Education

On Monday, December 8, the Institute of Education hosted a delegation from the Institute of Education Theory, part of the China National Academy of Educational Sciences (CNAES), for a welcome meeting and exchange. Building on years of collaboration, the two institutes reaffirmed their shared research interests and discussed new opportunities for joint projects.

When the COVID-19 pandemic upended daily life, it didn’t just close schools and offices—it redrew the map of family life. A study by Mikhail Goshin, Dmitry Grigoryev, Pavel Sorokin, and Polina Bochkareva, published in Frontiers in Psychology, explores how parenting styles and extracurricular activities (ECA) shaped children’s ability to adapt, stay creative, and take charge of their lives during those tumultuous years. The findings shed light on how lockdowns quietly rewired the dynamics between parents and children—and, in many cases, helped young people discover unexpected forms of independence.

Three decades ago, China set out to build universities that could rival the world’s best—and it succeeded. Now, one of its leading scholars says the same model that powered that rise is holding it back. At ICHE Conference 2025, Professor Rui Yang called for a rethink of how knowledge—not just output—should drive the future.

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.