News

Mateo Rojas Samper, from Colombia, is a student of thePolitics. Economics. Philosophy master’s programme at the HSE University Faculty of Social Sciences. Matteo spoke to the HSE News Service about the importance of engaging in both theory and practice in his studies at HSE University, as well as his participation in the Model United Nations and the Russia–Latin America International Parliamentary Conference.

Russia is becoming an increasingly popular study destination for African students, and HSE University is actively seeking to attract more students from African countries. Bakary S. Sonko, from Gambia, is a master’s student at the Graduate School of Business and an active member of the volunteering community both at HSE University and beyond. In this interview, Bakary recounts his achievements as a volunteer and talks about how African students at HSE have built a supportive and welcoming community for each other.

HSE University boasts a variety of student clubs and societies: sports clubs, charity organisations, cultural clubs, and many more. Azzahra Afidah Faizah, one of the founders of the HSE Indonesian Club, talks about its activities, objectives, and plans.

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.

Summer 2023 turned to be full of great student events. HSE international students did not stand aside, taking part in various cultural, educational, and scientific events across Russia. Bakary, Thu Trang, and Boris shared their thoughts about being foreigners engaged into Russian student society.

Sheripher Dinala, from Malawi, is a student of the Master’s in Political Analysis and Public Policy at HSE University in Moscow. With her busy summer over and the new academic year in full swing, Sheripher shares her stories of moving into a university dormitory, volunteering at international conferences, and nighttime dancing by the Moscow River.

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.

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.

Thu Trang Pham is a 23-year old HSE University student from Vietnam. She is currently in her fourth year of studies at theFaculty of World Economy and International Relations. Thu Trang spoke to the HSE News Service about why HSE is the perfect university for international students, life in her dormitory, and how she plans to make the most of her final year of studies by travelling around Moscow and Russia.