Interaction with Researchers and Stakeholders at the XIV HSE April Conference
Professor Jordi Surinach, University of Barcelona, is representing the SEARCH project at the HSE’s April Conference.
— You are the coordinator of the SEARCH project for 17 universities from across Europe. Could you give us an overview of the project, please? What is its main goal?
— The project is an EU initiative, and part of of the 7th Framework Programme. It is called ‘Sharing KnowledgE Assets: InteRegionally Cohesive Neighborhoods’.
The main objective of this project is to strengthen the integration process between the EU and the Neighbourhood Countries (NCs) by focusing on the European Research Neighbourhood (ERN). This will help facilitate an understanding of the institutional framework conditions of the ENP countries and their economic interactions with the EU in terms of people, capital, trade, knowledge, and innovation.
SEARCH aims to improve the implementation of the European Neighbourhood Policy by taking into account that "one size fits all" policy recommendations will not be appropriate in this situation, due to the bilateral nature of EU-ENP country agreements.
The research priority areas for strengthening EU-NC cooperation are:
- Trade and economic integration
- Facilitating mobility and managing migration flows
- Knowledge, creation and innovation diffusion/ adoption
- Social, cultural and institutional environments
- Improved interregional cooperation strategies
We have distributed the project in 6 work packages:
Wp1. Background. ENP: Past, Present and Future
Wp2. Trade Flows and Localisation Choices
Wp3. People Mobility and Human Capital
Wp4. Technological Activities and Innovation Diffusion in the EU and Interactions with Neighbouring Regions
Wp5. Institutional Environment
Wp6. Policy Issues and Research Implications: Towards an Integrated ERN Policy Posture
On our webpage you can find all the working papers, policy briefs and results connected with our project.
— The project is unique in how it brings together so many researchers. What are the differences between scientists from different countries? What do they have in common? From your experience, what is the average researcher like?
— In my opinion, any differences between researchers are not due to their nationality but down to the specialization of each partner.
The project is multidisciplinary, and each partner has researchers who analyze one topic or another, depending on their specialization. The approaches used, which can either be more descriptive or based on surveys or econometric models, also depend on the specialization of each partner. Every Work Package has been carried out by different partners, complementing each other. At the end of each WorkPackage, the partial results are brought together in a Summary Report.
A modern researcher is one that knows the background and literature related to the topic and can speak English.
— How would you describe your cooperation with the HSE?
— The HSE is one of the partners of the consortium. Our cooperation with them is very useful because they give us some approaches which complement other "central-European partners". They always contribute very interesting working papers to our project and have offered us the opportunity to disseminate our results through this very international conference. That’s why we are here!
HSE is a very strong partner and deeply committed to our project.
— What do you expect from the April conference 2013? What should be done for achievement of better scientific economic results?
— As I said earlier, we are looking forward to presenting some of our results. It’s impossible for us to present all our results as we have produced about 50 working papers. Here, we going to share the results of about 12 of them We’re also looking forward to meeting other researchers and stakeholders, hopefully they’ll be able to give us some suggestions for further research!
Anna Chernyakhovskaya, specially for HSE news service
See also:
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In dynamic games, a Markov equilibrium involves strategies that guide players' behaviour based on the current state of the game, rather than its entire history. This approach is effective when players have access to complete information. But when uncertainty arises in the game—for instance, when players are unsure of who they are dealing with—this approach can become problematic. Eric Maskin, Nobel Laureate in Economics and Professor at Harvard University, addressed this issue in a paper presented at the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development held at HSE University from April 15 to 18, 2025.
‘The World Is Becoming More Complex and Less Predictable’: What Scientists Say about the Future
The future is now more difficult for researchers to forecast, and events that are hard to predict are playing an increasingly significant role. But there is good news too: scientists are confident that humanity will adapt to any changes. This was the focus of discussion at the International Symposium ‘Foresight in a Rapidly Changing World,’ which took place as part of the 25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference.
Fragmentation and Bloc Formation: How the Global Economy is Changing
Sergey Dubinin, former head of the Bank of Russia and Professor of Finance and Credit at the Faculty of Economics at Moscow State University, has delivered an honorary address at the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference. He spoke about the transformation of the global monetary and financial system, as well as the Russian economy.
More Children, More Happiness: HSE Experts Study Impact of Number of Children on Russians' Assessment of Happiness
Russians with children feel happier than those without children. At the same time, the number of children influences the assessment of happiness: the more children Russians have, the happier they feel. These conclusions were outlined inthe report ‘More Children, More Happiness: The Impact of the Number of Children on Russians’ Assessment of Happiness,’ presented at the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development, held on April 15–18 at HSE University. The study was conducted by Elena Churilova, Senior Research Fellow, and Dmitry Jdanov, Chief Research Fellowat HSE International Laboratory for Population and Health.
HSE Expands Cooperation with Gulf Countries
HSE University and the Centre for International Policy Research (Qatar) have agreed to collaborate in the field of social sciences, with plans for joint research, academic exchanges, and regular expert engagement. The agreement was signed during the roundtable ‘State Capacity and State Resilience in the Global South,’ held as part of the 25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference at HSE University.
‘We Grow Old before We Become Rich’: How BRICS Countries Can Achieve Economic Growth
Due to population aging, many countries aiming for economic prosperity have limited time left to undergo economic transformation, according to the honorary report Narratives Versus Reality on Employment and Demography: How Undermining Institutions Can Push Countries Out of the ‘Narrow Corridor’ by Santosh Mehrotra of the University of Bath. The report was presented at the XXV Yasin (April) International Academic Conference.
XXV Yasin (April) Academic Conference Kicks Off at HSE University
The anniversary 25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference on Economic and Social Development will take place from April 15 to 18. This year, over a thousand applications were submitted to present at the conference, of which the Programme Committee selected 381 of the best research papers in their respective fields.
HSE University Announces Call for Proposals to Attend Anniversary Yasin Conference
HSE University invites submissions of proposals with academic reports for participation in the 25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference (YIAC). The conference programme, centred on five research themes addressing issues of economic and social development, will retain its interdisciplinary focus and welcome participation from leading scientists in Russia and around the globe. The key events of the 25th Yasin Conference will be taking place in Moscow from April 15 to 18, 2025.
25th Yasin (April) International Academic Conference Now Accepting Proposals
Reports on new research results will be presented and discussed as part of the conference’s sections. These reports will be selected based on reviews of proposals. As always, the conference programme features expert discussions of the most pressing economic, social, internal and external issues in the format of roundtables and associated events.
Academic Council: HSE University’s Contribution to Achieving National Goals and Development Priorities to Increase
HSE University’s Development Programme until 2030 will be improved in order to increase the university’s contribution to achieving national goals and implementing the priorities of the country’s scientific and technological development. This decision was made by the university’s Academic Council on April 26. The meeting also addressed the principles for the development of HSE University’s external communications, one of which is the creation of a high-quality information field around the university.