Erasmus Student Network
Erasmus Student Network (ESN) is a non-profit international student organisation. Its mission is to represent international students, thus provide opportunities for cultural understanding and self-development under the principle of Students Helping Students. It is present in more than 900 Higher Education Institutions from 40 countries and is constantly developing and expanding.
ESN HSE Moscow started in 2014 as HSE Buddies Network, an independent student organisation aiming to help international students of HSE to adapt to studying and living in Moscow. In December, 2015, after coming to a conclusion that they share all key values and goals of Erasmus Student Network, they decided to join it. On April 13th, 2016, ESN HSE Moscow was officially proclaimed the third Russian ESN section.
If you have any questions or need ro report a problem, contact the board of ESN HSE Moscow: buddy@hsemsk.esnrussia.org
WHAT ESN HSE DOES
Today ESN HSE Moscow volunteers keep helping international students of HSE feel most comfortable and entertained in Moscow and Russian cultural environment. All their activities are coordinated by the Section Board and organised by a number of Active Members.
Here are just a few examples of what kind of activities are normally available throughout the year:
- Trips all around Russia and bordering countries;
- Various parties and festivals;
- Walking and biking tours and quests around Moscow;
- Sport and athletic activities (bowling, paintball, picnics, aquaparks, skydiving, etc.);
- Theatre, cinema and museum visits;
- Language and cultural exchange meetings (speed-friending, board games, movie screenings, cultural cafes, etc.);
- Social and charity-oriented events;
- And much, much more! To stay informed about all the latest news and upcoming events of the section, follow us on
BUDDY VOLUNTEERS
Buddies are now one of the section's key projects.
Buddies are [mainly] Russian students currently studying at HSE, who are voluntary helping international incoming students to get accustomed to life in Moscow and feel more confident in a new cultural and social environment through assisting them in their basic needs. You meet you buddy upon your arrival or can request their help any time throughout your stay.
What buddies do:
- Meet you at the Aeroexpress station (not at the airport!);
- Deliver you to your dormitory and help you with the check-in process;
- Provide you with general information (the infrastructure around dorm and campus buildings, useful apps, emergency telephone numbers, etc);
- Help you to deal with local documents and forms in Russian;
- Recommend you events and places in the city;
- Remain your first contact and accompany you in case of emergency;
- Re-direct you to a responsible person in case your question requires HSE administration's involvement.
What buddies do not do:
- Meet you during night hours (from 9 PM till 8 AM);
- Become your full-time personal assistant (respect their own time and space!)
- Offer any financial or other material help
REQUEST A BUDDY
You can request buddy support by registering in the section’s online system.
LANGUAGE TANDEMS
If you know that real-life interactions and learning the language through communicating is for you, then feel free to join the Language Tandems project.
How to join: you register in the form, specifying the language(-s) you’d like to learn or practice. After that, the ESN HSE Moscow crew will find you a perfect match – another student with similar language preferences.
For any further information, you can contact the project-managers esn.hse.languages@gmail.com.
JOIN HSE AS A BUDDY MEMBER
To become a buddy or an active member, please contact the HR-manager of the section.
If you have any questions, you can contact the board of ESN HSE Moscow: hsemsk@esnrussia.org.