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Learning Russian is one of the challenges international students face when they come to Russia. HSE University helps them not only with Russian classes, but with informal events such as the Russian Speaking Club, where they can absorb the language in a relaxed and non-competitive setting. The HSE News Service talked to the organisers and participants of the club about their impressions of the first meeting and plans for the future.

This summer, Rodion Mutsolgov from the Moscow Region enrolled in HSE University after developing a project to train birds of the corvid family to collect trash. His project was recognized as one of the best at the third annual research project competition for applicants to the HSE Faculty of Computer Science (FCS), and also became one of the winners of the Ecology is Everyone's Business International Award. The HSE News Service interviewed the first-year student about his research discoveries and university experience.

On July 13-14, 2024, the annual large-scale VKontakte festival took place at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium. HSE University, as usual, participated in the event. The university's tent featured a variety of activities, including emotion recognition challenge, quizzes about artificial intelligence, IT career testing, a smile detector, VR gaming, and a blue tractor equipped with a smart sprinkler system.

On July 3, 2024, the Yandex Museum on Paveletskaya in collaboration with the HSE Art and Design School opened an exhibition showcasing familiar objects that have been given new forms, functions, and meanings. The exhibition features the projects of finalists from a competition organised by the HSE Art and Design School and the Yandex Museum. Visitors can explore works created by young designers and talented students of the HSE Art and Design School, who have reimagined familiar objects in the context ofmodern life.

HSE University is home to many student associations, including cultural clubs, where students find a home away from home, learn about each other’s cultures, celebrate holidays, and meet new friends. Read on to learn about the Greek Club, the Serbian Club, the Moldovan Club, and the HSE Chamber of Nationalities.

On February 7, the lecture hall of the Russian 'Znanie' ('Knowledge') Society hosted a series of talks by HSE researchers and faculty as part of the 'Russia' International Exhibition and Forum. The talks covered a diverse array of topics, such as the interplay between innovation and creativity, how values are passed down between generations, debunking myths about Russia, the principles of successful communication in various contexts, and the concepts of collectivism and individualism. The events were open to the public.