Education

April 23–25, 2024, international students of preparatory departments and faculties, as well as undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students, and prospective researchers from Russian and international universities, took part in the 4th International Conference ‘Scientific Initiative of International Students and Postgraduates’ in Tomsk. The event was organised by Tomsk Polytechnic University and covered trends in modern research, problems in social sciences and humanities, project-based learning in engineering, science as vocation and career, etc. For the second year, students of the HSE Preparatory Year Programme took part in the conference.

HSE University has launched a competition for solutions using artificial intelligence technology in theses work. The goal of the competition is to evaluate how students use tools based on generative models in their 2024 graduation theses (GT).

At the end of 2023, HSE University launched its International Mentoring Programme, where international alumni help current students adapt to the new environment, develop their personal skills, set goals, and make clear plans for job search and career growth. The HSE News Service spoke to participants about why the programme is interesting to mentors, what it can offer mentees, how it is it different from other career guidance initiatives, and more.

On November 24, a unique event for HSE international students—a practice-oriented training session on ‘How to Make a Good Impression in an Interview: Non-Verbal Communication’—took place at HSE University. Natalia Trubnikova, author of the training, covered the basics of nonverbal communication and body language; non-verbal mistakes that lead to difficulties, misunderstandings and communication failures; cross-cultural features of sign language, speed and manner of gesticulation, speech features; nonverbal tips and tricks to convey your point of view, and much more. Together with the expert, HSE students worked on self-confidence and solved real communication cases.

For HSE Preparatory Year students, the Russian Speaking Club is a way to improve their language proficiency in a relaxed atmosphere. At this year’s first such event, they discussed online communications and social media. Michael Dzodzoe from Ghana and Leen Sabbagh from Syria shared their impressions with the HSE News Service.

Studying at a foreign university has distinct advantages for one's career trajectory, alongside invaluable experience and an expanded array of opportunities. However, students may face considerable stress due to immersion in a different cultural setting and encounter new, sometimes unforeseen, challenges. The session 'Creating an International Environment as a Keystone to Cultivate Talent', hosted by HSE University as part of International Partners' Week, featured discussions by experts and representatives from top universities on how universities assist foreign students in adapting and discovering opportunities for self-actualisation.

HSE University’s Support and Career Centre for International Students and Alumni has held orientation sessions for incoming international students. During the meetings, the centre’s experts explained the visa and migration support available, talked about extracurricular student life, and gave tours of the campus and the city.

In August, the HSE University-St Petersburg Summer School came to an end. The participants attended courses in political science, Russian, and finance given by professors of HSE University-St Petersburg, got to know the city, and saw the sights as part of the cultural programme. The summer school hosted students from nine countries: China, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Germany, Uzbekistan and Russia.

At the start of August, HSE University held the tenth annual Summer University. This year’s programme took the form of a workshop on urban studies. The participants attended four courses from HSE University faculty and invited experts and worked on their own projects to develop a cultural heritage site. Jung Woo Lee, from South Korea, shares his impressions of the Summer University.