News

Rainer Matos Franco, HSE University–St Petersburg graduate and candidate of historical sciences, has launched the podcast Russia Aloud (Rusia en Voz Alta). The goal of the project is to dispel myths, prejudices, and distortions in the perception of the country.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) pose challenges not only in medicine, but also in education, social policy, and technology. Scientists, doctors, educators, and government representatives have discussed how science and practice can help people with such disorders at the conference ‘Autism. Challenges and Solutions.’ For the first time, the event has been held at HSE University.

The HSE University campus in St Petersburg invites all first-years and friends of the university to HSE SPB Day at Sevkabel Port on September 13. The event combines an educational programme and recreational activities.

For more than five years, the International Laboratory of Bioinformatics at the HSE Faculty of Computer Science has been advancing cutting-edge research. During this time, its scientists have achieved major breakthroughs, including the development of CARDIOLIFE—a unique genetic test unmatched worldwide that predicts the likelihood of cardiovascular disease. With the active participation of HSE students, including doctoral students, the team is also working on a new generation of medicines. In this interview with the HSE News Service, Laboratory Head Maria Poptsova shares insights into their work.

The International BRICS Competition Law and Policy Centre at HSE University presented the scientific report ‘From Fields to Futures: Competition, Financialisation, and Digitalisation in Global Grain Value Chains.’ The document was prepared as part of expert support from the BRICS Working Group on Competition Research in Food Markets. The presentation took place at the academic conference ‘Emerging Challenges of Competition Law and Policy in the BRICS and Beyond’ on September 12, 2025, in Cape Town (South Africa), which the BRICS Centre organised together with the University of Cape Town on the sidelines of the 9^th BRICS International Competition Conference.

From pre-Petrine times to Soviet neighbourhoods, students from Russia, Brazil, Turkey, China, and Germany spent three weeks studying the multi-layered history of St Petersburg not just in the classroom but also on the city streets. The participants of the International Summer School at HSE University–St Petersburg visited imperial residences and Soviet communal apartments, Orthodox and Lutheran churches, the historical centre and residential areas.

Researchers at HSE University have found that identifying with one’s country can support psychological coping during difficult times, particularly when individuals reframe the situation or draw on spiritual and cultural values. Reframing in particular can help alleviate symptoms of depression. The study has been published in Journal of Community Psychology.

In the finals of the olympiad, the Russian team competed with 300 talented schoolchildren from 61 countries, including Australia, Brazil, Hungary, China, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Serbia, Singapore, the USA, Sweden, and Japan. The finals included team and individual rounds. In the team round, the Russian team made it into the top 10, winning a silver medal. In the individual competition, Russian schoolchildren won six gold medals, one silver, and one bronze.