There’s Something for Everyone at HSE University

On March 12, the HSE University Pokrovka building hosted an Open Day. Applicants and their parents learned about the rules of admission in 2023, the university’s campuses in four cities, educational programmes, opportunities for extracurricular activities, and more. At the entrance, volunteers handed out maps of the campus with event locations, so that everyone could plan their own route through the stands, workshops, and other activities.

A Broad Spectrum of Areas and Programmes

This approach to organising the Open Day reflects one of the main features of admission and education at HSE University—the need to constantly make choices. Each student builds their own educational trajectory, choosing courses, research seminars, project topics, etc.

Nikita Anisimov, HSE University Rector

‘Within the walls of HSE University, everyone will find something that matches their interests. HSE University is a lifestyle, it is freedom of choice and a high level of responsibility for one’s destiny,’ said HSE University Rector Nikita Anisimov in his video address to visitors of the Open Day.

He also emphasised that HSE University is the first-choice university for highly talented and ambitious young people. ‘We give strong young people excellent training. As a result, our graduates lead both in terms of salaries and employer demand,’ said Nikita Anisimov.

Members of the HSE University Admissions Committee gave simultaneous presentations in several lecture rooms. They covered the deadlines and specifics of applying, admission trajectories and details, types of educational quotas, discounts for fee-paying places, and much more.

The Open Day also included master classes for university applicants. Alexander Akopov, Professor and Director of the HSE Film Institute, spoke at the ‘Drama and Film Acting’ and ‘Film and Television Production’ sections. He shared the secrets of drama fundamentals, outlined the qualities applicants should have to successfully pass the entrance exams, and told future students about what to expect from the learning process. ‘Every class is like a role play: someone is a screenwriter, someone is a producer, and someone is a director,’ he explained. ‘You start studying to become a cinematographer, get the knowledge to become a universal specialist, and later life will determine whether you will be a director, a screenwriter, or a producer.’

At the master class of the Cell and Molecular Biotechnology and Cognitive Neurobiology programmes, applicants observed the life of microorganisms through microscopes. Together with Sergey Slobodov, Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, they examined what a hydra looks like and how it feeds on crustaceans.

Alexander Chepovskiy, Deputy Vice Rector, Director of the Prospective Students Office at HSE University

‘Every year, HSE University holds large, university-wide open days like this so that applicants and their parents can get acquainted with the diversity of our campuses, faculties, educational programmes, and projects in one day and in one place. 

This year’s event was attended by thousands of guests, many of whom came from other cities. Each of them was able to see what students do and how they live, as well as get answers to their questions about admissions, education, and extracurricular life.

This great interest in the university and the positive feedback from the event participants is a great responsibility for us. We wish all those who have made their choice the best of luck with their admission. And see you in summer!’

First-Hand Recommendations

Those interested in studying at HSE University can apply for three fields of study and any number of programmes within one field, regardless of the campus. The Open Day was attended by representatives of the university’s campuses in Moscow, St Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, and Perm.

Mikhail Kompanets, Head of Admissions and Pre-University Education at HSE University in St Petersburg, spoke about the advantages of studying at the St Petersburg campus. Representatives from the different campuses held workshops devoted to the specifics of educational programmes and scientific problems that are of interest to a wide audience. In particular, lecturers from various HSE University-Nizhny Novgorod faculties told the audience how mathematical problems stimulate the development of technical and computer sciences, and whether it is possible to understand foreign words without the help of a dictionary.

HSE University Olympiads

The ‘HSE University Olympiad Navigator’ workshop proved to be one of the most popular. Ivan Khudorozhkov, Head of the Olympiad Support Unit of the HSE University Office for Gifted Student Guidance, presented a classification of subject-specific olympiads for schoolchildren. He spoke about the olympiads organised by the university—which about 90,000 people take part in every year—and also explained the prospects for their participants, awardees, and winners.

‘Vysshaya Proba’, the most famous HSE University olympiad, is included in the annually approved list of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Its winners and awardees can enter universities without entrance examinations or get 100 points for their Unified State Exam in their major subject. There are also other olympiads that offer winners an opportunity to study at HSE University for free.

These olympiads include the All-Russian Case Championship for School Students in Economics and Entrepreneurship, the All-Russian Essay Championship ‘In Their Own Words’, the All-Russian Trial Game Competition ‘Court and Case’, and the DANO National Data Analysis Olympiad, to which a separate event was dedicated at the Open Day. The assignment writers held a workshop on the topic ‘How does the DANO Olympiad introduce the analyst profession?’

The HSE International Olympiad is an annual free competition for international students. Winners have the opportunity to study at HSE University for free or with a discount. Registration for the Olympiad opens in September.

Informal Communication

The atrium of the Pokrovka complex hosted stands from HSE University faculties, departments, and student organisations throughout the day, each of them offering something unique. The stand of the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs had a huge globe next to it, while visitors to the stand of the Faculty of Chemistry could smell over twenty kinds of aromatic liquids. The Faculty of Physics stand demonstrated an Oberbeck’s pendulum (a laboratory device for studying the laws of gyrodynamics) and a non-Newtonian fluid (whose viscosity depends on the speed gradient).

The stand of the Department of Physical Training was of particular interest to visitors. It displayed sports equipment, medals and cups received by HSE University teams, as well as information about sporting opportunities at the university. Students can choose from more than twenty specialised sports clubs across the city, including football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, tennis, table tennis, hockey, rugby, and others, and gyms operate in the university dormitories.

The Open Day included a tour of the university’s administrative building for applicants and their parents. The Pokrovka complex is located on the former site of the nobleman Nikolay Durasov's classical estate, which was built in the late 18^th century and has survived through various epochs.

Darya Bobkina, Grade 9, Moscow

HSE University is one of the best universities in Russia. It is well-developed in the fields of foreign languages and intercultural communication, which I take interest in. I would also like to learn more about the double degree programme. I heard that HSE University has a busy student life, so for the time being it is the only university that I am considering. There is a very friendly, kind atmosphere here, and there are a lot of interesting people.

Tikhon Zamesin, Grade 11, Moscow

I am considering HSE University because it is one of the best universities in Russia. I have many relatives and friends who have either graduated from HSE University or are still studying here. It seems to me that this university offers the best opportunities for self-realisation. I plan to apply to the State and Municipal Administration programme.

A series of online meetings with university representatives will be held as a follow-up to the on-campus Open Day. On March 19, at 12:00 pm (Moscow time), the Admissions Office will hold a webinar where guests can learn everything about admission to HSE University in 2023: when and how to submit documents, what quotas are available for applicants, what admission by priority is, what benefits winners and awardees of Olympiads can get, and much more. You can find out more and register here (in Russian).