In late October, 2024, the HSE Campus on Pokrovka hosted the Russian Culture Day Festival. This traditional event, organised by the HSE Department for Internationalisation, aims to help both international and Russian students learn more about the country and its culture, while making new friends in an exciting and positive atmosphere.
On Campus
At the end of August, HSE University held orientation events for first-year international students. Nearly 800 students from 70 different countries attended sessions at the HSE Cultural Centre to learn about the visa and migration processes for staying in the Russian Federation, the opportunities at HSE and the student life there. They also took a tour of the Pokrovka campus.
Each year, HSE University launches a call for projects as part of its Professional Development Programme for Administrative Staff (PDP). This year, the programme's eighth annual call included four project proposals, each presented by its respective team, so that HSE University's staff could vote for the best proposal. The winner of the eighth annual call was the team of the project titled Assistance and Support for Chinese Students' Adaptation to HSE University's Community.
On December 19, the atrium of the HSE Pokrovka building hosted the ‘HSE Is the World’ festival, which brought together over 20 student cultural clubs and associations. Their representatives told the participants about the winter holiday traditions of various nationalities, ran quizzes, and held games. The event was organised by the HSE Department of Internationalisation.
Mixed-sex teams representing eight university faculties took part in the HSE Winter Tennis Cup, an interfaculty table tennis championship for international students. The team of the Faculty of Mathematics won the competition. The tournament was organised with the support of the Department of Internationalisation and the Department of Physical Training.
On November 22, the atrium of the HSE building on Pokrovsky Boulevard hosted the traditional Career Marathon organised by the Career Development Centre. The main objective of the event was to introduce HSE students to potential employers—companies and their representatives. At the poster session, the university’s students had the opportunity to network with employees of major Russian banks, marketplaces, financial institutions, and IT integrators, gaining valuable first-hand information.
For the first time, HSE University has hosted the Garuda festival, where Indonesian students in Moscow could talk about their culture. The embassy of Indonesia helped organise the festival.
Trang Ly is a 25-year-old master’s student from Vietnam. In addition to her studies on the Critical Media Studies programme at HSE University-Moscow, she works as a composer and contributes to the Life in Moscow series on the university’s website. In her interview, she talks about the unusual events she has helped organise, the many opportunities available to foreign students at HSE, and much more.
The Council of the International Student Association (CISA) works to ensure that international students can live and study comfortably at HSE University and in Russia in general. At present, CISA consists of nine international students and its Chair. Its current activities include dealing with border closures, arranging vaccinations, and creating information channels for international students.