Each year, we hold webinars to help international students prepare for their arrival. The webinar for first-year students was held on July 30, 2025.
STEP 2. CHECKLIST
Make sure to follow our checklist in order to have everything prepared before your arrival.
STEP 3. BUDDY PROGRAMME
If you need assistance from a buddy volunteer, request one here. Read about what a buddy can do to help you here.
STEP 4. ORIENTATION SESSION
Check out the materials about orientation session-2025 for international freshmen held in August.
STEP 5. CHECK OUR WEBSITE
Explore the information on istudents.hse.ru website, where we have collected all the important things about studying and living in Moscow as a foreign student . If you have any questions, feel free to email us istudents.support@hse.ru.
STEP 6. OBTAINING AN ELECTRONIC PASS
Read the instructions for obtaining an HSE electronic pass.
STEP 7. MANDATORY PROCEDURES FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS
All international students are required to undergo medical examination, fingerprinting and photographing within 90 days of entering Russia. Be sure to study the general procedure on the website ivisa.hse.ru, and also read the information about free medical examination at this link.
Have any questions?
CONTACT INTERNATIONAL ADMISSIONS FOR ENROLMENT INFO
Sachin Malhotra, from Agra, India, is a second-year student of the Master’s in Data Science at HSE University in Moscow. Having pivoted to data science from a career in PR, he plans to put his new knowledge into practice in the realm of e-commerce. In this interview with the HSE News Service, Sachin talks about what makes HSE appealing, the modern skills essential for any economist, and the impact of ‘atomic habits.’
On April 19–24 April 2026, Tomsk Polytechnic University (TPU) hosted the VI International Scientific and Practical Conference ‘Scientific Initiative of International Students and Postgraduates.’ Seven students from the HSE International Preparatory Year took part in the event: four attended in person, and three joined online. The delegation was accompanied by two lecturers—Zoya Maslennikova and Maria Grabovskaya.
Adeola Oluwatobi Oyewole, from Nigeria, obtained her bachelor’s degree in Sociology at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, the country's first and oldest university. She went on to graduate from the HSE’s Master’s programme in Population and Development and is now pursuing her PhD at the Doctoral School of Sociology. In her interview with the HSE News Service, Adeola spoke on her career plans after completing her PhD and explains why it’s important to empower young girls to study in male-dominated STEM fields.
On April 23, 2026 the first large-scale Afro Festival was held in the central atrium of the HSE University Pokrovka building. The event was organised by the African Students Association together with the Support and Career Centre for International Students and Alumni. During the festival, HSE students and staff explored the cultures of African countries by listening to music, dancing, and getting to know one another.
Madina Yessimova, from Kazakhstan, is a fourth-year bachelor’s student of Business Administration at the HSE Graduate School of Business. In her interview with the HSE News Service, Madina talks about her drive to study abroad and how it led her to HSE, her research on entrepreneurial activity in Kazakhstan and Russia, and her experiences representing the Kazakhstani community in Russia.
Rufino Haroldo Locon, from Guatemala, graduated from the Master's in System Programming at the Faculty of Computer Science in 2024, and now he is a first-year PhD student at MIEM. In his interview with the HSE News Service, he spoke on high-performance computing, the role literature plays in his life, and his plans after graduation.