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On July 3, 2024, the International Preparatory Year programme held its graduation ceremony. This academic year, 215 students (150 on state-funded and 65 on fee-paying places) from over 50 countries were enrolled in the programme. Graduates from Nigeria, Sudan, and Vietnam shared their impressions with the HSE News Service. Alexandra Nazarchuk, Director of the International Preparatory Year Programme talked about their achievements and plans for the coming year.

The HSE Inter Football Cup—mini-football championship, which has already become a tradition, was held on the open lawn of the Energia Stadium on May 19, 2024. This year, a team of international students from the St. Petersburg campus also joined the fight for the Сup.More than 100 international students from various countries came together for a day of spirited competition and cultural exchange.

In early March, the HSE building on Pokrovsky Bulvar hosted theRussian Culture Day Festival. The event was organised by the HSE Department of Internationalisation. International students participated in quizzes, lectures, and workshops. They also had the opportunity to taste a traditional Russian dish—blini with jam.

The online Russian Speaking Club opened only a month ago, but has seen a rapid growth in the number of participants. Every week, the club holds free online meetings where participants and a Russian language tutor discuss various topics related to the Russian language and culture. Below, the club leaders share their impressions and plans, which include going offline.

Russia is becoming an increasingly popular study destination for African students, and HSE University is actively seeking to attract more students from African countries. Bakary S. Sonko, from Gambia, is a master’s student at the Graduate School of Business and an active member of the volunteering community both at HSE University and beyond. In this interview, Bakary recounts his achievements as a volunteer and talks about how African students at HSE have built a supportive and welcoming community for each other.

HSE University boasts a variety of student clubs and societies: sports clubs, charity organisations, cultural clubs, and many more. Azzahra Afidah Faizah, one of the founders of the HSE Indonesian Club, talks about its activities, objectives, and plans.