
Neuroscientists Reveal Anna Karenina Principle in Brain's Response to Persuasion
A team of researchers at HSE University investigated the neural mechanisms involved in how the brain processes persuasive messages. Using functional MRI, the researchers recorded how the participants' brains reacted to expert arguments about the harmful health effects of sugar consumption. The findings revealed that all unpersuaded individuals' brains responded to the messages in a similar manner, whereas each persuaded individual produced a unique neural response. This suggests that successful persuasive messages influence opinions in a highly individual manner, appearing to find a unique key to each person's brain. The study findings have been published in PNAS.

'I Dream That All Universities in Russia Provide the Same Conditions for Scientists as HSE University'
Anastasia Sherubneva's research focuses on spatial economics, and she is currently writing a dissertation on the crises of 2020 and 2022. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, she discusses the impact of agglomeration effects on enterprises, her home neighbourhood of Akademgorodok in Novosibirsk, and her experience meeting Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman in Portugal.

HSE University to Teach Russian Language to Students in UAE
HSE University is launching a joint undergraduate programme, ‘Bachelor of Arts in Russian Language,’ in partnership with Mohamed Bin Zayed University for Humanities in Abu Dhabi. This is the first Russian language programme approved by the UAE Ministry of Education.

Arkhangelskoye Estate Museum Launches Open Call for Artists
The Arkhangelskoye Estate Museum is launching an open-call for the exhibition ‘Water in Art. Water in the Estate.’ The exhibition will feature paintings, graphics, sculptures, decorative and applied arts from the museum's collection, as well as works by young artists created specifically for the project.

The Future at HSE: STUDENT NIGHT 2025
Thousands of participants, top-tier speakers, reunions with friends, and a dance party—all of this came together to make the traditional HSE festival hosted by the university's oldest and largest student organisation, Ingroup CtC.STUDENT NIGHT took place on January 24–25, 2025 at the Pokrovka campus, where thrilling contests were followed by extracurricular lectures, and master classes alternated with stand-up performances and dance battles. Special guests included stand-up comedian Nurlan Saburov, indie rock band Sirotkin, and Olympic champions.
.gif)
Friendship and Love, Victory and Defeat at the Winter Screening of HSE Student Animations
On January 30, the Rovesnik bar will host a screening of outstanding animations by students of the HSE Art and Design School. The programme features more than forty animated works exploring the themes of friendship and love, victory and defeat, and simply fun stories. In addition to artistic animations, visitors will be able to see advertisements, promos, and videos for nonprofit organisations. All of these works were created by students based on briefs from real clients.

HSE Strengthens International Ties: Meetings with University Delegations from China and Kyrgyzstan
On January 24, 2025, at the HSE University campus on Pokrovka, Rector Nikita Anisimov and representatives from key departments and internationalisation subdivisions met with delegations from South China Normal University and Kyrgyz National University named after Jusup Balasagyn. The discussions focused on opportunities for expanding cooperation in various fields.

HSE University and Element Group to Create New Model for Training Engineers for High-Tech Industries
Element Group, one of the largest developers and manufacturers of microelectronics in Russia, will become HSE University's key industrial partner in creating a new system to train specialists in high-tech industries. The training will be organised at the HSE Tikhonov Moscow Institute of Electronics and Mathematics (HSE MIEM).

Russian Scientists Improve Water Purification Membranes Using Metal Ions
Researchers have proposed using polymer membranes modified with copper, zinc, and chromium metal ions for water purification. These polymers were used for the first time in water purification via electrodialysis. Copper-based membranes demonstrated record selectivity for monovalent ions, opening new possibilities for sustainable water recycling. The study has been published in the Journal of Membrane Science.

‘A Sociologist Is a Curious, Searching and Courageous Person’
One of the oldest programmes at HSE University-St Petersburg is the English-taught Bachelor's programme 'Sociology and Social Informatics'. It has existed for more than ten years, and over this time, the programme has helped many students gain interdisciplinary skills and find their own unique career paths. In this article, Academic Supervisor Anna Nemirovskaya explains how the programme has adapted to modern realities, what sociology truly is, and how one can implement a sociological education.