Institute of Asian and African Studies

On March 11, 2026, the Institute for Asian and African Studies hosted an online roundtable titled “Women and Women’s Movements in East Asia.” The programme featured student presentations focusing on gender issues in China, Korea, and Japan.

"Translation of Japanese Manga Comics and Video Subtitling" is one of the longest-running and most in-demand projects implemented at the Department of Japanese Studies of the Institute of Asian and African Studies for bachelor's students enrolled in the Asian and African Studies program. Today, we will provide a detailed look at what project participants do, summarize the interim results of the first stage, and also speak with students who are mastering the basics of comic translation this year.

On January 15, 2026, as part of a series of joint online seminars with Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, students from the Asian and African Studies program at the Institute of Asian and African Studies (Department of Japanese Studies) discussed their academic interests and current research topics with students from Japan.

A look at recent academic events, international partnerships, and student initiatives at the HSE Department of Korean Studies.

On 17 February, another meeting of the Discussion Club on International Relations in East Asia was held, led by Maria Chizhevskaya.

On 12 February, as part of the department's career guidance project, an online meeting was held with Denis Karenin, a Japanologist, employee of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and graduate of MGIMO and Ural Federal University. Denis spoke about his experience working in Russian diplomatic missions in Japan and the Philippines, about the daily routine of the diplomatic service, and shared some memorable episodes from his practice. We would like to share some important points from this meeting.

The "Economics of Asia and Africa" track at the Department of Asian and African Studies has long been one of the most popular on our programme. Yet many students hesitate when they first see the name: "Will I manage? Do I need to already know something complex and highly specific to feel confident here?" Let us be clear: no, you don't. Our tracks follow a "simple to complex" logic — we start with foundational concepts and gradually guide you toward independent research. Most importantly, you get to explore what genuinely interests you. Want to dive into Emirati airlines? Chinese digital platforms? We will always find a supervisor who can help you turn curiosity into serious academic work — just as we did for Ekaterina Slinkina. Combining her passion for aviation, hands-on experience at an airport, and economic analysis, she turned personal interest into a successful thesis. Here's what she gained along the way.

The Department for Chinese, South and Southeast Asian Studies, HSE University – Saint Petersburg, together with the Research and Educational Group “Folklore and Cultural Heritage in Asian Countries” (the Institute of Asian and African Studies), invite undergraduate students, master’s students, doctoral students, and early career researchers to participate in an interdisciplinary conference focusing on the cultural heritage of East and Southeast Asia.

The Rope Shop Educational Space of HSE University–St Petersburg hosted a conference on the present and future of Russian–Chinese relations. Together with Luo Zhanhui, Consul General of China in St Petersburg, leading experts in Asian and African Studies discussed vectors for the long-term development of the countries, the synergy of joint projects, and future educational partnerships.

HSE University–St Petersburg has held the first 'Contemporary Studies of the Sultanate of Oman: Methods, Concepts, Texts' international school for early-career researchers. The programme gathered more than 30 students and experts from Russia, Oman, Italy, and France.