International Recruitment

FAQ on Tenure-track Recruitment

For what positions and in what disciplines is international faculty being hired by the HSE?

At present, the HSE international tenure-track recruitment program covers various disciplines including economics and finance, management and business informatics, politics and international relations, philology and linguistics, sociology, mathematics, statistics, public policy and public administration, law, education, media, history, philosophy, and psychology.

What criteria are applied to candidates for the tenure-track positions?

Candidates must hold a recent PhD degree that is awarded within the previous 5 years or received before starting work at the HSE in one of the aforementioned disciplines from an international research university and have been assessed by external reviewers as having  a potential to pursue research that is publishable in the top peer-reviewed journals. Teaching experience at leading foreign universities is desirable. Knowledge of Russian is not required as teaching is done in English.

Who can apply for an academic tenure-track position at the HSE?

The HSE welcomes international applicants who have completed a PhD in relevant fields within the last five years by the date of employment. We also accept applications from the candidates who are close to getting their PhD, but to be able to start a contract with the HSE, the candidate should have the PhD certificate in hand by the starting date of employment at the HSE. Tenure-track positions are only available on a full-time, residential basis.

What is the working language?

All the communications, including interviews and teaching (in case of employment at the HSE) will be held in English. Therefore fluent English is an obligatory requirement.

Is it possible to be hired for an Associate/Full Professor position?

Applications for Associate and Full Professorships can also be considered in exceptional cases. The obligatory requirement is that the applicant already holds a tenured position at major international research university. Knowledge of Russian is not required as teaching is done in English.

What is the contract term for international faculty?

Generally appointments will be made for an initial three-year period, and upon successful completion of an interim review, contracts are normally extended for a further three years until the tenure review. The purpose of the review is to provide a tenure-track international hire an opportunity to evaluate his or her activities throughout the previous period and suggest areas for improvement to ensure a possibility of a successful tenure review. All individual employment conditions will be reflected in the offer letter.

The HSE's initial employment procedures for those on fixed-term appointments, holding PhDs and recruited from the international job market to work for the HSE, are carried out in compliance with current legislation of the Russian Federation and HSE internal rules. As a rule, employment commences in September. Tenure is a type of employment contract for which an academic’s publishing activity is no longer a criteria for contract extension. The fewest number of papers expected to be published in reputable professional journals, for making a tenure proposal to an international faculty member, is two (considered together with the references, reports, and recommendations).The decision to offer a tenured position may be made by the HSE Review Committee earlier than the six-year term's expiration if, before joining the HSE, the international faculty members held an academic position for a satisfactory period of time with a reputable university or he/she has an exceptional publication track record.

Can I apply to multiple positions at one time? 

The general rule for all the candidate is that the applicant can apply in only one announced position - in discipline in which the candidate feel more specialized and which is a priority

With regard to the statement of research interest, how long should it be and what is the format of it?

We don’t have any special requirements to statement of research interests. It is usually written in a free-form and normally takes 1-2 pages. But can be either longer or shorter.

Work Conditions

What range of salaries is offered by the HSE?

The salaries at the HSE are negotiable and depend very much from the strength and research potential of each applicant. In broad terms HSE endeavor to offer starting salaries that are in line, on an after-tax basis, with major European research universities.  Salaries are adjusted annually for inflation, and increases may be provided for outstanding professional achievement.

What benefits does the HSE offer to international employees?

Benefits offered by the HSE include: coverage of relocation expenses, a settling-in allowance, standard medical health insurance plan for the employee and the family members, free housing in the university guest house up 60 days upon arrival, research/travel support funds to be spent on academic activities, and administrative support.

How many days of leave would I have, and what is the policy on grouping them together?

Academic staff members have 56 vacation days. The vacation may be split into segments, one of which must be 14 days or longer.

There is also an opportunity to request for 28 days of short-term sabbatical leave per year (and up to 56 days in exceptional cases). 

The Work Process

What would my teaching load be at the HSE?

Academic appointments at the HSE involve research, teaching, and administrative duties. The workload is set in accordance with international standards. The normal teaching load for international hires is relatively low and service is minimal.

What support would I receive for my research at the HSE?

Please see the detailed information about travel and research grant