News

HSE University has launched its first official men’s and women’s rafting teams, coached by Nikita Zhuravlev—a graduate of the Bachelor’s programme in Media Communications at the Faculty of Creative Industries, President of the Moscow Rafting Federation, and founder of the rowing club Academia. This season, the teams are preparing for six key races as part of the amateur league. In an interview with the HSE News Service, the coach explains how this marks a unique milestone.

The initiative of the Graduate School of Business at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE GSB) has been named a laureate of the annual “Best ESG Projects in Russia” program. The results were announced on June 25 in Moscow.

Ekaterina Gavenko, a PhD student at the HSE Graduate School of Business, took part in the VII BRICS Youth Energy Summit, where participants discussed key challenges in sustainable development and the energy transition. At the summit, Ekaterina shared the Russian experience in hydropower, engaged in international discussions with experts from India, the UAE, and Brazil, and presented the results of her own research carried out under the guidance of GSB faculty. In this interview, she speaks about her journey from master’s to PhD studies, the importance of an expert academic environment, the support she received from faculty members, and offers advice to students looking to engage with the international research community.

United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and HSE ISSEK experts have discussed the role of technology foresight in promoting a circular economy. 

For the first time, an international team of researchers—including scientists from the HSE Centre for Language and Brain—combined magnetoencephalography and morphometric analysis in a single experiment to study children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The study found that children with autism have more difficulty filtering and processing sounds, particularly in the brain region typically responsible for language comprehension. The study has been published in Cerebral Cortex.

Researchers at HSE MIEM, in collaboration with Chinese scientists, have developed a catalyst that efficiently converts CO₂ into formic acid. Thanks to carbon coating, it remains stable in acidic environments and functions with minimal potassium, contrary to previous beliefs that high concentrations were necessary. This could lower the cost of CO₂ processing and simplify its industrial application—eg in producing fuel for environmentally friendly transportation. The study has been published in Nature Communications. 

The St Petersburg International Economic Forum took place on June 18-21, 2025. HSE experts have discussed cooperation between universities, investors, and technology companies in the development of innovations, sharing the best practices in healthcare and drug safety, as well as charity and humanitarian collaboration in the BRICS countries. As a result, several cooperation agreements have been signed during the forum.

The annual Vysokovsky Forum, organised by the Faculty of Urban and Regional Development, was held at HSE University. Officials, business representatives, teachers, and experts gathered to discuss whether development projects should be adapted to residents' needs, whether New Moscow could become a new centre of attraction, and what benefits HSE will gain from launching a new academic department in partnership with A101 Group.

At a meeting of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Statistical Committee, HSE ISSEK researchers Gulnara Abdrakhmanova and Anna Demyanova presented a system for measuring the full life cycle of AI technologies, which allows not only to track the development and implementation of AI, but also to assess its impact on the social sphere.

At the dawn of the 21st century, humans are increasingly becoming not just observers, but active participants in the technological revolution. Among the breakthroughs with the potential to change the lives of millions, brain–computer interfaces (BCIs)—systems that connect the brain to external devices—hold a special place. These technologies were the focal point of the spring International School ‘A New Generation of Neurointerfaces,’ which took place at HSE University.