News

The importance of geographical science is increasing, as is the demand for education in this field. Since 2020, application numbers for Bachelor’s programmes at HSE University’s Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technology have climbed by 30%, while interest in Master’s programmes has also expanded, with applications up 10–15%. Nikolay Kurichev, Dean of the Faculty, spoke about this at a press conference hosted by MIA Rossiya Segodnya.

A team from HSE University–St Petersburg has returned from an expedition to the Himalayas. Together with colleagues from the universities of Delhi and Jammu, they studied the local mountain communities of the northern part of the famous mountain system.

Researchers at HSE University–St Petersburg have discovered a way to create effective microlasers with diameters as small as 5 to 8 micrometres. They operate at room temperature, require no cooling, and can be integrated into microchips. The scientists relied on the whispering gallery effect to trap light and used buffer layers to reduce energy leakage and stress. This approach holds promise for integrating lasers into microchips, sensors, and quantum technologies. The study has been published in Technical Physics Letters.

Ksenia Rozhkova studies the labour market, learns foreign languages to gain a deeper understanding of the world, and has a passion for theatre. In this interview with the HSE Young Scientists project, she discusses non-cognitive characteristics, the role theatre plays in her life, and common myths about pursuing a master's degree.

On August 12, 2025, mathematician Irina Lomazova, Professor at the School of Software Engineering and Academic Supervisor of the Laboratory of Process-Aware Information Systems, celebrated a milestone birthday. In an interview with the HSE News Service, she spoke about Petri nets, mathematical genealogy, and the logic of a course that students can follow in real time.

Students of the Bachelor’s in Egyptology at the Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies, HSE Faculty of Humanities, spent ten days in the extreme conditions of the Egyptian heat exploring ancient tombs, creating 3D models of reliefs, and mastering Egyptology not from textbooks but through direct engagement with monuments.

Researchers at the HSE Centre for Language and Brain were among the first to use transcranial alternating current stimulation to investigate whether it can influence the acquisition of new words. Although the authors of the experiment have not yet found a link between brain stimulation and word acquisition, they believe that adjusting the stimulation parameters may yield different results in the future. The study has been published in Language, Cognition and Neuroscience.

It is commonly believed that the Lezgic languages spoken in Dagestan and Azerbaijan originally used a vigesimal numeral system, with the decimal system emerging later. However, a recent analysis of numerals in various dialects, conducted by linguist Maksim Melenchenko from HSE University, suggests that the opposite may be true: the decimal system was used originally, with the vigesimal system developing later. The study has been published in Folia Linguistica.