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
Gabriella Leelee Enchill is a third-year student at the HSE University Doctoral School of Sociology. She has a bachelor’s in Integrated Community Development from the University for Development Studies in her native Ghana and a master’s in Population and Development from HSE University. Her current research focuses on gender inequality in rural Ghanaian communities. Gabriella spoke to the HSE News Service about what her studies have uncovered about inequality in the region, how women can gain agency by banding together, and why studying these communities helps empower women around the world.
The HSE News Service spoke to Prof. Maxim Nikitin, Deputy Director of HSE ICEFand Academic Director of the Master’s in Financial Economics, about the college’s international student body and burgeoning partnerships with foreign universities. We also spoke to Minghao Yan, a graduate from China who was awarded the highest marks for the defence of his master’s thesis on gambling behaviour.
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.
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.
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.
Ahead of the holiday season, the HSE News Service talked to some international students about their reflections on the past year, expectations of the year to come, and plans for the winter break. Below, Hasnain and Syed, both from Pakistan, talk about their experiences as international students in Moscow, share their tips for successful personal growth, and send wishes to their fellow classmates.
