News

Amand van Rossum, student of a MA Programme in International Relations, has been part of the International Students’ Association since its foundation, first serving as its Vice-Chair and then becoming the Student Advisor and PR Officer. He has talked to HSE News Service about international students’ life in Moscow and the role International Student Association intends to play in helping students better adapt at HSE.

Preparatory Year at HSE aims to help students learn the Russian language in order to subsequently apply to Russian-taught Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes at HSE or other Russian universities. Two recent graduates of the programme share their impressions.

On December 9-10, the HSE Centre for Psychological Counselling is joining with the HSE Centre of Leadership and Volunteering to organize a psychology weekend where experienced psychologists will speak about how to talk to employers, effective communication, and time management. On the first day of the weekend, a workshop on studying and working in a multicultural environment will be held in English, which will give international students the ability to participate as well.

Registration is now open for the Open Doors: Russian Scholarship Project, Russia’s first competition for international students applying to Master’s programmes. With registration open until January 15, 2018, the competition consists of two remote stages: a portfolio contest and an online contest. The first stage will take place from December 1 to January 15.

On November 15, international student admissions for undergraduate and Master’s programmes opened. This year, prospective students can apply to two programmes simultaneously. They’ll be able to track the application process online in their personal profile on the HSE website where they will receive notifications on the stages of their application’s review and decisions by the admissions committee. The documents for visa invitation can also be submitted there.

For Sebastian Billy Anggara, a 20-year-old student from Kediri, Indonesia, coming to HSE to study has been like a dream come true. After learning about HSE from his older brother, who is studying international relations in the Faculty of World Economy and International Affairs, he decided to apply to the Faculty of Communications, Media and Design to do a Bachelor’s in Advertising and Public Relations. Since the programme is taught in Russian, he will first study at HSE’s Preparatory Year to master the language.

On July 21, 2017, the graduation ceremony for the Preparatory Year programme was held. During the ceremony, more than 170 students from 40 countries received their diplomas, which will enable them to continue their studies in Russia.

Fifteen American students have come to HSE to study Russian as a foreign language as part of ‘USA in Russia’ study abroad programme developed by the University of South Alabama in partnership with HSE since 2014. Every other year, Nicholas Gossett, Assistant Professor of Russian and Applied Linguistics, brings a group of students to Moscow to study the Russian language as well as attend lectures and seminars on Russian culture, history, business, and other subjects. The goal is for students to not only improve their knowledge of the Russian language but to also make life-long connections in Russia which will help them in the academic, professional, and personal life.

International students enrolled in fee-paying places of HSE Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes in 2017 are eligible for tuition fee discounts. Moreover, discounts will be offered to participants of HSE student competitions and graduates of HSE Pre-University programmes, as well as those potential students who have graduated from the University’s partner schools.

HSE’s Preparatory Year trains international students with little or no knowledge of Russian before they begin Russian-taught full-degree programs. Over 10 months of intensive study, students improve their language skills (reading, listening, speaking, and writing), study in a chosen academic field (humanities, economics, or engineering), and adapt to the new educational environment. Upon completing the Preparatory Year, students are expected to possess intermediate-level Russian language skills and be ready to enter Russian-taught full-degree programmes at HSE and other Russian universities.