhny Novgorod covering the respective aspects of urban development, economic, social, innovative development and environmental policies, along with energy, transportation, e-services and “smart city” technologies; 
• expanding outreach through cultural and educational activities and events under the “University Open to the City” project;  
• developing the “Rediscovering Russia” student expedition programme, expanding cooperation with regions, partner universities and organizations.   

The development of a management consulting system shall include the following efforts:

• shaping an HR and methodological framework for competence centres;  
• creating a competence centre on digital transformation of state administration and regulation of sectoral development in the Russian Federation;
• formulating methods for project-based administration upon the implementation of the digital transformation of the system for the state administration and regulation of the sectoral development, as well as sector-focused digital transformation models (e.g., product and process models, data models, principles by type and for digital transformation policy, methods for monitoring sectoral digitization, technological roadmaps, etc.);  
• devising digital expert and analytical tools for monitoring and analyzing the results of the digital transformation of economic sectors and state administration, developed on the principles of the data-driven administration concept;  
• forming methods for developing digital infrastructure and databases with architecture solutions, which may be applied for digitizing respective sectors of the economy and state administration;
• generating bases of knowledge and best practices in the digitization of respective economic sectors and state administration.

The development of facilities and social infrastructure includes the following efforts:

• implementing measures to ensure the provision to HSE University of property (academic and laboratory spaces and dormitories) in line with average infrastructural provision for the academic sector;  
• creating at HSE University contemporary academic, educational and recreational spaces, while also stimulating academic and educational communication, as well as student project work;  
• introducing a unified standard for administrative, informational and infrastructural services, thus ensuring the University’s competitiveness globally, and developing  campus project design, embedding a common design for both the overall environment and various information resources;  
• developing a system to provide accommodation to international students and learners from other Russian regions, giving due consideration to their budgets and preferences and offering organized access to various types of accommodation and property within learners’ requested parameters. 

The Programme’s activities are planned to be implemented in two stages:

Stage 1 – in 2021 through 2024;

Stage 2 – in 2025 through 2030.

The Development Programme’s implementation plan can be found in Annex 1.

Financial provision for activities under the Programme is specified in Annex 2.

The Programme’s target indicators can be viewed in Annex 3.  

Information about the Programme’s inclusion of activities aimed at supporting the achievement of the national development goals of the Russian Federation can be viewed in Annex 4.