Leonid Gokhberg

HSE University is completing the transformation of the Unified Archive of Economic and Social Data into the Centre for Transfer and Management of Socio-Economic Information. As part of this process, the HSE University Repository of Socio-Economic Information has already been launched. Vera Vishnyakova, Centre Director, spoke to the HSE News Service about these changes and how they will affect the university, scientists, and students.

In September, the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge hosted an international working meeting with representatives from Brazilian, Egyptian, and Indian think tanks. The participants discussed opportunities for cooperation, including joint surveys, comparative studies, databases, and publications on foresight, technology, and innovation. It was also decided to draft a multilateral agreement to establish the BRICS Foresight Association.

On September 20, a delegation from the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) visited HSE University. The Rector of HSE University Nikita Anisimov and the Chairman of the Academy Châu Văn Minh discussed promising avenues for cooperation in the fields of education and science. The heads of HSE departments presented the opportunities the university provides to international students and researchers.

Researchers at HSE ISSEK have released the third ranking of megacities based on their innovation attractiveness—HSE Global Cities Innovation Index 2024 (HSE GCII 2024). Moscow ranks ninth, while London, New York, and Tokyo lead the ranking. The top ten also include Beijing, San Francisco, Paris, Shanghai, Los Angeles, and Seoul. In addition to Moscow, 25 other Russian cities are among the top 1,000, including St. Petersburg (73), Novosibirsk (183), and others.

HSE University, in collaboration with Sber, have conducted a foresight study on artificial intelligence (AI). Its early results were discussed by the participants of a strategic foresight session on exploratory research in AI, held at the Coordination Centre of the Russian Government, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko. The results from the foresight study will inform the Unified Research and Development Programme in the Field of AI.

HSE University hosted an international mini-conference titled 'Search for new ways to develop Russian-Italian cooperation in the field of Biomedicine,' attended by scientists from both countries and HSE Rector Nikita Anisimov.

On March 27, 2024 the first meeting of the newly-elected HSE Academic Council was held. The meeting approved the list and composition of commissions responsible for the preliminary consideration of issues prior to their inclusion in the Council’s agenda. The attendees also discussed Russia's technological priorities and outlined ways for university staff members to participate in addressing technological development challenges.

On March 29, HSE University signed a cooperation agreement with the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR). The agreement outlines the primary areas of cooperation between the organisations, including participation in NICA Megascience Project experiments, collaborative activities in theoretical physics and information technology, and the development of human resources through joint training initiatives.

Human Capital Multidisciplinary Research Center has published a special issue of the research digest. It presents the results of a ranking that classified Russian regions into four groups with different patterns and conditions for the development of creative industries: “leaders” (21), “evolutionary” (19), “effective” (15) and “catching up” (30 regions of the Russian Federation).

HSE University Rector Nikita Anisimov has held a meeting with a delegation from the United Arab Emirates headed by Undersecretary of Academic Affairs for Higher Education at the Ministry of Education Mohammed Ibrahim Al Mu’alla. Representatives of leading universities in the UAE took part in the meeting.

HSE University’s Development Programme until 2030 will be improved in order to increase the university’s contribution to achieving national goals and implementing the priorities of the country’s scientific and technological development. This decision was made by the university’s Academic Council on April 26. The meeting also addressed the principles for the development of HSE University’s external communications, one of which is the creation of a high-quality information field around the university.

The Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation has announced the results of a competition to support the creation and development of centres for technology transfer. A total of 58 applications from universities and research institutes were submitted to the contest. Twenty winning projects have received support, including the HSE University Centre for Technology Transfer. The university plans to become a leader in implementing a cooperative technology transfer model.

The Human Capital Multidisciplinary Research Centre, established in 2020 and coordinated by HSE University, recently held a session of the International Supervisory Board and presented work results for the period of 2020-2022 along with plans for 2023-2025, including fundamental and applied research in the field of human development, creation of unique empirical databases for the development of evidence-based social and economic policies, and the introduction of digital approaches in humanities and social sciences.

The Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) at HSE University estimates the trajectories of 76 economies in the Global Innovation Index (GII) from 2017 to 2021 and analyses recipes for innovative success.

Will new technologies divide or unite people and society? What mechanisms should be used to balance society’s interests and progress so that innovation does not dehumanize humans? How should interaction between humans and AI be structured? Is all technology good for people? TheXXIII Yasin (April) International Academic Conference of HSE University discusses these questions and more.

HSE University academics held a discussion with Maxim Oreshkin, presidential aide and graduate of the HSE University, as part of theXXIII Yasin (April) International Academic Conference. They talked about the current socioeconomic situation and the future of Russia's development. The discussion was moderated by HSE Academic SupervisorYaroslav Kuzminov.

The bachelor's programmes of the HSE Graduate School of Business in Business Administration and Marketing and Market Analytics and the English-language Master's programme of HSE ISSEK ‘Governance of Science, Technology and Innovation’ have been accredited by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD). Earlier, the Master’s in Finance offered by HSE University in St. Petersburg also received accreditation in the Economics category. Having four degree programmes recognized by EFMD is an unrivalled achievement for Russian universities.

Domestic and foreign policies of leading countries reveal an ever more outstanding science and technology agenda. The participants of the XI International Academic Conference ‘Foresight and Science, Technology and Innovation Policy’, conducted on October 15–25, 2021, reviewed new aspects of doing joint R&D projects that the countries have considered and ways of securing competitive advantages of national science through strengthening ties with both businesses and authorities and engaging a wider audience.

Russia has improved its position in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021, ranking 45th among 132 economies and closing the distance to leading countries thanks to better performance in all areas of research, innovation, and creative activities. For the past several years, the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) at HSE University has provided advice on the research underlying the index. This year, ISSEK became one of the nine members of the GII Academic Partners Network.

HSE University has been named a leading Russian university in the Times Higher Education (THE) rankings for the fourth year in a row. HSE ranked third among Russian universities and appeared in the 301–350 bracket worldwide.

Today we congratulate Leonid Gokhberg, First Vice Rector and Director of the HSE Institute of Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge with his anniversary.

Yaroslav Kuzminov, HSE Academic Supervisor, and Leonid Gokhberg, First HSE Vice Rector, spoke at an expert meeting with Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chair of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, on issues of Russia’s technological development. They outlined the current state of research and development and offered suggestions on how to gear the economy towards innovation.

On Friday, June 11, UNESCO held a ceremony to launch its new UNESCO Science Report, which arrives at a crucial moment as countries reach the halfway mark of meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. The Report shows that, over the past five years, countries of all income levels have begun efforts to transition to economies that are both digital and green. At the ceremony, six of the Report’s authors provided overviews of trends in their regions. Representing the East European region was Professor Leonid Gokhberg, First Vice Rector of the HSE University and Director of the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK).

This report presented by the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge of the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE ISSEK) is dedicated to the statistical measurement of the creative economy of Moscow.

Moscow is not only Russia’s official capital, but its creative capital as well. 54% of the added value of the country’s creative industries is generated here. This was one of the findings presented in the report, ‘Moscow’s Creative Economy in Figures’, prepared jointly by HSE researchers and the Moscow Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development.

The competition for promising young researchers is intensifying around the world, and spending on preparing future generations of highly qualified specialists is on the rise. This is happening against a backdrop of digitalisation, which is creating a new digital inequality. For example, a quarter of the adult population in Russia does not possess any digital skills and does not use the Internet. These and other topics were discussed by participants of a round table held during the XXII April International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development organised by HSE University and Sberbank.

The competition for promising young researchers is intensifying around the world, and spending on preparing future generations of highly qualified specialists is on the rise. This is happening against a backdrop of digitalisation, which is creating a new digital inequality. For example, a quarter of the adult population in Russia does not possess any digital skills and does not use the Internet. These and other topics were discussed by participants of a round table held during the XXII April International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development organised by HSE University and Sberbank.

HSE University has signed cooperation agreements with two of the world's leading research centres, NISTEP (Japan) and TIFAC (India), which provide their governments with analytical support to inform science and technology forecasting and science and technology policy.

Elsevier (operated by Scopus) has awarded its prestigious Research Excellence Award since 2005. This year, it celebrates the Year of Science and Technology in Russia. On March 30, Elsevier awarded the winning scholars, which included Maxim Kotsemir, Research Fellow at the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, and Dmitry Vetrov, Professor at the HSE Faculty of Computer Science.

Can we really say that digitalization has affected everyone and every aspect of people’s lives? Leonid Gokhberg, First Vice Rector, Director of the Institute of Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK), has shared his opinion on this matter, referring to official statistics and sociologic surveys done by HSE University.

On December 4, the International Advisory Board of the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge of HSE University met for its annual meeting. It was an anniversary event, as was the X Foresight Conference that preceded it. Largely thanks to the online format, the assembled board was the most representative of the field in its history. Experts from 20 international partner centres assessed ISSEK’s activities over the past year and proposed a wide range of topics for new research.

How can we achieve balanced growth of the global economy? What is a human-centred approach for economic growth? How can we measure the contribution of corporations to sustainable development? On December 1- 2, visionaries of sustainable development — more than 50 international experts from 23 countries, including representatives of government organizations and businesses, non-profit organizations, and civil society activists — will answer these questions at the Global Impact Conference.

This week, researchers from all over the world have gathered online for the 10^th annual International Academic Conference ‘Foresight and STI Policy’ at HSE University. One of the cross-cutting themes of the anniversary forum, which will be held from November 9 to 13, is lessons learned from the pandemic and the crisis’s effects in future scenarios.

This week, researchers from all over the world have gathered online for the 10^th annual International Academic Conference ‘Foresight and STI Policy’ at HSE University. One of the cross-cutting themes of the anniversary forum, which will be held from November 9 to 13, is lessons learned from the pandemic and the crisis’s effects in future scenarios.

According to HSE University’s Global Cities Innovation Index, New York and London are the world’s most attractive megacities to innovators implementing creative and technological initiatives. Moscow ranked among the rating’s top ten cities, leading in the areas of ‘Innovation Infrastructure’ and ‘Digital Infrastructure and Services’. HSE researchers presented the index at this year’s Open Innovations Forum.

On October 19, the first public presentation and discussion of the HSE Global Cities Innovation Index will take place at this year’s international Open Innovations Forum. The index, developed by HSE University researchers, is the first of its kind.

For the first time, experts from HSE University presented the results of a large-scale pilot study of Moscow’s creative industries. The sector’s share in the city’s economy amounts to 6.3%, with almost three-quarters of the added value of the capital’s creative sector provided by advertising, IT and broadcasting. These and other data were presented during the round table entitled ‘Creative Industries: Content, Measurement and Support Measures’.

HSE University, together with the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, MGIMO, and the RAS Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, received a grant for their proposed world-class research centre as part of Russia’s National Project for Science. It is the first time the national project has awarded a research centre proposal in the humanities and social sciences.

As the situation with COVID-19 has shown, mistakes associated with insufficiently developed policy measures in medicine, science, education and other socially significant sectors of the economy are very costly for society. In the July issue of Nature, Leonid Gokhberg, First Vice Rector of HSE University and ISSEK Director, discussed the topic of the growing practice of making management decisions based on big data analysis.

Jonathan Calof has been cooperating with HSE since 2009. In an interview with HSE News Service he talks about how his involvement with HSE began, what projects he has been part of, and how he has organized his online work during the recent lockdown.

This is how Konstantin Fursov, Associate Professor, Deputy Director of Centre for Statistics and Monitoring of S&T and Innovation at ISSEK, called this Open Doors Day. Traditionally a meeting with interested candidates and Programme representatives is scheduled for Mid April, but for the first time –in online format.

HSE University has become a member of the Moscow Innovation Cluster (MIC) and joined the i.moscow digital platform. The University will be able to collaborate with other participants in the Moscow innovation ecosystem, as well as seek partners for joint research and development testing.

This pocket data book contains the main S&T and innovation indicators for the Russian Federation. The publication includes the most recent statistical data on R&D input and output, as well as international comparisons.

The Russian Science Foundation has announced the winners of four 2020 competitions. Some of the winners are from HSE University. They have received grants of 12 to 24 million roubles, for a term of two to four years.

This year, HSE University has entered four additional QS World University Rankings by Subject, thereby bringing its grand total of represented broad and specific subject areas to 23. HSE ranks in 19 of the 38 subject rankings that include Russian universities, as well as in four of the ranking’s five broad subject areas. HSE is among the world’s top 100 universities in five subjects, including History and Social Policy & Administration, where it has entered the rankings for the first time.

HSE University and Russia’s Federal State Statistics Service (Rosstat) will organize working groups on issues related to statistical accounting and implement several joint research projects. On February 28, HSE Rector Yaroslav Kuzminov and Rosstat Head Pavel Malkov signed a roadmap outlining the planned bilateral cooperation.

On February 6, 2020, HSE University hosted an expert seminar, ‘Global and Russian Trends in Cluster Development and Regional Competitiveness’. The event was organized by the Russian Cluster Observatory based at HSE University’s Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK HSE). Keynote speaker Dr. Christian Ketels spoke about cluster policy and regional competitiveness in other parts of the world in order to further discussion about what form cluster policy should take in Russia.

Additive technologies including 3D-printing are growing faster than 75% of other relevant digital technology areas, noted Leonid Gokhberg, HSE First Vice-Rector and ISSEK Director, at the forum ‘Additive Technologies, Growing Horizons’ hosted by the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) on 3 December 2019.

Being cross-cutting in nature, digital technologies permeate all spheres of life and all industries. Evaluating their effects and the contribution to production and social development comes to the forefront of national statistical services’ agenda, along with developing new tools and methods to measure this domain. On 15 November Leonid Gokhberg, HSE First Vice-Rector and ISSEK Director, spoke about the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge’s approaches to identifying the boundaries, and assessing the effects of digital economy at the panel discussion ‘Measuring the Digital Economy’ in the scope of the Rosstat conference.

HSE took 94^th place in the THE ranking in Business & Economics, outperforming all the other Russian universities in this subject. In addition, the university entered the ranking in Law for the first time (151+ cohort), becoming the only Russian university represented there.

Moscow, Tatarstan and St. Petersburg are the leaders of the new ranking. Based on 53 indicators, the ranking can be used by regional governments to develop and optimize their innovation policy. The ranking presentation was held on October 31 at a press conference hosted by the TASS news agency.

On 28 June, 2019 a graduation ceremony of the ISSEK Master’s Programme ‘Governance of Science, Technology and Innovation’ took place at the Higher School of Economics.

The HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge presents results of the pilot calculation of internal expenditures on digital economy development, based on data collected in the course of federal statistical observations and by the Bank of Russia. According to the HSE ISSEK estimates, in 2017 internal expenditures on digital economy development amounted to approximately 3.3 trillion roubles, or 3.6% of GDP.

This May, HSE and the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI, Republic of Korea) signed a cooperation agreement on science and advanced technology research. This agreement was signed by Leonid Gokhberg, HSE First Vice Rector, Director of the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, and Dr. Hwang-Hee Cho, STEPI President.

This May, HSE and the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI, Republic of Korea) signed a cooperation agreement on science and advanced technology research. This agreement was signed by Leonid Gokhberg, HSE First Vice Rector, Director of the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, and Dr. Hwang-Hee Cho, STEPI President.

Following the Open Doors Day of the ISSEK Master’s Programme ‘Governance of Science, Technology and Innovation’ we’ve summarised the most important aspects of the feedback received from managers, teachers, and partners. This can serve as a kind of checklist for those who are considering a career in science, and are willing to lead advanced research and development activities.

Implementing a digital analytical platform, opportunities for Big Data, and other prospects for the development of Russian statistics were discussed by participants at a plenary session of the XX April International Academic Conference.

The XX April International Academic Conference continued on April 11 with a discussion on digitalization of the economy and public administration. Maxim Akimov, Deputy Prime Minister of Russia and Curator of the Digital Economy National Programme, spoke about digital business models, public administration, digitalization in industry and science, and the impact of digital technology on the job market.

Is big data going to replace conventional statistical observations of the science, technology, and innovation sphere? Participants of workshops hosted by the ISSEK and a number of partner research centres in Austria and Germany in Vienna on 6–7 March agreed that the role of statistics is only going to increase. The experts outlined the potential for cooperation in the scope of S&T research projects and educational programmes.

Vera Gribanova, a graduate student in the Master’s Programme 'Governance of Science, Technology and Innovation'  runs a radio programme about great scientific achievements called ‘Scientific Light’ on the radio station ‘Moscow Talks’ (Govorit Moskva). This year her radio show has received the prestigious prize ‘For Loyalty to Science’, which is awarded annually by the Russian Ministry of Education and Science.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup showed that big data analysis allows to significantly improve traffic flows in a megacity. How to organise nationwide collection of statistical data to build more up-to-date and reliable indicators was discussed at the expert meeting on 28 December hosted by the Higher School of Economics jointly with the Russian Ministry of Economic Development and Rosstat. Pavel Malkov, the new head of the Federal State Statistics Service, and his colleagues presented general approaches to restructuring the service, and discussed with HSE experts the prospects for setting up Digital Analytical Platform which is being designed by Rosstat. The participants agreed that big data will not replace conventional statistics but allow to fill numerous 'white spots' in it.

HSE staff members were awarded honour awards of the university at the meeting of the Academic Council that was held on December 21.

The 'map of professions' is being redrafted right in front of our eyes, and approaches to staff training are changing radically. Russian and German experts discussed the factors affecting the labour market in the 21^st century in an unusual format — podium debates combined with a pre-Christmas reception. The event was hosted by the Moscow German Embassy’s Department of Science, the German Centre for Research and Innovation (DWIH), and the Higher School of Economics on 4 December, 2018.

The pocket data book contains main indicators characterising S&T and innovation potential of the Russian Federation. There are the information about intellectual property, S&T output, data of international comparisons given.

The data book prepared by Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE ISSEK) covers data on the level and trends in the education indicators in the Russian Federation, including comparative international data. Some sections contain an assessment of the educational attainment of students, relation between the educational attainment and the labour market, education funding, enrolment, personnel, and conditions of studying.

Participants of the workshop 'The Future of Science and Technology in BRICS Countries: Challenges and Responses', the closing event of the 8^th HSE Foresight Conference, shared the five countries’ experience of promoting research cooperation and the results of joint foresight studies.

The National Training Workshop for Technology and Innovation Support Centres’ personnel ended on 29 November, 2018 at the Higher School of Economics; it was organised by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Rospatent, and the Federal Institute of Industrial Property (FIIP), and lasted for three days at various venues. HSE experts presented their approaches to patent analysis, and legal protection of intellectual property. According to the workshop participants, the university’s research in patent statistics and big data analysis (which is playing an increasingly important role in the area) was most impressive, and contributed to extending knowledge horizons.

The annual meeting of the International Advisory Council of the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge took place on 14 November. This year the Council convened before the “Foresight and STI Policy” conference, so discussions of the ISSEK’s 2018 results, its plans for the next year, and approaches and techniques for studying and foreseeing S&T development occasionally overlapped with the conference agenda. The debates highlighted major trends which could affect relevant policies in the coming years.

One of the round table discussions at the VII Open Innovation Forum (15-17 October, Skolkovo) focused on using various indices and rankings to adjust  goals and objectives, and assess effectiveness of innovation policies. HSE ISSEK members Vitaly Roud and Evgeny Kutsenko took part in the debates, speaking about applying the Global Innovation Index and the ISSEK-maintained Russian Regional Innovation Development Ranking in management practices on the regional and city levels.

The Moscow Innovative and Production Cluster which can potentially comprise all advanced industries in the city is moving on ever closer to practical implementation. Its structure, boundaries, management system, and the balance of federal support tools and those the city is willing to provide were discussed at the strategic session hosted jointly by the Moscow City Department of Science, Industrial Policy, and Entrepreneurship, and HSE.

On July 25, a four-day strategic session 'Strategic Priorities and New Opportunities for the Development of Innovative Clusters' was opened in Moscow. The event was organised by the Ministry of Economic Development, RVC JSC jointly with the Higher School of Economics. Representatives of government offices, leading universities, scientific organisations and enterprises involved in the activities of the clusters discussed new challenges and directions of development in the format of strategic sessions. A cross-cutting theme, the digitalisation, was examined in light of the federal priorities, best regional practices and common problems.

On 10 July, the Global Innovation Index 2018 was published. In the new ranking, Russia holds the 46^th place out of 126, while Moscow made it into the top 30 of the world’s most innovative cities. In his Rusbase column Evgeniy Kutsenko, head of the HSE ISSEK Russian Cluster Observatory, commented on the factors which have contributed to the capital city’s impressive success.

'National Report on Innovation in Russia' is published, for the third year in a row prepared by the Russian Venture Company (RVC), the RF Ministry of Economic Development, and the RF Government’s Expert Council. Experts from the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge also contributed to producing the report. They suggested a number of advanced research methodologies and new indicators for measuring innovation development in the country. The indicator panel applied in the new report comprises 108 positions.

The pocket data book contains main indicators characterising trends in the development of general, secondary vocational and higher education in the Russian Federation. It also covers key education indicators for the OECD countries.

The Organising Committee of the Enlightener 2018 Award has published a long list of 24 books, each of which has a chance to become the best popular science book of the new season. Among other titles, the long list includes 'Atlas of Future Technologies' which presents results of the Global Technology Trends Monitoring study. This ongoing project is being implemented by the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) for more than five years. The award winners will be announced in the early October.

The labour market is changing rapidly and radically. The changes are already apparent and are certain to become even more pronounced in the coming years. Accordingly, the question 'which professions are going to be in demand in 5-10 years’ time' becomes increasingly important: what qualifications should be acquired now to have labour market-relevant knowledge and skills upon graduation? The HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) experts addressed these issues in the scope of the targeted project to identify professions for the future.

On June 4–5, 2018, the main European foresight conference — FTA2018 conference was held in Brussels. Future in the making #foresight4EU. It was organised by the European Commission Joint Research Centre, which has a long history of partnership with the HSE ISSEK Foresight Centre. The staff of the centre Alexander Sokolov, Alexander Chulok, Sergey Shashnov, Ozcan Saritas and Maxim Kotsemir took part in the event.

The St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) 2018 begins tomorrow. A representative delegation from the Higher School of Economics, and the HSE ISSEK will take part in the business and presentation programmes. In particular, the panel session 'Resources and Economics of Global Oceans' will be held on 25 May, which Leonid Gokhberg, First Vice Rector and ISSEK Director was invited to attend. On 25 and 26 May ISSEK experts will host two discussions at the HSE stand: 'Application of Big Data analytics to support strategic decision-making', and 'Doing science: how comfortable young researchers feel in Russian academia'.

International cooperation in science and innovation is not only able to help solve global issues, such as the battle against climate change, hunger and incurable diseases, but also to overcome political disagreement between countries.

Leonid Gokhberg, HSE First Vice Rector, Director of the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, spoke on his first steps in academia, working with foreign researchers, on foresight research as well as shared his thoughts on HSE research development.

English language Master’s Programme 'Governance of Science, Technology and Innovation' of the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge opens new 5th enrolment. 18 April there was the first meeting with the interested candidates. Future innovators, high-tech startup creators and policy makers in S&T took part in the interactive foresight session — in a very uncommon format for the Open Doors Day. Such communication was of great value for all the participants, and made some of them come again — with the applications for admission.

At the round table discussion 'Strategic planning: moving on towards a working model' during the XIX April International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development members of the Russian Government and representatives of various ministries jointly with HSE researchers considered how efficiently the country does its strategic planning, and which specific tools it uses in the process.

The analytical report prepared by the NRU HSE ISSEK on the request of the Coordination Center for TLD RU presents the main results of a comprehensive study of the Internet development trends, transformational changes that take place in the economy, social area, and everyday life influenced by network technologies, assessment of the level of online technologies in Russia in comparison with foreign countries; regional comparisons are provided as well.

During a plenary session of the HSE XIX April International Academic Conference, participants discussed the technological future of the Russian economy and how it relates to objectives such as speeding up economic growth and improving the quality of life.

The development of a national data management system, along with its architecture and ontology, is one of the key issues for a future cabinet, believes Maxim Akimov, First Deputy of the Chief of the Government Staff of the Russian Federation. A discussion at a panel session on data in the digital era at the XIX April International Academic Conference at HSE looked into the key challenges in regards to Russian statistics and possible responses to them.

On April 10, Leonid Gokhberg, First Vice Rector of HSE and Director of the Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, presented a report — ‘Advanced Model of State Statistics in the Digital Era’ during panel session 'National System of Data Management: Interaction between Society, Business and State' at the XIX April International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development.

On February 12, the winners of the Student Research Paper Competition were announced. Not only did they receive prizes, but also had the opportunity to put some thought-provoking questions to the university administration. We’ve selected five questions which we consider highly relevant to researchers at HSE and internationally, and the responses are below.

On February 8, we celebrated Russian Science Day. The recently released report entitled, ‘Russian Science in Figures’, compiled by HSE’s Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge, details the current state of science funding, the percentage of the population in scientific jobs, and scientific research. Leonid Gokhberg, director of ISSEK and the first vice-rector of HSE, told us more about it.

On January 24, 2018, the Higher School of Economics jointly with RVC JSC held an expert discussion on indicators and instruments of the government’s policy of innovative development, designed for the National Report on Innovation in Russia — 2017.

On November 27, the HSE Academic Council held an awards ceremony dedicated to the university’s 25th anniversary. The meeting saw the participation of representatives of the Russian President, members of government, and members of the Russian Federal Assembly. Governmental awards were given to a number of HSE employees for their tremendous accomplishments.

Leonid Gokhberg, HSE First Vice Rector and ISSEK Director, speaking live on RBC TV commented on the labour market trends, and draw the viewers’ attention to the skills and competencies particularly relevant in a knowledge-based economy.

On November 7, HSE hosted a delegation from the Jülich Research Centre in Germany. Scholars from both countries came together to discuss joint research opportunities, including transformation of energy systems for sustainable development; future studies of energy technologies, including foresight studies; and methodological issues related to big data analysis and modelling.

The pocket data book contains main indicators characterizing S&T and innovation potential of the Russian Federation. There are the information about intellectual property, S&T output, data of international comparisons given.

The pocket data book contains main indicators characterizing trends in the developmentof general, as well as lower and secondary vocational and higher education in the Russian Federation. It also covers key education indicators for OECD countries.

The website kremlin.ru has published the Presidential Decree №416 of 10 September, 2017 rewarding six staff members of the Higher School of Economics “for major contribution to advancing science, education, and training high-skilled professionals, and for many years of conscientious work”. Among them was Leonid Gokhberg, HSE First Vice Rector and ISSEK Director, who was awarded the Medal of the Order “For Merit to the Fatherland, II grade”.

ISSEK staff members Gulnara Abdrakhmanova, Leonid Gokhberg, and Alexander Sokolov have written a chapter – ‘Indicators of Information and Communication Technology’ – for a 10-volume set of the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, edited by Mehdi Khosrow-Pour (Information Resources Management Association, USA). This publication came out in July 2017.

The publication prepared by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Joint stock company (corporation) “Russian Venture Company” and the National Research University "Higher School of Economics", is devoted to the results of the competitive selection of clusters participating in the priority project of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation "Development of Innovative Clusters — leaders in world-class investment attractiveness".

The Commonwealth of Independent States needs a new development agenda, distinct from the model based on the export of raw materials. Ways in which HSE can strengthen foresight as a basis for a long-term partnership with the CIS countries in the field of R&D were discussed at the 20th meeting of the Interstate Council for Cooperation in STI (June 27—28, HSE and Business and Cultural Complex of the Embassy of the Republic of Belarus in Russia).

On 27 June 2017, the Higher School of Economics hosted the twentieth meeting of the Intergovernmental Council of the CIS on Scientific, Technical and Innovative Cooperation, devoted to implementation of the Intergovernmental Innovative Cooperation Programme for CIS Member States until 2020, the key developer of which is NRU HSE.

HSE researchers have, for the first time, measured how ready Russian regions are for the future.