Education

In August, the Director of the Institute of Education, Prof Evgeniy Terentev, and the Head of International Affairs, Maksim Nikitin, visited top-ranking Hong Kong universities to network. They also attended the AIEdu2025 conference to exchange knowledge about the influence of artificial intelligence on education.

In his 2025 study published in Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education, Ivan Ivanov of IOE’s Pinsky Center of General and Extracurricular Education delves into the complex evolution of children's after-school activities across the vast expanse of the fifteen former Soviet republics. The research uncovers the multifaceted journeys these nations have embarked upon since the dissolution of a once-unified system, painting a vivid picture of continuity, divergence, and the persistent quest to shape young lives outside the formal classroom.

In her recent study, Victoria Slepykh of IOE delves into the contentious issue of academic inbreeding and its impact on the productivity of early-career researchers in STEM fields. Academic inbreeding, the practice of scholars working at the same institutions where they earned their degrees, has long been debated for its potential to stifle innovation and limit intellectual diversity. This research offers a nuanced perspective, exploring how this phenomenon plays out in Russia’s diverse academic landscape, where inbreeding is notably prevalent.

Imagine if your classes felt more like a game than a grind. Badges for breakthroughs, points for participation, and friendly leaderboards that spark just enough rivalry to keep you coming back. It’s not a futuristic fantasy—it’s happening now. Gamification in education isn’t just about fun; it's becoming a strategic tool to build the very skills employers are hungry for. A recent study published in Educational Studies Moscow dives into data to show how playing games in class might just be the smartest way to land that dream job.

An HSE delegation, led by Rector Nikita Anisimov, visited China for negotiations with the administration of the country’s top universities. The parties agreed to expand bilateral scientific and educational collaboration and signed several documents. In particular, a strategic partnership agreement was established with Peking University, one of the oldest and most prestigious educational institutions in China.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought about sweeping changes to daily life across the globe, none more so than for young people whose worlds were turned upside down by lockdowns, school closures, and social distancing measures. In the thick of these unprecedented disruptions, a critical question emerged: How did these abrupt changes affect the wellbeing of adolescents—those in the midst of pivotal developmental years? A study by an international research team, including Alexandra Bochaver of IOE, offers enthralling insights into the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on school students' psychological, emotional, and social wellbeing, shedding light on both the challenges they faced and their capacity to adapt. By examining the complexities of adolescent wellbeing during such a tumultuous time in a global context, it underpins the importance of understanding how external crises influence the mental and social health of young people and the need for continued support in the face of such challenges.

Representatives from the HSE Institute of Education have visited leading Indian universities, including the University of Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and O.P. Jindal Global University, as well as several research centres. HSE staff gave guest lectures on the Russian education system, highlighting its features and opportunities for international students. The visit aimed to strengthen academic collaboration between the two countries. 

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, education systems worldwide underwent an unprecedented transformation, propelled by the urgent need for digital solutions. A study by Diana Koroleva and Anastasia Andreeva explores this phenomenon through the concept of ‘Shock Innovation,’ shedding light on how crises can accelerate technological adoption in education.

COVID-19 has had a swift and ubiquitously profound social impact arguably unseen at any other point of crisis in recent history. As the pandemic marched on, Russian education experienced a hard time settling into the new lay of the land with COVID-induced disruptions defying much of the system’s common norms, standards, and practices.

Anastasia Andreeva, Diana Koroleva, Sergei Kosaretsky, and Isaak Frumin have embarked on a research journey to explore how various stakeholders in Russian K—11 education interacted amid a tapestry of centrifugal and centripetal winds stirred by COVID-19. A chapter summarizing the study findings has been published in Springer’s Schools and Society During the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Education Systems Changed and the Road Ahead.

Mark your calendars for October 25 to 27 so you do not miss to join live streams on YouTube and Zoom of academic sessions to be hosted as part of the 14th International Conference on Higher Education (ICHE). The topic of ICHE 2023 is ‘New Educational Outcomes for Well-Being and Success.’