Research & Expertise news at HSE University

HSE University–St Petersburg has held the first 'Studies of Oman in Russia: New Directions for Scientific Research' international research seminar. The event gathered researchers from Russia, Oman, and Europe and served as a platform for an open academic dialogue.

Scientists from HSE University, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Southern California, have developed an algorithm that rapidly and accurately predicts the behaviour of quantum systems, from quantum computers to solar panels. This methodology enabled the simulation of processes in the MoS₂ semiconductor and revealed that the movement of charged particles is influenced not only by the number of defects but also by their location. These defects can either slow down or accelerate charge transport, leading to effects that were previously difficult to account for with standard methods. The study has been published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

A team of researchers at HSE University, in collaboration with scientists from Russian and foreign universities, has investigated the impact of electrical brain stimulation on learning new words. The experiment shows that direct current stimulation of language centres—Broca's and Wernicke's areas—can improve and speed up the memorisation of new words. The findings have been published in Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.

Under decoupling conditions, Russia has become the ‘centre of gravity’ for the Eurasian integration process and has the potential to play a unifying role in the emerging multipolar world. These were the main points discussed by participants and guests at the International Scientific and Practical Conference ‘Dimensions of Eurasian Integration: Transport and Logistics, Energy, and Food Security’ held by the HSE University Institute for Public Administration and Governance (IPAG).

The International Academic Cooperation (IAC) competition aims to promote international academic partnerships, broaden research agendas, and foster interdisciplinary approaches. It also encourages students, including doctoral students at HSE University, to participate in joint basic research projects.

The HSE International Laboratory for Digital Transformation in Public Administration held a roundtable titled ‘Artificial Intelligence in Public Administration: Current Trends.’ Scholars from Israel, China, and Russia discussed which public services AI can enhance and what key factors must be considered when adopting new technologies.

Neural network models developed at the HSE AI Research Centre have significantly improved the prediction of risks for obesity, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis, and other complex diseases. A joint study with Genotek Ltd showed that deep learning algorithms outperform traditional methods, particularly in cases involving complex gene interactions (epistasis). The findings have been published in Frontiers in Medicine.

More than 10,000 scientific projects were supported by the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) in 2024. One of the grant recipients is Iranian scholar Dr Ahmad Ostovari Moghaddam, Assistant Professor at HSE MIEM. With the support of the RSF and HSE, he made the decision to remain in Russia long term.