
Exchange Student From Armenia on His Studies at HSE University–St Petersburg
Daniel Minasian came from Armenia as an exchange student to spend a semester at HSE University–St Petersburg. Majoring in Korean Studies, Daniel chose courses offered by the Institute of Asian and African Studies. Read on to discover how his exchange studies went and what this experience brought him.

New Catalyst Maintains Effectiveness for 12 Hours
An international team including researchers from HSE MIEM has developed a catalyst that enables fast and low-cost hydrogen production from water. To achieve this, the scientists synthesised nanoparticles of a complex oxide containing six metals and anchored them onto various substrates. The catalyst supported on reduced graphene layers proved to be nearly three times more efficient than the same oxide without a substrate. This development could significantly reduce the cost of hydrogen production and accelerate the transition to green energy. The study has been published in ACS Applied Energy Materials. The work was carried out under a grant from the Russian Science Foundation.

'As a Child, I Dreamed of Becoming a Detective'
Yadviga Sinyavskaya studies communication technologies, particularly social media. In this interview for the HSE Young Scientists project, she discusses testing the social brain theory on real-world data, the merits of Gogol’s Dead Souls, and ways to prevent burnout.

‘Life Is for the Brave’: HSE University–St Petersburg Student from Mexico Wins StudRussia Competition
Gisel Sarahi Vergara Herrera, second-year student of the Master’s programme ‘Arts and Culture Management,’ became a winner of the StudRussia all-Russian competition for international students. Her project was awarded the first prize in the ‘Creative Spirit’ category. Read on to find out about Gisel’s work and experience of participating in such a large-scale contest for international students.

Winner of Continental Chess League Crowned at HSE University
The in-person superfinal of the Continental Chess League (CCL) has taken place in Moscow. The experimental project by HSE University lasted three months, bringing together 2,000 online players from Russia and 16 other countries. The strongest players were determined across eight stages. The eight finalists fought it out over three days, with the overall winner named as 18-year-old Erdem Khubukshanov, an international master who is expected to attain the title of grand master next year.

Impressive Growth, Dynamic Momentum, Tangible Success: HSE University in 2025
Heads of HSE University’s departments and campuses discuss their accomplishments and the implementation of global initiatives with HSE University Life.

HSE Strategic Technological Projects in 2025
In 2025, HSE University continued its participation in the Priority 2030 Strategic Academic Leadership Programme, maintaining a strong focus on technological leadership in line with the programme’s updated framework. A key element of the university’s technological leadership strategy is its Strategic Technological Projects (STPs), aimed at creating in-demand, knowledge-intensive products and services.

‘Algebraic Geometry Is the Geometry of Ideal Forms’
Founded 15 years ago at HSE University, the Laboratory of Algebraic Geometry and Its Applications studies fundamental mathematics and helps to shape a unified language of mathematical science. The laboratory has become a well-known and respected research centre; recognition of its achievements includes presentations by its staff at international mathematical congresses and publications in leading global mathematical journals. The HSE News Service spoke with the head of the laboratory, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences Dmitry Kaledin, about its work.

An Explosive Rise in Anxiety and Depression: Why Gen Z in Particular?
The 24th Christmas film seminar of the HSE Laboratory for Studies in Economic Sociology (LSEI), held at the end of December, was devoted to the causes of anxiety and depression among young people. The focus of the discussion was the 2018 film Eighth Grade, whose main character is a 13-year-old schoolgirl.

‘Growth Often Happens Quietly, When No One is Watching’
The end of the year is a natural time for reflection on the past and planning for the future. With the winter holidays almost here, the HSE News Service has been asking international students to share their experiences and take stock of the year gone by. In this instalment, master’s students Raihanulla Moghmand and Isaac Sarfo talk about traditional New Year celebrations in their home countries, explain what they’ve learned from life in Russia so far, and share some warm wishes for their fellow students.


Submission Deadline: December 20, 2025